2011 APPIC Internship Application Thread

[fermopagus]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Im sorry, but im still confused by all these formatting things.

For essays and cover letters (which are docx files) I have simply cut and pasted. Text showed up fine, but was not formatted. I then manually formatted it myself (eg., added spaces between the paragraphs). In the text box, it now appears ok. This is all I need to do, correct? Committees will see it formatted correctly as it appears to me in the text box, no?

that should be good to go. you can always check by hitting the option on the left of your main APPI portal that is View Unofficial Application (I don't recall the exact wording) and view your application. Scroll down to your essays and cover letters and see if they are formatted properly. hope that helps.

 

[erg923]

yes, but that button says "View Application (unformatted)", doesn't it? Or were you referring to another button?

 

[Psiguy]

If you look on the APPIC forums, they suggest doing all of your editing in word or a plain text editor and then cutting and pasting the text into the text box. For what its worth, they have specifically cautioned against editing text in the textbox.

 

[erg923]

So the"View Application (unformatted)" actually provides us with a formatted view now. So its all good...

 

[fermopagus]

you are right, it does say "unformatted." i would air on the side of caution and go with Psiguy's comment.

 

[psychgal]

Payment is the final step. Congrats! I submitted my first batch today. 8 down, 7 to go (only revision of cover letters, and of one supplemental essay, left though).

Congratulations! I just submitted my first five and it feels amazing. It was a little difficult to let go of the checking process though. I kept checking and checking my application for mistakes- finally just let it go.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Congratulations! I just submitted my first five and it feels amazing. It was a little difficult to let go of the checking process though. I kept checking and checking my application for mistakes- finally just let it go.

I'll be submitting my first batch today as well, and yes, I've given myself a strict "no checking" moratorium.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It'll be an exciting time for people. Notifications, travel planning, etc. Remember it is a marathon and not a sprint, as you need to make it through the next 4 months with your sanity.

 

[Salsybabe]

I have applied to all my places. I just wanted to get them all submitted at the same time. I think I quadruple checked everything. One place has confirmed receiving my application and that it is complete.

 

[africadreaming]

Do sites typically confirm that they've received your application? Or is the first contact we hear from them a rejection/invite for interview?

 

[fermopagus]

Do sites typically confirm that they've received your application? Or is the first contact we hear from them a rejection/invite for interview?

i received one communication from one of my sites saying that it looked like i was basing my cover letter on an out-dated site brochure. they sent me a new one and i looked over and responded with what interested me and that i would like my application to still be considered. i also asked if there was anything else i needed to do to make sure my application received the same amount of consideration as any one else's. i got no further response. i did not receive any other form of confirmation from my other sites.

 

[JustinXavier]

If you had a very good rate of successfully getting interviews (more than 1/2 of sites applied to invite for interview) but did not match, how heavily would you suggest modifying essays and cover letters that were effective last year.

Obviously they will be modified at a minimum to reflect the past year's experiences, but if you had a good catchy opening paragraph, would you use it again this year, or do you think that internship sites would be turned off again seeing the same catchy phrase.

I had some great essays, that I think stood out to the internship site, and am having trouble coming up with something as good.

Any other advice for how to approach applying a second time?

Do you think that there is a bias against people who did not match (even though the shortage of internships, means a whole lot of people did not match)

 

[AcronymAllergy]

If you had a very good rate of successfully getting interviews (more than 1/2 of sites applied to invite for interview) but did not match, how heavily would you suggest modifying essays and cover letters that were effective last year.

Obviously they will be modified at a minimum to reflect the past year's experiences, but if you had a good catchy opening paragraph, would you use it again this year, or do you think that internship sites would be turned off again seeing the same catchy phrase.

I had some great essays, that I think stood out to the internship site, and am having trouble coming up with something as good.

Any other advice for how to approach applying a second time?

Do you think that there is a bias against people who did not match (even though the shortage of internships, means a whole lot of people did not match)

Personally, I'd take the high rate of interview invites to mean that my application was fine. Thus, the relatively minimal changes you've mentioned to reflect experiences in the last year (unless these experiences were monumental, of course) should be ok. But that's just my opinion.

