2009-2010 Internship Thread

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cmuhooligan said:
News from the clearinghouse front: Things have slowed quite a bit. I can't say I found much, as I didn't apply to any sites. Most of the APA-accredited sites were counseling centers (which isn't my thing). There was one decent VA, but it was not in my specialty. All in all, I was just taking a peak in to see what was there, but I was (and am) planning on staying another year.

Hope others had better luck!
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I did CH last year and ultimately declined my offers because they weren't a good "fit". It was a really hard to see others go off to internship, but I made sure to make the most of my time (2 presentations, 1 publication in the works, TA 3 more classes, almost finish my pharma degree, etc) and I think that helped me land a solid VA placement this year.

The scary thing about Clearing House is that because of the "rush" of everything, people often consider things they may have been dead set against just a few months ago (Take a placement in an area they don't really like, take a non-APA site, etc)

Anyone in CH....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't get too caught up in the process. Life happens, and this is just one blip on the radar.
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Congrats to everyone who matched (T4C, psychanon, PsyD123, and others), and g'luck to those navigating the clearinghouse today. :)
 
psychgrrrl said:
I matched at UCLA, which I am super excited about!

Congrats to everyone who matched and good luck to those awaiting CH openings. It looks like a lot of folks here did really well - that's fantastic!
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I'll be in LA too!!!
 
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Congrats everybody!!! I've been celebrating with the students in my program who matched all weekend. Course now I'm even more nervous about applying for internship myself. But I've still got a few years :rolleyes:
 
Hi everyone:

Sorry to be posting so late -- it was a crazy day. Anyway, I matched to Albert Einstein/Bronx Psychiatric Center! Looking forward to all that cool inpatient work.:)

EVERYONE from my program matched to APA sites -- which is pretty amazing since there were 26 of us!:luck:

Best wishes to all of you! It's been a tough 9 months (kind of like labor and delivery).:laugh:
 
I assume I might be an outlier in this process. I interviewed at 14 fantastic sites (including Brown, Mass Gen, Cornell, Boston Consortium, UCLA, MUSC, etc.) and found out on friday that I did not match eventhough I ranked 15 places. I am definitely not a socially inept person and have been extremely upset by all of this. Yesterday I was offered by a counseling center (non--APA) and I accepted. They "plan" on getting APA accredited this year. I don't know what happened, but I feel like leaving my program for good. To add salt to the large wound, I found out that my top site ranked me #3, and the first two spots filled up quickly. Then my three spots ranked after #1 emailed me to tell me they were shocked and had me in their #3 spots as well. So apparently good people and candidates can get screwed over in the match.

I have a question though for everyone out there....can i still apply for post-docs in a medical center or VA if I am at a counseling center? AND, can I apply to VA's when accreditation is imminent, but not set in stone yet...
 
Ugh, JoeyS-- unfortunately, I don't have the answer to your questions, but I wanted to write and say how sorry I am that this happened to you.

And to everyone who did not match. This process really sucks.

Speaking of things that suck, I have to move across the country but am extremely upside-down on my mortgage. Although I'm super grateful to have matched, I am sort of freaking out about financial stuff.
 
JoeyS....the same thing happened to me last year.

As for the VA....you can apply to VA spots from any background, though your internship has to be APA-accredited. I'm not sure how they would view a "pending" site. It is my understanding that as long as the site receives accreditation before your time is done, you will have completed your training at an APA-accredited site.
 
JoeyS said:
I assume I might be an outlier in this process. I interviewed at 14 fantastic sites (including Brown, Mass Gen, Cornell, Boston Consortium, UCLA, MUSC, etc.) and found out on friday that I did not match eventhough I ranked 15 places.

I have a question though for everyone out there....can i still apply for post-docs in a medical center or VA if I am at a counseling center? AND, can I apply to VA's when accreditation is imminent, but not set in stone yet...
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For one, I really do feel for you. I have a classmate interning at Boston Consort. who said that a really superb intern there did not match the year before. This may be a really sensitive time to ask this question, but I'm wondering why you didn't decide to hold out another year? I did not get interviews at any of those outstanding places (and I feel like a pretty good candidate), which makes me think you are a great candidate and deserve a lot more than a non-apa program...
 
