What it takes to get an APA approved internship

I think the title pretty much speaks for itself. What does it take to rise above the masses and obtain a coveted APA approved internship?

Is it GPA? Practicum experience? Extracurriculars? Experience before grad school?

It seems to me that applying for a graduate program is more clear cut than applying for internship. For graduate programs, for example, its fairly easy to sort the great from the good, and the good from the bad (the 'what were they thinking's). However, for internship, everyone is, by default, highly qualified as they have managed to go through 4-6 years of grad school. How can you distinguish yourself from the next person going into a similar concentration?

Likewise, I understand that it is a "match" process (hence "match" day), so is it safe to assume then that your application relies heavily on how well your previous experiences aligns itself with the match site?

I will be starting my Psy.D. program in the fall, but I want to look ahead towards internship so I can maximize my chances of getting my top choice for internship by tailoring my education from the beginning. Any tips?

Thanks for your help in advance, and I apologize if this is an amateurish question to ask.

Its everything you mentioned, except experiences before grad school, and you forgot to mention your interviewing skills..... GPA is not heavily considered either, but most places at least have cut offs. It also depends on the kinds of places you want to go to (i.e.,clinical vs research, prefers PsyDs or Ph.Ds, etc). The kinds of applicants, and the things that those applicants should have, are obviously going to be different for a university counseling center vs a psychiatry department at a large academic medical center. So you have to think about those factors as well.

Possibly most Important?
Quality and breadth of clinical training is a VERY important factor in internship process. And many times these experiences need to match the places that you are looking at (i.e., applying to a federal prison for internship with no forensic practicums would not be a good idea). Make sure you get experience with assessment! Publications and evidence of involvement and scholarship in research is indeed important for many sites. This is really an area where you can seperate yourself from the rest of the pack. Lastly, strong LORs, good interviewing skills, and an overall "match," for a lack of a better word, between your goals and personality, and that of the site.

RoccoAndMe said:

I think the title pretty much speaks for itself. What does it take to rise above the masses and obtain a coveted APA approved internship?

Is it GPA? Practicum experience? Extracurriculars? Experience before grad school?

It seems to me that applying for a graduate program is more clear cut than applying for internship. For graduate programs, for example, its fairly easy to sort the great from the good, and the good from the bad (the 'what were they thinking's). However, for internship, everyone is, by default, highly qualified as they have managed to go through 4-6 years of grad school. How can you distinguish yourself from the next person going into a similar concentration?

Likewise, I understand that it is a "match" process (hence "match" day), so is it safe to assume then that your application relies heavily on how well your previous experiences aligns itself with the match site?

I will be starting my Psy.D. program in the fall, but I want to look ahead towards internship so I can maximize my chances of getting my top choice for internship by tailoring my education from the beginning. Any tips?

Thanks for your help in advance, and I apologize if this is an amateurish question to ask.

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Don't shoot the messenger here, but coming out of many Psy.D. programs you may be at a disadvantage compared to some of the people coming out of Ph.D. programs. So my biggest piece of advice is to pick really great practicum sites while you are in your program. Having great experiences and LOR's even from the most poorly ranked of programs (Psy.D. or Ph.D.) can really make a difference in how your application is evaluated.

Unfortunately, the reality is that there are too few spots for far too many applicants. Try to not limit yourself geographically, as this may allow you to apply to internships that are a better match to your experiences. Talk to people who have been through the process (Not Me.) These people will be the best source of knowledge.

Good luck with your program,

Mark

Rocco,
I am so glad you've posted this. I am starting PsyD in the fall also and I am finding myself thinking about and researching APA internship sites now, thanks to this site. So I am glad I am not alone 🙂

I have even put together a list of possible sites I'd be applying to in my 3d year. I am not advocating to do this, perhaps it is a bit too much. But I am glad we are thinking like-mindedly about maxumizing chances to get matched at the desired site/s by looking at the possibilities in advance, matching them with interests and keeping in mind required skills and experiences. As always in life, if you know specifically what your goals are, opportunities and synchronicities just seem to pop up by themselves for you!
One of my challenges is some geograpical limitation, but knowing that applying locally will greatly reduce my match chances, I am ready to compromise, looking at the sites not only in my state but also at the neighboring states, but not across the country...