As for bias against those who don't match, I haven't heard of or witnessed any such phenomenon. All of my peers who didn't secure an internship on their first go-round did so the following year, and none mentioned that they were viewed, or received in, a negative light.

 

[docma]

On the second round I'd just be sure you highlight what you accomplished with the intervening year. Often the key factor in not matching where you interviewed is that other candidates were further along or finished with dissertation, for example, or had more experience with a relevant population. If you can add those details now make sure it is clear on how you are a yet better fit with the added year.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

FYI, I can personally vouch for the warning statement on the APPIC website that various aspects of the online application--particularly the "Pay Now" button--don't work on Internet Explorer 6.x

They really need to upgrade the software on this poor, overburdened computer...

Edit: Just for clarity's sake, the new IE versions (>7.x) work fine. I just happen to have access to one computer that's still running 6.x, and while the portal and application will load, none of the spiffy buttons work correctly.

 

[psych00]

I just wanted to mention that there seems to be difficulty with the Pay Now button even if you are using Firefox, but it works if you right-click to open it in a new window.

 

[aagman01]

Haven't had any problems with any part of applying with Chrome

I just wanted to mention that there seems to be difficulty with the Pay Now button even if you are using Firefox, but it works if you right-click to open it in a new window.

 

[erg923]

I agree. I've been using chrome for over a years now and I had no idea what all these people were talking about with these technical problems, formatting difficulties, etc. I never encounter any of that...

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I agree. I've been using chrome for over a years now and I had no idea what all these people were talking about with these technical problems, formatting difficulties, etc. I never encounter any of that...

Another vote for Chrome working fine. Firefox has given me some weird formatting changes when cutting/pasting cover letters, but that only happens if my source file is plain text rather than a word document. Might have something to do with word wrap being on/off more so than with Firefox.

 

[JustinXavier]

Personally, I'd take the high rate of interview invites to mean that my application was fine. Thus, the relatively minimal changes you've mentioned to reflect experiences in the last year (unless these experiences were monumental, of course) should be ok. But that's just my opinion.

As for bias against those who don't match, I haven't heard of or witnessed any such phenomenon. All of my peers who didn't secure an internship on their first go-round did so the following year, and none mentioned that they were viewed, or received in, a negative light.

So you do not think that using close to the same essay with only minor modifications would be a bad idea? My wife is the repeat applicant, and this past year has been very stressful, with not matching being a major blow to her self-confidence.

We went through the hideous clearinghouse; It is a very good thing that they have changed it. I am glad no one else will have to go through that hellish experience. We had 6 people working on sending out her application material to as many APA sites as humanly possible,

It appeared that her paper work was attractive, but I feel she was very nervous in the interviews. I know she had trouble sleeping the night before many of the interviews.

Anyone have any advice on helping her prepare for the interviews?

 

[erg923]

Ideally, the program faculty or her mentor/advisor should offer some tips, if not full mock interviews. If not, I would hope her clinical supervisors (or former clinical supervisors) would do so. I (and others in my program) have simply scheduled a meeting with my advisors where we will be conducting a full mock interview and then getting feedback. I also have been talking with one of my practicum supervisors about what kind of issues they feel I should be prepared to discuss during interviews.

 

[Markro311]

Ideally, the program faculty or her mentor/advisor should offer some tips, if not full mock interviews. If not, I would hope her clinical supervisors (or former clinical supervisors) would do so. I (and others in my program) have simply scheduled a meeting with my advisors where we will be conducting a full mock interview and then getting feedback. I also have been talking with one of my practicum supervisors about what kind of issues they feel I should be prepared to discuss during interviews.

I agree, full mock interviews with advisors, practicum supervisors, staff from her training department, etc. Also, practice practice practice on her own (or with you of course). However, at the end of the day, we can only prepare ourselves so much. This is where it comes in handy to practice what we preach, aka use our own coping skills to help manage our anxiety. It may be very beneficial to do some of the following: meditation, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, body scan, yoga, exercise, etc. throughout this crazy internship process.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

So you do not think that using close to the same essay with only minor modifications would be a bad idea? My wife is the repeat applicant, and this past year has been very stressful, with not matching being a major blow to her self-confidence.

