2012 APPIC Internship Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Email rejection from Montefiore adult...kind of expected it, they said they received 406 applications for their 6 slots. It looked like a mass email, not personalized.
Just got one for the child track too... oh well...
 
Both rejections - Hawthorn was personalized, Montefiore was a mass email. poo.
 
I know that someone got a personalized rejection from UNC CC, but has anyone gotten an invitation from them yet? I'm still waiting on them . . .

Also, I know that others have already mentioned these sites, but I received generic email rejections from Stony Brook UCC and Pennsylvania Hospital yesterday (12/11).

The Stony Brook rejection really stung, as I thought I had the best chance of placing there. They have a psychoanalytic orientation; my background is psychoanalytic. They're a UCC; nearly all of my experience is in university counseling, including having held a competitive leadership/administrative position at our department clinic which included outreach duties. They have a long tradition of integrating spirituality/meditation with psychotherapy, and my dissertation research relates directly to this topic. And finally, more people from my department have gone to Stony Brook than any other single site.

I just don't know how I didn't even manage to get an INTERVIEW there. Truly baffled.
 
Received an interview invite via email from Trinitas. It was a mass email. Good luck to everyone!:xf:
 
Has anyone gone through the interview process at James A. Haley VA that could provide some hints/tips/insight? Feel free to PM me, thanks 🙂
 
Math makes me think that. 😛 If X sites offer A number of internships and there are Y applicants and match rate is (X*A)/Y, increasing A will increase the match rate. Increasing Y will decrease the match rate. All these numbers have been increasing, with Y increasing much more than X*A.

Only in a simple market vacuum.

Where would these students come from? Is there a large, untapped source of people willing to pay 120k for 4 years of education followed by at least 3 years of limited pay and non-licensure, concluding with a 70k salary ideal?

For-profit sites don't accept every single person who applies, even those with 50% acceptance rates. So, yes, there is a large pool from which to draw such persons.

How many students at these schools consider the internship match rates when deciding to attend or not?

Anecdotal evidence (TD perceptions and recommendations of the supply and demand conference, forum posts on this board, etc.) indicates very few.

If 10% more internships appeared tomorrow, the match rate next year (and for the next 3-4 years) would certainly increase. If 20% more internships appeared tomorrow, the match rate next year might be very close to 100%. Woohoo! Does this solve the problem underlying the match imbalance? No. Again, it needs to be a two-side solution.

Agreed; those are short-term, myopic solutions that would quickly be absorbed by Buck's School of Professional Psychology.

I think that solutions targeting both sides of the equation have the most hope of working (e.g., if a program's match rate is <2 SD below average, they can't admit more than the number of students that they successfully matched in the past year or they lose accreditation AND sites need to add at least one internship per 10 years to maintain accreditation or something similar... I haven't thought these solutions through, they're just examples).

Agreed, and this is in the literature (Stedman et al., Parent and Williamson). But, sites can't really generate internship spots like that. Modifications to the current accreditation practices would be useful, but not at the cost of weakening quality. Pairing the poor match rate site with a local currently unaccredited internship site to help the site get accredited (e.g., grad students paid as RAs to run the required program evaluations for accred. review) is a proposed and potentially viable solution. But, this is a cost to the site, and again there's little intrinsic incentive for a for-profit site to engage in this, as their outcomes meet their goals under the current system. (edit: especially as the developed site would presumably be open to all applicants; generation of captive internship sites is ridiculous. What if UCLA decided one day, "We're only going to take UCLA doc students"? Captive internship site development is also myopic.)
 
There are training programs that have dramatically increased the number internship applicants over the past decade. This was done without a comparable increase in the number internship positions. Supply was greatly increased, without a concurrent increase in demand. The problem was created by the increase on the demand side. Theoretically it can be corrected on the supply side, but practically it cannot.



IMHO, Educational Institutions should be responsible for assuring that all educational needs of the students CAN BE MET. Currently, the final year (~15-20%) of education needs are largely outside the control of the educational institution. Students who have met all their obligations to the Educational Institution (tuition, minimum level of performance, etc.) are being denied the opportunity to complete their educational training. Increasingly high numbers of students are being "weeded-out" at the back end of their training, prohibiting them from being able to recoup the significant costs of their training in a timely manner, if at all.



I was saying (or at least attempting to say) that the internship ENDEAVORS operate a net loss, not the entire internship agency. If that were the case, internships would not exist at all without monumental subsidies. This is probably a bigger topic, best saved for another thread.

I sincerely wish all of you the best of luck with applications, interviews, etc.


I'd really (as in genuinely) like to see the finances for internship programs (and/or agencies with internships) because I just can't understand how they are money wasters.

I completely agree with the educational institutions needing to meet the training needs etc. of their students. I think allowing students to complete non-accredited internships in order to graduate would be one way for programs to do this. Is it the ideal solution? Absolutely not. Does it have a tremendous impact on an individual student who can do that and still meet their professional goals (e.g., graduation, post-doc, licensure)? Yes. But some schools (including mine) won't let that happen for some students (but will permit it for others for no clear reason). Such a solution would meet my goals and take me out of competition for spots that others need to meet their goals but I am not allowed to do that by my program. Ridiculous.