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The reason I didn't want was because the counseling center is part of my graduate program and promised me over the phone that they already had all the materials for APA accreditation. They were supposed to get it done this year, but are betting that they will get it done the year I am there. I don't know much about this, but they already have their self-study materials ready for submission in either early May or at latest in September (of this year). The program is great. I actually did some externship work there and the training is wonderful. The reason I took it is because I can't trust the matching system. I should have matched by all means. I even received "illegal" emails from places telling me to rank them highly because they were doing that. Something went wrong somewhere with that process and I cannot trust it won't happen again. A bird in hand is better than nothing at all. I cannot be in grad school another year, my life has to start. I just hope I haven't ruined everything. Believe me, I have been intermittently crying over the past few days as to whether I made the right decision. AND after I made this decision my top choice, offered me a spot that they would "create", but I already told the counseling center yes. So screwed by many things. I feel like quiting now to be honest...
 
^ damn JoeyS, my heart seriously hurts with your story. You're totally grieving right now, and that seems really expected. I can't imagine not feeling the way you are right now. But please don't forget, you are the same awesome student after this process as you were before (and obviously during!). This won't define you in the long run, and you will be able to use this experience in many ways in the future.

I come from a very good program & applied to 14 sites. I got TWO interviews (and then went to one totally open house). I felt devastated after getting 2 rejections a day, four days in a row. I wept, I yelled, I felt like total crap. But you'll recover from the grief/shock and continue to be the same awesome student you were before some external, imperfect system made you feel differently. Please don't quit. We need people like you! If everyone gets through this experience with flying colors, what will happen to our diversity, and our abilities to understand? Next time you face a challenge, you will have this experience ready to meet it and see it for what it is. You will get through this, and my guess is you will be very successful.
 
JoeyS said:
The reason I didn't want was because the counseling center is part of my graduate program and promised me over the phone that they already had all the materials for APA accreditation. They were supposed to get it done this year, but are betting that they will get it done the year I am there. I don't know much about this, but they already have their self-study materials ready for submission in either early May or at latest in September (of this year). The program is great. I actually did some externship work there and the training is wonderful. The reason I took it is because I can't trust the matching system. I should have matched by all means. I even received "illegal" emails from places telling me to rank them highly because they were doing that. Something went wrong somewhere with that process and I cannot trust it won't happen again. A bird in hand is better than nothing at all. I cannot be in grad school another year, my life has to start. I just hope I haven't ruined everything. Believe me, I have been intermittently crying over the past few days as to whether I made the right decision. AND after I made this decision my top choice, offered me a spot that they would "create", but I already told the counseling center yes. So screwed by many things. I feel like quiting now to be honest...
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It sounds like you are in a really tough place and have had to make a lot of big decisions quickly. I just have to ask - why did you turn down the "created" spot from your top choice? I realize you accepted at the counseling center, but couldn't you have told them you won't be there anymore and go to your original first choice? Of course it isn't the nicest thing, but it seems worth it in this case and I wouldn't be surprised if they understood.
 
Even a verbal agreement is a legally binding contract. I told the counseling center yes and two hours later heard from my top site. I asked the counseling center to hold off a few more hours, but they wouldn't do it. Believe me, I tried everything. I called over to my top site pleading with the secretary to interrupt the meeting going on and she would not. When my top site asked me what was going on I replied that I had to accept since I didn't hear from them. He told me it was the right decision, a bird in hand. But, then proceeded to break my heart and tell me they would have offered me a slot, paid also. I said I will tell the counseling center I can't. He replied that it is important to keep with your word and I should not do that to another program. He told me that he expects me to apply for post-docs there and he expects to hear from me in the next few months. I didn't tell him though, in the heat of the moment, that I accepted a non-APA program. Maybe that will make all the difference in how he will not be able to consider me anymore. I came on this board to share my story, but also maybe to feel better. Now i feel even worse, like I am defending a decision I made with an hour to make. I did what I had to do. I regret it, yes. Now I am trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered career.
 