We went through the hideous clearinghouse; It is a very good thing that they have changed it. I am glad no one else will have to go through that hellish experience. We had 6 people working on sending out her application material to as many APA sites as humanly possible,

It appeared that her paper work was attractive, but I feel she was very nervous in the interviews. I know she had trouble sleeping the night before many of the interviews.

Anyone have any advice on helping her prepare for the interviews?

If she's applying to some of the same sites, then she may wish to change up the essays a bit more for those particular applications. However, if they got her in before, then they were likely "good enough" that first time through.

As another poster mentioned, definitely edit anything that's changed within the past year, and add in how she may have shored up her experiences, training, etc. following that first go-round. If that results in a major restructuring of the essays, then so be it. But if it all calls for somewhat minor "touching up," then I don't know that I personally would do much more than that.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

So my near-panic-inducing moment of the application season has officially come and gone.

For some reason, my e-sent applications (10 thus far) were showing up as "designated," but not "completed," which freaked me out. I called the support #, and the phone rep told me that meant my application was missing paperwork. There was then about a 30-second period of heart wrenching silence, after which he said, "ok, they should show up as complete now."

Turns out APPIC had apparently been waiting on a transcript that I'd already sent them.

Whew.

 

[ADDICTED2STATS]

I got my first email from a site today. My heart about skipped a beat I was so excited. I thought "they can't be rejecting me already, the deadline was just 4 days ago. This must be an invite." So I opened it up, and sure enough, it wasn't a rejection. But don't get too excited, it was just an email to let me know they had received my application and it was complete. Still, nice to hear something though.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I got my first email from a site today. My heart about skipped a beat I was so excited. I thought "they can't be rejecting me already, the deadline was just 4 days ago. This must be an invite." So I opened it up, and sure enough, it wasn't a rejection. But don't get too excited, it was just an email to let me know they had received my application and it was complete. Still, nice to hear something though.

Hah same thing happened to me, although my reaction was one of momentary panic rather than elation, owing primarily to the experienced I mentioned above. The programs were simply emailing to let me know that my application had made it to them on time and intact. Good stuff.

 

[psychgal]

I got my first email from a site today. My heart about skipped a beat I was so excited. I thought "they can't be rejecting me already, the deadline was just 4 days ago. This must be an invite." So I opened it up, and sure enough, it wasn't a rejection. But don't get too excited, it was just an email to let me know they had received my application and it was complete. Still, nice to hear something though.

Wow it would be great to hear something from any of my sites. I know its not logical but in some ways I feel like my applications (10 so far) went into a black hole.
On a separate note I am just curious how many sites people are applying to. I have 18 right now but who knows what the final number will be. My program requires us to apply to at least 15 sites that they deem "possible" so it doesn't leave much room for some sights that might have worse odds (like 1 in 30). Anyway I am so tired of writing cover letters but at least I am more than halfway done.

 

[JustinXavier]

for sites that require assessment or case reports, do people think it would be a bad idea to be creative with anonymizing the report? Instead of XXXX using fictional characters names. My wife thought using characters and places from peanuts and the Simpsons was a good idea. The reports sound great to me when she reads them to me. It seems that XXXX and YYYY would be confusing.

Second, what formatting rules should be used on the reports. different practicums and supervisors had different preferences (double spaced, no indent, single space with indented paragraphs, etc.)

 

[psychmama]

for sites that require assessment or case reports, do people think it would be a bad idea to be creative with anonymizing the report? Instead of XXXX using fictional characters names. My wife thought using characters and places from peanuts and the Simpsons was a good idea. The reports sound great to me when she reads them to me. It seems that XXXX and YYYY would be confusing.

Second, what formatting rules should be used on the reports. different practicums and supervisors had different preferences (double spaced, no indent, single space with indented paragraphs, etc.)