What helped me to define the requirements and skills I need to work on to make myself more competitive (I think so anyway 🙂 was getting familiar with the APPIC website, doing various searches, and looking at the individual sites requirements, especially statistics of the former interns there. I am suggesting you do the same (you might have done this already), this way you can identify specific skills/requirements/experiences that will make you more competitive for specific sites of your interest. For example, from my site research so far it looks like most (if not all) University med centers prefer PhDs, not PsyD (looking at the stats), perhaps b/c traditional PhD experience fits more to their scientist-practicioner model & philosophy. Of course this is a generalization, and I assume that people from Psyd programs can get into those places, but they probably need to have more research experience, publications, etc that the average PsyD student gets. So knowing about the requirements & preferences in advance helps...


Mark,
May I ask, when you say "great practicum sites", what do you mean by that? How do you & APA Internship people would define those sites and how does one know that the site is "great" before he/she applies? I would think, through networking and, also, by looking at the types / variety of experiences the site provides and how they fit into your goals. But there might be other criteria, I'd think?


Erg, when you say "breadth" of graduate school experience, do you possibly mean that, say, having 3 practicums in very different settings where you'd be working with different populations / Dx is better than having at least 2 years of practica in the same setting, with the same population that matches those of your desired Internship site?
For example, if one wants to get an APA internship at the VA, is it better to find practicum at the VA and stay there for at least 2 (or all 3) years, or would a VA internship program rather prefer interns who have a variety of experiences with other sites/populations (i.e. community MH centers) than interns with primarily VA practicum experience?
Sorry for so many questions and thank you for your help.

..... i wouldn't try to analyze it or break it down to much. "Breadth" simply means do not do all your practicums in therapy, don't do them all with one population (i.e., children, PTSD). I also would not limit yourself by staying in one environment (i.e., VA) for 2 or 3 years during grad school, even if you are confident you want a VA internship. Its good experience for a year long practicum, but very limiting demographically (almost all male, all over 18)

I'm a PsyD (professional school on top of it) who has an APA approved internship at a VA in a highly competitive market. Did I do a heck of a lot more than the "average" student in my cohort? From what I've been told and can see, yes.

1) I sought out a research coordinator gig before I even started my 1st semester. So I've been doing research the entire time I've been in school. My program offers opportunities to do research, but most are short term and were outside of my area of interest. Leverage any relationships you have and ask early.

2) Like others suggested, I secured good practicum spots that gave me more than enough hours, batteries, etc. I did assessment with kids and therapy/advanced with adults in the setting I wanted for internship.

3) I did things other than study and do research - like volunteer work, attending conferences, etc. If your program offers exchanges or international study trips and you can afford to do it, take them. Those are good for the diversity essay. Do whatever you can to stand out since at this level we all start to look similar.

4) I got at least a few publications (10 I think). The majority are abstracts/posters, but there were several that again fell under the area I was interested in for internship. Also did a few presentations, both to peers and to the general public. I think showing an interest not only in academics but in community mental health and education was helpful.

My background prior to returning to school was a bit unique also. I was out of the field for 7 years and have somewhat extensive computer programming skills, as well as a masters degree in that area.

Once it comes down to applying, having strong essays that aren't the status quo, cliche' "I want to help people" story and a cohesive message about your background and goals is probably important. Strong LORs from people you've worked closely with are also key. Grades, I really don't know. But I did have someone ask me specifically about my GPA in an interview (where I placed actually). I have a 3.92, so she asked what class I got a B in 🙂

Hope that's helpful. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me. It's certainly smart of you to start planning now versus your 3rd year 🙂

It is all about shaping your experience to what you want to do when you get out...and internship should fit in there as an intermediary step. For instance, if you want to work at a university counseling center, it would behoove you to get experience with that population during your practicum time.

I think it is important to have balance, so as a Psy.D. don't shirk away from research. If you look at the 'averages' of applicants, some extra work will service you well. For instance, 2 publications will put you in the top half of applicants (IIRC)....since many don't publish.

Much like clinical programs, it is all about fit. If you can tailor your experience (on the application) to the site, you'll be better off. The little things matter, and most sites are looking to cut apps, so dot your I's and cross your T's.