Joey,
Although I am not going through this process, I don't think telling you that you made a mistake is the best thing to do. You did what you felt you had to, and in a moment of desperation decided against the lesser of two evils. Maybe you didn't get the site that you origionally wanted, but go into this with a positive outlook. You're going to get some great experience at a place you are famililar with. It might turn into something that is a really great opportunity for you. You are going to see what it is like to be apart of applying for accredidation. Not many people will be able to have that experience. Also, it's just one year of your life. You're finally going to be getting MONEY! (the first time in a few years where you'll see more than a stipend!) Perhaps you'll come to love the site and this will all work out. I think that's what you need right now. People are going to tell you to try all you can to get the "better" site, but since you can't, just be happ that you got something. There are still people out there, I'm sure, that have nothing. You accomplished something. Clearly you have a great resume if you got so many interviews... and this one year isn't going to change that. So keep your head up, go buy yourself a tub of ice cream, watch a funny movie, and realize this isn't the end of the world, just a bump.

JoeyS said:
Even a verbal agreement is a legally binding contract. I told the counseling center yes and two hours later heard from my top site. I asked the counseling center to hold off a few more hours, but they wouldn't do it. Believe me, I tried everything. I called over to my top site pleading with the secretary to interrupt the meeting going on and she would not. When my top site asked me what was going on I replied that I had to accept since I didn't hear from them. He told me it was the right decision, a bird in hand. But, then proceeded to break my heart and tell me they would have offered me a slot, paid also. I said I will tell the counseling center I can't. He replied that it is important to keep with your word and I should not do that to another program. He told me that he expects me to apply for post-docs there and he expects to hear from me in the next few months. I didn't tell him though, in the heat of the moment, that I accepted a non-APA program. Maybe that will make all the difference in how he will not be able to consider me anymore. I came on this board to share my story, but also maybe to feel better. Now i feel even worse, like I am defending a decision I made with an hour to make. I did what I had to do. I regret it, yes. Now I am trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered career.
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Joey-I'm am so sorry you were put in that situation. It sounds like there was no right way to deal with it, and overall, it is just terribly unfair. Thanks for sharing this though so at least the rest of us can know more about this process.

On a somewhat related note - does anyone know if 2009 data will be available soon about match statistics by doctoral program? I'm curious about how docotral programs compared in my city. On the appic website, it seems this is updated only after a few years. And many school's sites stats are out of date...
 
^ We were emailed stats about the current match just yesterday.. but it was not school specific, and my guess is that they won't have that for a while. I think T4C may have posted those stats (?). Anyway, the total unmatched rate was a whopping nearly 25%. Just crazy.

Edited: took out re: school sites stats, as I just reread your post :) Though I think it would be completely in your right & best interest to email the DCT and ask for those numbers prior to applying.
 
I second that. You obviously totally rock, but just had very bad luck!! My friends who are on internship this year have repeatedly emphasized that internship year does not make or break you and it really is only a year. I think it sounds like the site you chose is full of very supportive, kind people. Personally, I think this is more important (at least for me), then being in some super prestigious site. Get into your clinical work and enjoy it. You will definitely help many people next year. There are numerous opportunities after internship and I sincerely doubt you have closed any doors. Keep your chin up, and definitely eat some ice cream (personally, I'd probably add drinking some jameson to that list;)

MorganLilith said:
Joey,
Although I am not going through this process, I don't think telling you that you made a mistake is the best thing to do. You did what you felt you had to, and in a moment of desperation decided against the lesser of two evils. Maybe you didn't get the site that you origionally wanted, but go into this with a positive outlook. You're going to get some great experience at a place you are famililar with. It might turn into something that is a really great opportunity for you. You are going to see what it is like to be apart of applying for accredidation. Not many people will be able to have that experience. Also, it's just one year of your life. You're finally going to be getting MONEY! (the first time in a few years where you'll see more than a stipend!) Perhaps you'll come to love the site and this will all work out. I think that's what you need right now. People are going to tell you to try all you can to get the "better" site, but since you can't, just be happ that you got something. There are still people out there, I'm sure, that have nothing. You accomplished something. Clearly you have a great resume if you got so many interviews... and this one year isn't going to change that. So keep your head up, go buy yourself a tub of ice cream, watch a funny movie, and realize this isn't the end of the world, just a bump.
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JoeyS - chin up, hang in there! I too did not match this year and yes, it does suck horribly since everyone expected me to match. But this is not the end of the world - this is just one year of our lives. You obviously have great credentials and you WILL be successful. This matching system is incredibly stupid and annoying, but don't let this roadblock define your entire career.