I don't know if formatting matters, as long as it is in a format that is conventional. I'd personally stay away from "cute" pseudonyms -- while some might love it and think it's clever, it's not the norm and could make you seem odd or "offbeat" to other faculty/supervisors. My advice is to play it safe and stick to XXX or use initials.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

If she's applying to some of the same sites, then she may wish to change up the essays a bit more for those particular applications. However, if they got her in before, then they were likely "good enough" that first time through.

As another poster mentioned, definitely edit anything that's changed within the past year, and add in how she may have shored up her experiences, training, etc. following that first go-round. If that results in a major restructuring of the essays, then so be it. But if it all calls for somewhat minor "touching up," then I don't know that I personally would do much more than that.

Then again, that's just my opinion.

This is very sound advice.

My first application cycle was "close but not cigar", as I was good enough to get interviews at a half dozen top sites, but I fell short on the little things. I sought out feedback from the TDs, and they basically said my application was very good, but I ran up against stellar applicants with more experience*.

I updated my research essay with some presentations I did during my interim year, but I pretty much left everything "as-is" because that wasn't my weakness during my first cycle.

*Reflecting on my interviews, I noticed that most of my competition were 5th and 6th years, and I was a 4th year. There is definitely something to be said for that 5th, as I was a much more confident and accomplished applicant with another year under my belt. With the growing competition for internship spots, I think that extra year really helped me.

It is important to note that experience doesn't mean more hours of direct patient contact. I actually didn't add any additional practica hours (I was a bit above the average), instead I focused on presentations and teaching, two areas where I was lacking when compared against the other applicants. <--group interviews can be brutal when you realize you brought a knife to a gun fight. I interviewed at one place and knew pretty quickly that it was a long shot.

 

[O Gurl]

It is important to note that experience doesn't mean more hours of direct patient contact. I actually didn't add any additional practica hours (I was a bit above the average), instead I focused on presentations and teaching, two areas where I was lacking when compared against the other applicants. <--group interviews can be brutal when you realize you brought a knife to a gun fight. I interviewed at one place and knew pretty quickly that it was a long shot.

Group interviews are evil and should never take place. 😡

I've always wondered who it benefits? It doesn't help the site learn who the applicants really are b/c they are observing them in "combat mode". It does nothing but increase stress and feelings of inadequacy for less experienced applicants. It runs the risk of giving more experienced applicants an opportunity to make a serious douche of themselves by taking the bait and bragging too much. Recipe for disaster. Now, fortunately I made it through 11 interviews without a single group (one site d/c them the year before). I take that as a great sign that it is a dying approach.

 

[psychmama]

Group interviews are evil and should never take place. 😡.

Agreed. However, I had a couple of them when interviewing for internship, and they seem to be very entrenched at certain sites in the NYC area. 🙁

 

[erg923]

for sites that require assessment or case reports, do people think it would be a bad idea to be creative with anonymizing the report? Instead of XXXX using fictional characters names. My wife thought using characters and places from peanuts and the Simpsons was a good idea. The reports sound great to me when she reads them to me. It seems that XXXX and YYYY would be confusing.

Second, what formatting rules should be used on the reports. different practicums and supervisors had different preferences (double spaced, no indent, single space with indented paragraphs, etc.)

What exactly makes this a "good idea" in her mind?

I fail to see any advantage and I can forsee alot intepretation and judgment by comittee members. Nobody has been accepted bc of on the humorous nature of the sample report. Why take away from the content with cutsey fluff? Second, no need to change formats for readers. Its your report. Its should be professional and reasonable.

 

[docma]

Simpsons would definitely be a mistake because it risks sounding cynical or flip about clients; even Charlie Brown is stretching it because you don't know how much humor fund your readers' have. That kind of humor can work well when you know your audience well and they understand your sense of humor, but you definitely don't know your audience at this stage. I agree that XXX is hard to read so just choose a pseudonym and make clear it is one.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Simpsons would definitely be a mistake because it risks sounding cynical or flip about clients; even Charlie Brown is stretching it because you don't know how much humor fund your readers' have. That kind of humor can work well when you know your audience well and they understand your sense of humor, but you definitely don't know your audience at this stage. I agree that XXX is hard to read so just choose a pseudonym and make clear it is one.