I don't know the history of the match imbalance so I can't agree or disagree that an increase in demand led to the current imbalance. However, I'm certain that the APA accreditation standard for programs, internships, and licensure didn't exist prior to a certain point and the field/profession of psychology survived. By requiring APA accreditation for internships, there was probably a supply side problem invented at some time (maybe sites were grandfathered in, I don't know the history). It's a cycle that ebbs and flows so I'm just saying that blaming one side more than the other in a supply/demand situation isn't a logical conclusion. :shrug:
 
Email rejection from Milton Hershey School.
 
Received an invitation for a phone interview by phone on 12/11 from TD
 
HAHA That is hilarious. :laugh:

Yeah - it helps me to think of this whole process like a it's some weird game show. Whatever it takes to get through it with a sense of humor still in tact! 👍
 
interview at U New Hampshire CC, just now.
 
Only in a simple market vacuum.



For-profit sites don't accept every single person who applies, even those with 50% acceptance rates. So, yes, there is a large pool from which to draw such persons.



Anecdotal evidence (TD perceptions and recommendations of the supply and demand conference, forum posts on this board, etc.) indicates very few.



Agreed; those are short-term, myopic solutions that would quickly be absorbed by Buck's School of Professional Psychology.



Agreed, and this is in the literature (Stedman et al., Parent and Williamson). But, sites can't really generate internship spots like that. Modifications to the current accreditation practices would be useful, but not at the cost of weakening quality. Pairing the poor match rate site with a local currently unaccredited internship site to help the site get accredited (e.g., grad students paid as RAs to run the required program evaluations for accred. review) is a proposed and potentially viable solution. But, this is a cost to the site, and again there's little intrinsic incentive for a for-profit site to engage in this, as their outcomes meet their goals under the current system. (edit: especially as the developed site would presumably be open to all applicants; generation of captive internship sites is ridiculous. What if UCLA decided one day, "We're only going to take UCLA doc students"? Captive internship site development is also myopic.)

Myopic but responsible to its students in the last example. Not responsible to the larger field, perhaps, but at least to its students.

To clarify, I also don't think many applicants to for-profit schools consider match rates. So I'm suggesting that an increase in match rates because of increase in sites/internships wouldn't have much impact on the numbers of students applying to for-profit schools (so there wouldn't be a flood of new students in a couple years). I think you're saying that it would have an impact on the number of students that for-profit schools admit? (I could be wrong about this.) Why would that be? Assuming the market tolerates whatever match rate, there are still considerations for facilities and teaching / class sizes that would need to be met and that the student market wouldn't tolerate.

If the match process were logical and merit-based, these for-profit schools that others have called diploma mills would have abysmal match rates but produce quality clinicians (i.e., those students who matched and finished their training would match based on their professional and personal qualities, rather than the rep of their program which they may have chosen because of personal/life limitations/responsibilities). As it is, these schools don't have truly abysmal match rates (a lot higher than what we might expect) and the quality of clinicians is varied (based on anecdotal evidence and personal experience). This, along with other evidence and witnessing the match process and results, suggests to me that this is not a logical or merit-based system. That really bothers/frustrates/upsets me. Still, I don't think blaming one part of the system is logical because the other parts continue to accept the flaws of that part.

These are just my thoughts/feelings, good luck to everyone, again! :luck:
 
@unlkyduck - Darn. I was hoping you weren't going to say that one. Care to share the first letter of your last name?
 
Last edited:
@unlkyduck - Darn. I was hoping you weren't going to say that one. Care to share the first letter of your last name?

My last name starts with 'L', she called at 6pm last night on my home line and left a message. Here's wishing you some good news! :xf:
 
Has anyone heard (invites or rejections) from: Memphis VA, FCI Ft. Worth, or U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners?
 
interview at U New Hampshire CC, just now.

This is one site that I'd like to see offer one additional internship immediately. To me (in a completely merit-based way 😉 ). Definitely my first choice but nothing so far, so I'll probably get the rejection tomorrow or the next day (last year, they sent it on the 14th, which was a Tuesday).

Where's the disappointed growl emoticon?
 
for those that have heard from UNC Chapel Hill was it by phone or email? Applied there and my cell is disconnected as someone stole it this weekend so now freaking out what if they called!!!
 
Just got a personalized email from St. John's Child and Family Development Center! I wasn't sure if they were still sending them after this weekend so this was a happy surprise! Sending out more good luck vibes to everyone!! :luck:
 
This is one site that I'd like to see offer one additional internship immediately. To me (in a completely merit-based way 😉 ). Definitely my first choice but nothing so far, so I'll probably get the rejection tomorrow or the next day (last year, they sent it on the 14th, which was a Tuesday).

Where's the disappointed growl emoticon?

I think any of these would do
:boom::wtf::sendoff::bang::annoyed:
 
Email rejection from Montefiore adult...kind of expected it, they said they received 406 applications for their 6 slots. It looked like a mass email, not personalized.

Yeah, me too. This day totally sucked.