JoeyS said:
Even a verbal agreement is a legally binding contract. I told the counseling center yes and two hours later heard from my top site. I asked the counseling center to hold off a few more hours, but they wouldn't do it. Believe me, I tried everything. I called over to my top site pleading with the secretary to interrupt the meeting going on and she would not. When my top site asked me what was going on I replied that I had to accept since I didn't hear from them. He told me it was the right decision, a bird in hand. But, then proceeded to break my heart and tell me they would have offered me a slot, paid also. I said I will tell the counseling center I can't. He replied that it is important to keep with your word and I should not do that to another program. He told me that he expects me to apply for post-docs there and he expects to hear from me in the next few months. I didn't tell him though, in the heat of the moment, that I accepted a non-APA program. Maybe that will make all the difference in how he will not be able to consider me anymore. I came on this board to share my story, but also maybe to feel better. Now i feel even worse, like I am defending a decision I made with an hour to make. I did what I had to do. I regret it, yes. Now I am trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered career.
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I'm so sorry that this dysfunctional internship process has put you in this position. It's really unfair! In "real life" few people have to make snap decisions about where to work, especially where this can impact their future career. I know this is not where you want to be, and I think I'd feel similarly to you if I were in your shoes. However, maybe (possibly?) this will make you feel better:

A supervisor of mine didn't match a few years ago and ended up taking a non-accredited internship at a college counseling center. She did a post-doc at a state hospital the following year, and then received a staff appointment there. About a year ago she was hired to be the Assistant Director of the counseling center she interned at. She's very successful -- she also has a private practice part-time. And she's a really nice person and a good supervisor too.

Please don't give up or doubt yourself too much. The internship match process is "broke" and needs to be fixed. I hope it will in the future.
 
There is a part of me that wishes that the match system was how it used to be, like the way grad school acceptances are now. If that had happened, i'm sure I would have ended up somewhere. Does anyone know if I can apply to a post-doc at the VA? The TD of Boston Consortium asked me to apply there for post-doc and i don't know if I can if my program is in the process of being accredited.
 
JoeyS:

1. It is really important to let APPIC know about the e-mails, as this is outside of the policies of the Match. While I don't agree with all of the set policies, it is really important that programs abide by them to ensure as fair as a process as possible.

2. There is a great deal of stress around C.H....and unfortunately we can be put in positions that are uncomfortable and stressful. I was in a position last year where I was offered a position and I had to decide....*right then*. I had another place give me the rest of the hour (45 min?) to decide. The last place offered me more time (they really wanted me), but then the APA vs. APPIC decision came in. None of those situations were remotely comfortable. I wish they had a better way to do it, but I'm not sure it would be feasible because of the #'s involved.
 
If everyone really wants to know what is fair then you need to listen further, especially T4C.

I have spoken with several friends, at the professor level, of high ranking schools. These professors were shocked at my position, and asked me if during the interview process whether my professors had called into the program to let them know of my interest and how I would rank. Of course, following the rules, I said that isn't allowed. She told me to wake up. She has several colleagues who did that this year, along with herself. All of their students matched to their number 1 site. We all need to wake up and realize that this stuff is going on behind closed doors. Programs wants their number 1's as much as we want ours. I feel screwed by the fact that my program anally stuck to the APPIC rules when clearly, other programs and professors are not. This is the definition of an imperfect system. As much as I hated my choice and still do, I hope to be out of graduate school as soon as I can. My advice is to make personal connections before internship interviews begin. Email people, call them, tell them of your interest. Don't blatantly go against the rules, but play the system as much as you can.
 
JoeyS said:
Does anyone know if I can apply to a post-doc at the VA? The TD of Boston Consortium asked me to apply there for post-doc and i don't know if I can if my program is in the process of being accredited.
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SUMMARY OF VA REQUIREMENTS: Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics require a psychologist to be a U.S. Citizen, to have graduated from an APA-accredited doctoral program, and to have completed an APA-accredited internship. CPA-accredited doctoral programs and internships do not qualify. However, under certain circumstances, new VA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement. If you have questions about specific VA internship programs, or about the eligibility requirements for VA employment, please contact Dr. Robert Zeiss at the VA's Office of Academic Affiliations at 202-461-9493 or via e-mail at [email protected].
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Pulled from here: http://www.appic.org/match/5_2_1_2_17.html
 
Thanks for the info, I just emailed him! Maybe your next job should be APPIC pres.
 