Agreed. While many of us realize the necessity of letting off steam via humor given the gravity of much of our work, to use cartoonish pseudonyms in an internship work sample stands a good chance of coming across as unprofessional, and perhaps worse, of sending the message that you take your client interactions less-than-seriously.

As erg said, the rewards would be minimal (i.e., no one will be accepted because of the pseudonyms used in their reports), while the potential consequences could be significant.

I'd imagine that most admissions committee members have read enough de-identified reports by now that they simply gloss over the XXXX/YYYY fairly easily. Although as docma mentioned, if that seems too intrusive a substitution for your tastes, simply go with a more traditional replacement (Mr./Ms. X, Patient X, John Smith, etc.) and be sure to identify it as a pseudonym.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

This is very sound advice.

My first application cycle was "close but not cigar", as I was good enough to get interviews at a half dozen top sites, but I fell short on the little things. I sought out feedback from the TDs, and they basically said my application was very good, but I ran up against stellar applicants with more experience*.

I updated my research essay with some presentations I did during my interim year, but I pretty much left everything "as-is" because that wasn't my weakness during my first cycle.

*Reflecting on my interviews, I noticed that most of my competition were 5th and 6th years, and I was a 4th year. There is definitely something to be said for that 5th, as I was a much more confident and accomplished applicant with another year under my belt. With the growing competition for internship spots, I think that extra year really helped me.

It is important to note that experience doesn't mean more hours of direct patient contact. I actually didn't add any additional practica hours (I was a bit above the average), instead I focused on presentations and teaching, two areas where I was lacking when compared against the other applicants. <--group interviews can be brutal when you realize you brought a knife to a gun fight. I interviewed at one place and knew pretty quickly that it was a long shot.

I'm of the opinion that surviving the experience of being the primary instructor for a psychology class relatively unscathed--especially if said class is Intro, is a popular elective, and/or has more than 200 students in it--deserves automatic acceptance to at least one program of your choice.

It's amazingly difficult to hold the attention of a room full of undergraduates for an hour and a half. Heck, I'll notice half my own practicum lab nodding off if my case presentations or staffings go longer than 15 minutes.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I did John Smith& James Smith (or similar). In the end it probably doesn't matter, but iit is always better to err on the side of conservatism if you do not know the audience.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Wow it would be great to hear something from any of my sites. I know its not logical but in some ways I feel like my applications (10 so far) went into a black hole.
On a separate note I am just curious how many sites people are applying to. I have 18 right now but who knows what the final number will be. My program requires us to apply to at least 15 sites that they deem "possible" so it doesn't leave much room for some sights that might have worse odds (like 1 in 30). Anyway I am so tired of writing cover letters but at least I am more than halfway done.

Wow, your program encourages you to apply to at least 15? That's definitely a change from ours--I've heard, although not directly experienced, that back in the paper-heavier days, our DCT would frown upon applying to more than 8-10 sites, or perhaps 12 at most.

As for me personally, I'd originally been aiming for 15 so as to avoid the rate hike in application fees after that. However, I've recently come across a few additional sites that look promising, while scratching an existing one from my list, so my final number will likely be 16 or 17. I have 13 submitted at the moment, so I at least know that if some catastrophe prevents me from sending any more, I won't be at a huge disadvantage.

 

[ADDICTED2STATS]

I applied to 20. I was only going to do 15, but I ended up applying to about 12 super competitive research heavy programs, so I decided to add 5 more just in case I don't even get interviews at the big programs. I come from a small school (not an R01), so I'm not sure how the big programs will look at this. Hopefully they place more emphasis on what I've done than where I've been (from my conversations with present interns at some of these schools I feel that this will be the case). But, none-the-less, I decided to apply to a few more sites. If I get a ton of interviews and have to do some by phone, so be it. If I only get interviews at those last 5, I'll be very happy I added them. Regardless, I'm done applying... and would love to hear something soon. I mean, it's been like a week since I submitted my applications! Jk. Good luck everyone!