Got 3 rejections in a raw:
Montefiore, NCB, and NUMC.
NCB was the worst - the email's subject was: "Psychology 2012-2013 interview notification letter" and the letter was a rejection. I think that is really unkind and rude. Got all excited that maybe this day will not be just a huge let down when I saw the subject line.
😡
 
I'm waiting on Memphis also as well as Biloxi, Connecticut (West Haven - although that appears to be a rejection), Bedford, and Lexington VAs. I've got ants in my pants!
 
Yeah, me too. This day totally sucked.

Got 3 rejections in a raw:
Montefiore, NCB, and NUMC.
NCB was the worst - the email's subject was: "Psychology 2012-2013 interview notification letter" and the letter was a rejection. I think that is really unkind and rude. Got all excited that maybe this day will not be just a huge let down when I saw the subject line.
😡

That is really rude! I've come to associate the ones without any descriptive heading to be rejections...hang in there!
 
Just received an email from Florida State Hospital - Chattahoochee informing me that they will not be participating in Phase 1 of the match due to budget issues. Hopefully these budget issues get resolved soon so that there will be more opportunities for us all.
 
Just received an email from Florida State Hospital - Chattahoochee informing me that they will not be participating in Phase 1 of the match due to budget issues. Hopefully these budget issues get resolved soon so that there will be more opportunities for us all.


Got the same email 🙁
 
Ugh just got a rejection to Virginia Treatment Center for Children. Two rejections in one hour... that is brutal. Only one site left to hear from and I only have one interview : (
 
Ugh just got a rejection to Virginia Treatment Center for Children. Two rejections in one hour... that is brutal. Only one site left to hear from and I only have one interview : (

I've got 10 sites left but am expecting all rejections (due to either poor fit or because others have already been invited), so I've got 1 interview, too. People with 1 to 2 interviews matched at 52% last year, so let's go us! Let's match! :highfive:
 
Ugh just got a rejection to Virginia Treatment Center for Children. Two rejections in one hour... that is brutal. Only one site left to hear from and I only have one interview : (

Still over a 50% chance of matching, even with just one interview. Not too shabby actually.
 
Ugh just got a rejection to Virginia Treatment Center for Children. Two rejections in one hour... that is brutal. Only one site left to hear from and I only have one interview : (

I got 3 in a few hours and no invites. I feel your pain.
 
Received a personalized email invitation to interview at Northern Arizona VA!

My cover letter for this site practically screamed out "pick me pick me pick me" so I'm excited they think I'm a good fit so far too 😛

Interview days are January 13th & 20th and last 9am-4pm; in-person interviews are "strongly encouraged."
 
Still waiting on...

MUSC - Adult Track
Center for Behavioral Med (in Kansas City)
Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan
St. Louis Consortium
Yale - DBT Track

Anyone heard from these sites?
 
After what was, quite frankly, a shocking rejection from Fulton State, followed by the news about Florida State's funding, I was excited to see a call from an unknown number...

CVS pharmacy, I hate you!! Ugh! :bang:
 
Received a mass invite to Park Place in Kissimmee. The interview dates are 1/16 and 1/23.
 
Got the same email 🙁

Got the same one.

Also: personalized email rejection from the SE Louisiana Veteran's Health Care System (NOLA). Nice email, but a rejection none the less.

Still waiting on many though...
 
After what was, quite frankly, a shocking rejection from Fulton State, followed by the news about Florida State's funding, I was excited to see a call from an unknown number...

CVS pharmacy, I hate you!! Ugh! :bang:

I was a little shocked by my rejection to Fulton State also. I have experience with severe mental illness and DBT, but nothing inpatient or forensic (although I was very interested in extending my experiences to inpatient and forensic populations). I'm assuming that's what killed me. What about you?
 
Last edited:
Anyone hear from the West Haven VA neuro track? Also still waiting on Memphis VA, West Virginia Health Sciences (Morgantown), and Cleveland VA (confused as to whether they are doing a true open house or by invite only...)
 
I was a little shocked by my rejection to Fulton State also. I have experience with severe mental illness and DBT, but nothing inpatient or forensic (although I was very interested in extending my experiences to inpatient and forensic populations). I'm assuming that's what killed me. What about you?

I have experience with sex offender treatment, forensic evaluations, inpatient, and severe mental illness... including working on the forensic unit of an inpatient facility for people with severe mental illness. Not going to lie, I was blown away by that one. Even my supervisor was baffled.
 
Anyone hear from the West Haven VA neuro track? Also still waiting on Memphis VA, West Virginia Health Sciences (Morgantown), and Cleveland VA (confused as to whether they are doing a true open house or by invite only...)

If it helps, my interview invite for West Haven VA did not come from the training director, it came from the director of the rotation I expressed the most interest in. The training director was cc'd. Good luck!
 
White River Junction (though expect rejection since interviews are out)
Southlake CMH
Togus VAMC (see interviews went out tho, expect rejection)
Louis Stokes VAMC
Wayne State University
Mississippi State Hospital
Friends Hospital
Manhattan Psychiatric
Lovell (North Chicago VAMC)
Biloxi VAMC
GeoCare/South Florida
Eisenhower AMC
 
Top