JoeyS....trust me, I am quite frustrated at the "policies" and I know a lot of things happen in the background. Unfortunately APPIC has yet to realize that trying to make everything "fair" really just pushes everything behind closed doors.

My previous career was in consulting, so every job/project relied on recommendations, phone calls, favors, etc....so when I read the policies of APPIC, it really frustrated me because I knew that things would still happen, and some people who did everything right would still lose out. It is my hope that they open it up like they do in the "real" world, and they allow sites to talk openly, make their decisions, and do everything in the open.
 
Gee, psychologists making sense? Not over-analyzing? nooo...we can always live in a dream world.

This is why I made the decision I did. I just couldn't do it again. This isn't how jobs are made. When I (hopefully) apply for a post-doc I can tell them I want to go there. They can tell me you have a great chance or no shot in hell. That's the point of applying for a job. These psychologists need to get out of their own heads...
 
JoeyS said:
Thanks for the info, I just emailed him! Maybe your next job should be APPIC pres.
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There is a current discussion on one of the listservs I read about the APA and the inequity in gaining "seats" on the committees that matter. I was actually going to start a topic on here about it, but then got caught up. Instead of side-tracking this thread with the discussion, I'll post a new thread.

As an aside, I plan on being politically active once I get licensed. I've done policy and PAC work before, and I think I can find a niche at the state level and work my way up. I'd never go for a higher-up APA position, as I don't think I have the stomach for politics at that level.
 
JoeyS, I completely understand what you are going through. I applied to 12 sites and got interviews at 8. Those 8 sites are very similar (and some the same) to those you mentioned. The places I was not invited to interview were my “safety” choices. I got really good feedback during and after interviews, so I know I did not come across as socially awkward or weird. So yes, I was very surprised Friday morning that I was not matched.
If I can take any fault in this situation, it would be that I did not send thank you letters, which were discouraged by my program. I felt like none of the sites in the clearinghouse were a good fit, but in the moment, I was willing to compromise. After another day to think, I am still devastated at the idea of spending yet another year in school, but I know I will get past it. So…congrats to everyone who matched and a hug to those who didn’t.
 
JoeyS - If I were you, I would consult a lawyer ASAP. If this counseling center is affiliated with your school, then they should understand your position and be willing to work with you. Have you signed anything in writing? I think you should consider getting released from your verbal agreement with the counseling center and instead get the site you want that will actually help you with your career goals - even if it means doing the work for free. Act fast and make sure you consult a lawyer or Greg from APPIC - there is no reason why you should be forced to go to a place because you made a decision verbally in duress.

Everyone on here is saying that everything is going to be okay which might be true...but the truth is that some of your career options may be limited by going to a counseling center and/or non-accredited site. That is my 2 cents.
 
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I can't say that I had the misfortune to the extent that Joey did, but I too am having difficulty with not matching. I go to a professional school so I wonder how much that adversely affected my stock. The sites that I did get interviews at all said that I was a strong applicant. The interviews that I had went pretty well, two I thought went exceptional. I even made a phone call after one of the interviews stating that I would be surprised if I did not match to that site.
I had excellent letters of recommendation and I think I have pretty strong broad-based training. I applied to a lot of sites in the Clearinghouse and I think that process is even more political than the Match. Some of the spots I applied to have yet to be filled so there is a chance I may still get a spot but I am preparing for next year. Hopefully I can fill in some of the holes in my CV and finish my dissertation before application time.

I'm not looking forward to the new electronic application process. It has automatic filters that may keep sites from even seeing my application, at least with the paper copies they are forced to at least see my name.
 