 

[psychgal]

Wow, your program encourages you to apply to at least 15? That's definitely a change from ours--I've heard, although not directly experienced, that back in the paper-heavier days, our DCT would frown upon applying to more than 8-10 sites, or perhaps 12 at most.

As for me personally, I'd originally been aiming for 15 so as to avoid the rate hike in application fees after that. However, I've recently come across a few additional sites that look promising, while scratching an existing one from my list, so my final number will likely be 16 or 17. I have 13 submitted at the moment, so I at least know that if some catastrophe prevents me from sending any more, I won't be at a huge disadvantage.

Yes I think its a lot (15) of "safety sites" too, but we do have a good rate of matching, so we'll see if it pays off or not. I am determined to have all of my last 6-7 applications in by Monday, then I can join the waiting game. On a positive note I did get a message today from one of my sites saying that they had received my completed application. So at least I know it didn't go into a black hole. We all seem to be applying to around the same range. I looked at the internship board from last year and it seems that many people didn't hear about invites until December- but one lucky person (last year) got an interview invite on November 2nd! So I am trying to prepare myself for a long wait 🙂 Then anything news I get earlier will be a treat (if its a invite- no early rejections please!)

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Yes I think its a lot (15) of "safety sites" too, but we do have a good rate of matching, so we'll see if it pays off or not. I am determined to have all of my last 6-7 applications in by Monday, then I can join the waiting game. On a positive note I did get a message today from one of my sites saying that they had received my completed application. So at least I know it didn't go into a black hole. We all seem to be applying to around the same range. I looked at the internship board from last year and it seems that many people didn't hear about invites until December- but one lucky person (last year) got an interview invite on November 2nd! So I am trying to prepare myself for a long wait 🙂 Then anything news I get earlier will be a treat (if its a invite- no early rejections please!)

Haha completely agree, it's good to hear when your application makes it through unscathed. I've received a few similar messages myself, although that's likely only because I directly asked following the slight transcript mix-up I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Given that every site I've applied to mentions Dec. 15th as their "hear by" date, I'm adjusting my hopes to prepare for a month's worth of silence before I start getting good/bad emails. Although I honestly would prefer an early rejection email to a late one, as it would allow me to perhaps apply to an additional site or two with a late-November deadline.

But yep, I'm just in the process getting a few supplemental documents scanned, and then I'll have my 14th, 15th, and 16th apps out by early next week. After that, I'll be joining you in the waiting game.

 

[psychgal]

Haha completely agree, it's good to hear when your application makes it through unscathed. I've received a few similar messages myself, although that's likely only because I directly asked following the slight transcript mix-up I mentioned earlier in the thread.

Given that every site I've applied to mentions Dec. 15th as their "hear by" date, I'm adjusting my hopes to prepare for a month's worth of silence before I start getting good/bad emails. Although I honestly would prefer an early rejection email to a late one, as it would allow me to perhaps apply to an additional site or two with a late-November deadline.

But yep, I'm just in the process getting a few supplemental documents scanned, and then I'll have my 14th, 15th, and 16th apps out by early next week. After that, I'll be joining you in the waiting game.

AcronymAllergy, So true about early rejections hadn't looked at it that way. We just jump from one set of anxieties to the next until hopefully match day when its over. I am going to try and purposefully enjoy the time of waiting 🙂

 

[irish80122]

I am working on compiling a list of interview dates so if I get a call from a site about an interview I will quickly know what date I want. However, several of the sites just say "January 2010" as their interview date. This is not at all helpful. I am wondering whether or not it would be appropriate to contact my top sites and ask about their interview dates so I don't give them away. What do you think, should I get in touch with them or just take the risk?

 

[Sendtrees]

Personally, I would not contact sites to ask about the exact interview date in January. If it's an important site, you'll find a way to make the interview. When I was applying, I took the approach that any contact on my end would bring limited rewards and possibly annoy people. There was one site whose color-coded instructions were so byzantine that I did email for clarification. I got an extremely unhelpful email back, in which the original instructions were...repeated. (And I did not get an interview there--coincidence?!) Think about it this way: as nervous as you are, the sites are not nervous. They are busy. Even if the contact is an administrative type, s/he is busy, too. Think twice.