The advice I've been given is that while you want SOME in-depth experience (obviously), you still need a breadth of experience overall. Breadth encompasses everything (research, I've even heard teaching is a consideration), not just the breadth of your clinical work, though that is certainly one of, if not the most important factor. GPA doesn't matter for the most part. Anything below a B is failing at most schools, so you end up with a very...condensed grade range among internship applicants, and I doubt its taken into much consideration. From what I've heard, the only reason places ask for your transcripts is so they can see the courses you took, not so much the grades.

And Cosmo, I almost had a heart attack when you said "a few" pubs was 10, before you mentioned you were including abstracts and posters as well

Over 10 full papers would put you in, I believe, the top 5% of all doctoral-level grads in terms of research productivity(or thereabouts). If you had pulled that off in a program not even set up for a great deal of research, I'd have been convinced you were some kind of superhero😉

Ollie....I thought the same thing.

Limiting your geography may cause you some problems. That is the #1 issue with matching, so hopefully it will be less of a concern when you get around to it.

Ollie123 said:

And Cosmo, I almost had a heart attack when you said "a few" pubs was 10, before you mentioned you were including abstracts and posters as well

Over 10 full papers would put you in, I believe, the top 5% of all doctoral-level grads in terms of research productivity(or thereabouts). If you had pulled that off in a program not even set up for a great deal of research, I'd have been convinced you were some kind of superhero😉

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😀 Yeah, that would be nice. I got screwed out of one of my papers by the 1st author. Was "in print" with my name on the authorship line, had a bit of a falling out with the 1st author, at publication I had an acknowledgment. The joys of politics. But hey I'm over it.

I second the teaching recommendation. I started doing that my 4th year.

One thing I've noticed from playing around on the appic database is that there are several sites that list a particular degree as "preferred" or "acceptable," but have never admitted a single student from certain programs. Since I'm in counseling psych this is an issue for me; plenty of sites list a counseling psych program as "preferred," but admitted 15 clinical psych PhDs and 0 counseling psych PhDs in the last three years. I was noticing this was the case for some sites and PsyDs too. I wouldn't knock a site off my list just for that, but something to keep in mind.

JockNerd said:

One thing I've noticed from playing around on the appic database is that there are several sites that list a particular degree as "preferred" or "acceptable," but have never admitted a single student from certain programs. Since I'm in counseling psych this is an issue for me; plenty of sites list a counseling psych program as "preferred," but admitted 15 clinical psych PhDs and 0 counseling psych PhDs in the last three years. I was noticing this was the case for some sites and PsyDs too. I wouldn't knock a site off my list just for that, but something to keep in mind.

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Absolutely. My original list contained several of these, and my training director gave me a reality check. I kept some, and I did get a few interviews at those sites. But overall I was rejected by sites that hadn't taken a PsyD in the past 3 years. I wish you could go back even further to see if it's a recent trend or been pretty much a standard. Though 3 years is still a good indicator.

JockNerd said:

One thing I've noticed from playing around on the appic database is that there are several sites that list a particular degree as "preferred" or "acceptable," but have never admitted a single student from certain programs. Since I'm in counseling psych this is an issue for me; plenty of sites list a counseling psych program as "preferred," but admitted 15 clinical psych PhDs and 0 counseling psych PhDs in the last three years. I was noticing this was the case for some sites and PsyDs too. I wouldn't knock a site off my list just for that, but something to keep in mind.

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Agreed. Some sites are subtle about it, and others are rather blatant. People still apply, just be aware that the odds aren't good to get an interview. With that being said,I interviewed at a place that didn't traditionally take Psy.D.'s or clinical people in general.....but they said my application was interesting enough to give a shot. I was 1 of 15 interviewed (out of 250), and 1 of only 2 that weren't a counseling Ph.D.

Oh, and take it from me....be careful about limiting yourself, as I only looked at very specific sites based on type, geography, post-doc placement......and I got stuck. Plenty of interviews at solid programs, but when you need to land in the top 2-3 to get the spot, it is wicked competitive (no 'safety' type places). I had friends who were much more open to placements and did generally well. Live and learn I guess.