Nice to have a place to vent instead of my cohorts! My program, which usually matches at high rates, was only able to match 8 out of 12 this year. Usually there are only 4-5 going, so this was a high year. The ironic thing, it was the more advanced students who didn't match. I applied with over 1700 hours assessment/intervention (500 of which was group with domestic batterers) + additional experience doing psyc triage at a local hospital and 2 years at a inner-city Chicago behavioral health center, and involved in mental health legislation at the state level. My research volume is low, because I do more clinical things and my personal research is psychophyisological in nature, which can take awhile. I applied to 17 sites, got 7 interviews. Wasn't able to match and was frankly shocked. Felt that all my interviews went very well. If anything, they generally ran long as people were interested in my work. I applied all over the country, so it wasn't geographically limited. I franklly can't understand it.

In my program, we are not ALLOWED to consider a non-APA, even in Clearinghouse. So I turned down a $44,000 internship in Napa, CA, and another VA which is fairly new so isn't yet acredited. It is my plan to stay within the VA system, so this would not have mattered to my future career goals, but still no dice. Still in the running for one site that I really don't want to take but feeling like I must if I get the offer. I'm afraid that if I do it will really limit my future options, but I am out of funding and frankly don't know how I can survive another year financially. 3 of the 4 or us are in that same boat. I hate the feeling that I've wasted the past few years of my life, and am not a 'quitter', but I may be financially squeezed out.
 
Psy1358, I didn't send thank you letters either. I'm wondering who did. I did have some regular communication with a director or two, and was positive they would rank my very highly.
 
Psychmama, where are you that got all 26 people in? (if you don't mind saying)
 
Johnson42 said:
I even made a phone call after one of the interviews stating that I would be surprised if I did not match to that site.
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This comment surprised me. It seems like your statement could be interpreted as expressing your intent to rank it first. If the site was playing by the rules, this may have been off-putting.
 
I thought so too (about the comment). Then I re-read it as "I called (a friend, as I was leaving the interview)..."
 
BluesMessiah said:
I thought so too (about the comment). Then I re-read it as "I called (a friend, as I was leaving the interview)..."
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Ah, now that I read it again, I can definitely see how that might be what the poster meant. Sorry if I misunderstood.
 
BluesMessiah said:
Psychmama, where are you that got all 26 people in? (if you don't mind saying)
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I'm at Rutgers. All the Phd and Psyd students matched. It's the first time that's happened in several years. We were all really surprised, to be perfectly honest.:rolleyes:
 
psy86 said:
This comment surprised me. It seems like your statement could be interpreted as expressing your intent to rank it first. If the site was playing by the rules, this may have been off-putting.
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It was a phone call to a family member.
 
Just my 2cents on a couple points. I come from a program where the DCT is VERY rule oriented, and I'm quite certain he made no calls in our favor (even his readiness letter was somewhat conservative). Even so, all 4 in my class matched, so I'm not sure anyone can say with certainty that violating that rule would have made any difference.

I had only 2 interviews, so I definitely sent very appic legal "I'm extremely interested.." thank you emails. The only thing appic prevents you from is indicating your rank...you can easily convey your interest without violating this rule. For obvious reasons, I was taking NO chances about my sites knowing that I was interested in them.

This outcome is, I'm afraid, extremely unfortunate and the system is definitely broken. Having that said, I don't feel like this situation is the norm and the folks on this board are not representative of those who did not match as a whole. I have heard of current interns at extremely desirable sites who did not match the year before. One of these people when asked 'what happened?', said, 'sometimes **** just happens'. I'm not sure what my point here is (hah), but I guess just resisting the temptation to grab onto somewhat superficial reasons to explain the non-match. It needs to be fixed for sure.. but thoughtfully & constructively (and hopefully soon).
 
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In order to fix this insane internship process, the first thing that needs to be done is to make the process not-for-profit. APPIC and NMS have no interest in really fixing the imbalance because they make money from each applicant who goes into the process (remember that $100+ check you mail in to be entered into the ranking system?). Thus, the more people who don't match, and have to re-apply, the more money they make.