 

[LM02]

I am working on compiling a list of interview dates so if I get a call from a site about an interview I will quickly know what date I want. However, several of the sites just say "January 2010" as their interview date. This is not at all helpful. I am wondering whether or not it would be appropriate to contact my top sites and ask about their interview dates so I don't give them away. What do you think, should I get in touch with them or just take the risk?

I would not fo this. At worst, it can come off as presumptuous. At best, it will be bothersome. Just wait it out.

Even with the dates in advance, it will be hard to fit all the pieces together when it comes time. For example, one site I was invited to interview at had 2 dates - but the woman I wanted to work with was out of town on one. Of course, that was the same day of 2 other interviews - at sites who only had 1 interview date. Luckily, one was willing to schedule a special visit on another day, but the other wouldn't budge. So I had to decline the interview, which essentially meant that I had to withdraw my application. So frustrating - if only that woman hadn't been out of town on that other date!

 

[Existenz]

i received one communication from one of my sites saying that it looked like i was basing my cover letter on an out-dated site brochure. they sent me a new one and i looked over and responded with what interested me and that i would like my application to still be considered. i also asked if there was anything else i needed to do to make sure my application received the same amount of consideration as any one else's. i got no further response. i did not receive any other form of confirmation from my other sites.

which site? I keep seeing mention of this from people but no details. I'll post my sites when they deny or interview me 🙂

 

[Existenz]

Two things:

1. Lets talk about site elimination some. I have a list of 25 sites, and yes, I want to go to ALL of them. Locations are good (I think) and all have what sounds to be great rotations. Once the sites pass this test, how do you start trimming the list. Hopefully back to 15 or so.

2. How big a role does the internship play in your attractiveness as a job candidate down the line? For example, do VA's prefer people who had been a VA intern? Would it be impossible to be get hired in a college counselling center if your internship was academic med center with SMI and medical populations? There is a prevailing attitude amongst our faculty that as long as its APA approved, you really can't go wrong, and you'll be just fine on the clinical job market no matter where you were for internship. But frankly, I dont know what my specific goals and job will be after internship, at least not anymore. I used to, but that desire has faded. So this is why its hard for me to eliminate sites. I could be possibly be happy at VA and building a practice on the side. I might be happy with the money, job security, and nontraditional clinical work within the BOP? I could possibly be happy joining a group practice? I would be happy not doing hardly any clinical work and doing mental health admin or business consulting (I/O type stuff), frankly. I just dont know anymore...

A big factor is that if you are willing to go to where you could do a postdoc, that is a great thing. A few places I've rotated through basically hire their postdocs all the time. VA sites that affiliated with Universities are my top choices

 

[AcronymAllergy]

A big factor is that if you are willing to go to where you could do a postdoc, that is a great thing. A few places I've rotated through basically hire their postdocs all the time. VA sites that affiliated with Universities are my top choices

To address one of erg's points--I'm not sure if VAs prefer hiring those who've had a VA internship/post-doc, but I do know that many of the VA sites to which I've been applying mention that one of their goals is to "train the next generation of VA psychologists." Thus, I could be wrong, but I'd imagine that interning at a VA if you plan on working at one later likely wouldn't hurt.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Most/All VA sites would prefer their interns continue to work in the VA, though they understand if you go into other areas. It is much easier to get into the VA system if you start as an intern, but plenty of people get into the VA from outside internships/post-docs. I interned at a VA and I had multiple opportunities to stay in the VA system as a post-doc.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Most/All VA sites would prefer their interns continue to work in the VA, though they understand if you go into other areas. It is much easier to get into the VA system if you start as an intern, but plenty of people get into the VA from outside internships/post-docs. I interned at a VA and I had multiple opportunities to stay in the VA system as a post-doc.

This was the feeling I'd been getting from the multiple program purpose statements I'd read, so it's good to know that's the general trend (i.e., a VA will be open to hiring any qualified external applicant, but they'd also be more than happy to hang on to their interns/post-docs if that fits into your career goals).