Psychstuca said:

Rocco,
I
Mark,
May I ask, when you say "great practicum sites", what do you mean by that? How do you & APA Internship people would define those sites and how does one know that the site is "great" before he/she applies? I would think, through networking and, also, by looking at the types / variety of experiences the site provides and how they fit into your goals. But there might be other criteria, I'd think?

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Sites that offer APA internships are a good start. Networking is one critical way to get this information about sites. Don't be afraid to talk to people who are successful alumni of your program. Sites that are hotly contested among the students at your school are probably going to be good sites. Find out what is available... and definitely try to throw one VA into the mix. You still want to mix it up, but keep the quality high, talk to people at various sites for recommendations on other sites.


Mark

Even though I wasn't the one starting this thread, I am SO greatful to everyone for your great pieces of wisdom! Cosmo, I appreciate your itemized list of accomplishments, makes the hazy Internship picture much more clear, especially when you mentioned about finding a research coordinator prior to starting school. I was thinking of doing just that (contacting a professor who is doing research on the topic close to my research/dissertation interests) but wasn't sure it is appropriate before the school starts. So now I am inspired to contact her within next few days! Especially since my school doesn't offer too many research opp's.

Mark, thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. Sites offering APA internships for practicum - what a great idea, the quality of training should definitely be high at those sites. And there will be APA interns around 🙂

The day I discovered this forum was definitely my lucky day 🙂

I have a question for people replying to this thread. I have noticed several people refer to "limiting yourself geographically" as the number one reason so many people don't match. What exactly is considered to be a pattern of applying to sites that is defined as "limited?" I am moving from Texas to Mississippi to attend a doctoral program there. Would I be considered to be limiting myself if I chose to do my internship within the state of Texas soully? I did a search on the APPIC site and there are 30 sites within the state, but this includes some sites I will obviously not consider because of my training. I will apply to a few other sites within Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. If I don't apply to sites that are on the east/west coasts, then am I still defined as "limiting" my chances of getting into a site, let alone getting my top choice?

(I apologize if this seems like a freaked out rant, but I do believe I am amony many entering students who are looking at the competitiveness now for sites and worrying about how much worse this will be within 3-4 years when we apply.)

bigdodge53 said:

I have a question for people replying to this thread. I have noticed several people refer to "limiting yourself geographically" as the number one reason so many people don't match. What exactly is considered to be a pattern of applying to sites that is defined as "limited?" I am moving from Texas to Mississippi to attend a doctoral program there. Would I be considered to be limiting myself if I chose to do my internship within the state of Texas soully? I did a search on the APPIC site and there are 30 sites within the state, but this includes some sites I will obviously not consider because of my training. I will apply to a few other sites within Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee. If I don't apply to sites that are on the east/west coasts, then am I still defined as "limiting" my chances of getting into a site, let alone getting my top choice?

(I apologize if this seems like a freaked out rant, but I do believe I am amony many entering students who are looking at the competitiveness now for sites and worrying about how much worse this will be within 3-4 years when we apply.)

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Well, I think that yes, you would technically be considered to be limiting yourself geographically.

Whether or not that will be a problem is really a separate issue. Remember, geographical limitations means you decrease your odds of matching, it doesn't mean you WON'T match. I know plenty of people who have done so successfully. Now if you struggle in grad school, do the bare minimum, etc. than limiting yourself geographically would almost assuredly be a huge mistake. Even if you're wildly successful it still could cause problems, you just never know.

With 30 sites, your odds are much better than someone who wanted to limit themselves to say...a single city with 3 sites. The real issue will be whether the sites in Texas are definitely the best match for you...if they are, great.
As an aside - there IS a committee at APA working on improving the situation, so there's no guarantee it will be getting worse over the next 4 years. That being said...remember relative to the odds of getting into grad school, the odds of matching are much much higher🙂

Full disclosure: Take all the above with a grain of salt as I am still years away from going through the process myself, but this is based off what I've been hearing from other grad students and faculty.

bigdodge53 said:

Would I be considered to be limiting myself if I chose to do my internship within the state of Texas soully? I did a search on the APPIC site and there are 30 sites within the state, but this includes some sites I will obviously not consider because of my training.

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Texas is pretty big, I wouldn't consider that too limiting. If you said Dallas/Ft Worth, that would be pretty limiting. If you are to apply to internships in San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Waco... I would hardly call that limiting.