When there is public outcry, they hold a conference and then send out a resolution that encourages some schools to stop admitting so many students. However, the resolution was just a sham because it was not backed my any action/had no teeth. No school were called out and no penalties were threatened for schools that don't abide. I wonder why? Could it be that APPIC and NMS want to increase their profits at poor graduate students' expense?? So things continue on the way they were with Dr Keilin and APPIC acting like they care but not backing up their stated sentiments with any real, substantive action. Such a shame...
 
edieb said:
When there is public outcry, they hold a conference and then send out a resolution that encourages some schools to stop admitting so many students. However, the resolution was just a sham because it was not backed my any action/had no teeth. No school were called out and no penalties were threatened for schools that don't abide. I wonder why? Could it be that APPIC and NMS want to increase their profits at poor graduate students' expense?? So things continue on the way they were with Dr Keilin and APPIC acting like they care but not backing up their stated sentiments with any real, substantive action. Such a shame...
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No one can legally prevent schools from admitting as many students as they want. It would be a violation of anti-trust laws (as our DCT explained to us after returning from a CUDCP meeting). In my opinion, if anyone's guilty of just trying to make money, it's the schools that admit so many students, diploma-mill style, just to increase their tuition revenue.
 
edieb said:
When there is public outcry, they hold a conference and then send out a resolution that encourages some schools to stop admitting so many students. However, the resolution was just a sham because it was not backed my any action/had no teeth. No school were called out and no penalties were threatened for schools that don't abide. I wonder why?
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Though I don't disagree with your post entirely... I heard this is illegal. An attorney met with the DCTs at a conference recently (per my DCT) and said that basically anything approximating this action is subject to lawsuit. We have a free market system that promotes competition, and enforcing rules that decrease this is an illegal practice. [I have socialistic leanings, so I'm not supporting this, but saying that the APA and/or APPIC put themselves out for an almost sure lawsuit, backed by for-profit businesses that can afford attorneys]
 
JoeyS, I'm very sorry that you didn't match. Applying to internship is an extremely tedious process, and it must feel crushing to have been blindsided with such a disappointing result.

That said, I don't think that the process is at fault. The match system is mathematically designed to optimize everyone's (including the applicants and the sites) outcome, both in terms of if they match and where they match. Holding all else equal, you would not have gotten a placement in a non-match system either. And for whoever said that in the real world you don't have to make quick decision about job offers-- of course you do, especially in situations of massive supply-demand incongruities. For example, the residency match process was enacted because med students were being forced to accept positions earlier and earlier in their med school careers. Similarly, law students who want judicial courtships now have to apply in their second year of law school (with only first year grades to demonstrate their ability) and often have to make immediate yes/no decisions (often before they go to all their interviews). I hear they may switch to match system soon (or maybe they have).

Re: the "you need your professors to call your sites and say that you'll rank them high or else they won't rank you high" thing, I have two comments. First, I really, really don't think it's true. I've never heard anything like that, nor do I think any phone calls from my program were made on my behalf (and for the record, everyone in my program matched). Such a flagrant disregard for the system's rules would reflect poorly on an applicant. Second, I fail to understand why anyone who properly understands the match process would do that. Why would a program rank an applicant that they don't like as much higher because they think they're that person's #1 choice? They would just end up with an intern they didn't like as much. That makes no sense to me. Similarly, the order in which you rank your programs does not affect your probability of matching, just where you match. So, don't blame the algorithm. The hard truth is that you didn't match because programs ranked other applicants higher. It's certainly possible that you were #2 on everyone's list and that they genuinely loved you, but if they only had 1 spot and it goes to their #1 person, then you lose. But the same thing would have happened without the match.

For what it's worth, I've known a few people who have taken non-accredited positions (usually because they wanted to circumvent the match process for whatever reason). It's always worked out fine for them, and they've gone onto prosperous careers. Good luck figuring everything out.
 
I need some new help, I just found out that the counseling center where I accepted lied to me over the phone to get me to go there. Do I have any grounds to stand on to get out of it? They told me they would get APA accreditation while I was there, and I have looked up their timeline, realized they haven't even submitted their self-study and it won't happen while I am there....any advice? My faculty are meeting on this today for me....
 
JoeyS said:
I need some new help, I just found out that the counseling center where I accepted lied to me over the phone to get me to go there. Do I have any grounds to stand on to get out of it? They told me they would get APA accreditation while I was there, and I have looked up their timeline, realized they haven't even submitted their self-study and it won't happen while I am there....any advice? My faculty are meeting on this today for me....
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear this. One option would be to consider seeking help through APPIC's problem resolution process:

http://www.appic.org/problem_resolution/index.html
 
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