Mark

I know I want to work with children, and therefore want an internship that focuses on children. My school requires two year long practicum placements before internship, and I was wondering whether I can do both of them at child-related sites, or whether internships (or future employers) would prefer candidates to have extensive adult experience also? Obviously I'd be working with parents also at these sites and at the clinic in my school. Does anyone have any advice?

Honestly, I'm really not sure on this. Breadth of exposure is important, but so is getting some extensive experience in the population you want to work with (i.e.,children). Are you at a resesrch intensive program that limits the practicum availability to only 2 years? If you had 3 years available for practicum, I would recommend one adult and then 2 child. But with only 2 years, I'm not really sure what would be best to do.

erg923 said:

Honestly, I'm really not sure on this. Breadth of exposure is important, but so is getting some extensive experience in the population you want to work with (i.e.,children). Are you at a resesrch intensive program that limits the practicum availability to only 2 years? If you had 3 years available for practicum, I would recommend one adult and then 2 child. But with only 2 years, I'm not really sure what would be best to do.

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Yeah, we have only 2 external placements. However, I will be doing assessments and carrying a number of cases at my school's clinic, some of which will be adults I believe in addition to the externships.

LaLuna123 said:

I know I want to work with children, and therefore want an internship that focuses on children. My school requires two year long practicum placements before internship, and I was wondering whether I can do both of them at child-related sites, or whether internships (or future employers) would prefer candidates to have extensive adult experience also? Obviously I'd be working with parents also at these sites and at the clinic in my school. Does anyone have any advice?

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Hopefully I can shed some light on this. I did my assessment practicum in a private practice that contracted with schools for IEP evals. I had 4 rotations within the year-long practicum: high school, elementary school, forensic (that was fun), and then in the practice itself. I did about 15 batteries on kids aged 3-17. My therapy and advanced practicum were with adults in a hospital doing health psych. All adults (youngest client was 19). I applied to 3 child/adolescent health psych sites and received interviews at none. I spoke with another person in my cohort who had a similar mix of kid and adult, and had the same result. Those who had all kid (or at least a year of therapy work) experience got interviews/matched at kid sites. I matched to a VA so obviously all adult 🙂

For those in programs who only require an assessment and therapy practicum, seriously consider doing the advanced practicum your 4th year. Or get a job doing supervised assessment and/or therapy. It will boost your hours and make you significantly more competitive. I know a few people in my program with only 2 years of practica (that didn't have other clinical experience/a job and subsequently low hours) did not match.

Hope that helps.

LaLuna123 said:

Yeah, we have only 2 external placements. However, I will be doing assessments and carrying a number of cases at my school's clinic, some of which will be adults I believe in addition to the externships.

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From what I hear, it is important to have some adult experience if you want to work with children (presumably because children have adult parents, who are often the ones you end up working with), although the reverse is not necessarily true (i.e., you don't need child experience to work with adults). However, I would think that it would be OK for you to get your adult experience at your school's clinic. I doubt it'd be necessary to have a whole external practicum with adults, and in fact I think you should use that opportunity to get extensive child experience. Talk to your DCT if you are unsure, but I think this is your best course of action.

Thanks all for your advice!

I have another related question. I have a friend who's in a PhD program in a different school, and at her school they start their externships (practicum placements) in the first year. At mine we start with assessment practicums in 2nd year, and then clinical in 3rd and 4th. It seems like people from programs like hers will accumalate a significantly larger number of clinical hours than I will. Will I be at a disadvantage when applying for internships?

What seems to be the norm starting practicums straight away or later? To be honest though, I'm glad I'm not seeing patients in my first year! But still...

I think your experience matters more (have you worked with the population you are seeking in internship?), and after a certain number of hours....another few hundred won't matter.

On the APPIC site it should list the average # of hours of the previous interns, which can provide you with an idea of what they are looking for. For instance, if a site has 600 hours as the minimum amount they want someone to have, but the interns from the last few years averaged 900.....that would tell you that 600 is the minimum, but they are looking for more. Of course, will they take someone with 1000 hours over 800....who knows, the final decision probably comes down to the 'fit' of the person, and not so much the hours.