2013-2014 APPIC (internship) interview thread

[PhDMiss2014]

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ditto. This was my 10th rejection, and one of my top sites...womp womp.
in my endless devastation, I was hoping to get people's take on my personal situation. hopefully this post doesn't come off like i'm looking for a pity party, i thought that maybe you all could provide some insight on this process for me!

I applied to 15 medical center sites - not because I thought I was the best of the best or even the most competitive candidate but because I knew that "fit" was the most important component and those sites seemed to be the best fit for my background and training goals - getting training in inpatient and outpatient settings, and working with both groups and individuals, etc. As a note, I also applied to mostly generalist tracks, or CBT tracks since I thought I could get varied experiences there, and since my background (clinical or research) doesn't really support a more specialized track. There was also a number of reasons other sites wouldn't work for me - I didn't have any experience in UCCs so I didn't feel like I could apply to those sites and be a good candidate and I am a Canadian citizen so all the VA sites were out too. While I knew that the sites I was applying to were particularly competitive, I thought that my background and goals would be a decent fit for a couple of the sites (maybe 3 or 4 interviews) - i'm at a clinical science phd program, worked my butt off to get a good amount of hours (I thought this would be the most important component of my app) in varied sites (outpatient community clinic, VA, forensic). I do not, however, have any pubs currently (2 manuscripts ready to go with a perfectionist advisor who won't let them go out until they are flawless), 2 book chapters and a 10+ national conference presentations.

I would be SO appreciative to get any comments about your thoughts about my app. I feel so fortunate to have one interview, but with every additional rejection, I just keep wondering what I did wrong. Please feel free to send me a PM also 🙂
Thanks all!

Reading this post gave me deja vu.....this was me last year. I applied to 15 sites last year. 8 of them were highly competitive child sites. I thought I had the elusive fit with these sites. I too came from a good PhD program and was definitely a little low on pubs, but had a crazy amount of hours. I didn't receive a single invite from any of the competitive sites. I ended up with only 2 interviews and one site that told me to rank them even though they weren't interviewing me. The good news is that I ended up matching, despite the odds against me. It only takes one good interview and I hope for the best for you. You still have a few sites to hear from, so wishing you the best for those sites as well. In hindsight I can say that I over reached when applying to the competitive sites. If I had it to do over again I would work on strengthening my CV and be much more realistic and apply to more sites that were not as competitive. Good luck to you.

 

[jennigold]

Sounds like a difficult situation! There is a lot of information that comes into play and it sounds like you are still waiting to hear back regarding other interviews. However, my initial impressions are that your not having a publication as well as applying to mostly very competitive sites has put you at a disadvantage. Not having any publications--Especially for the more competitive medical centers--could be one significant limitation in your application. The modal number of publications is zero and most people who interview at the top medical centers will have at least one or two publications at a minimum. Another thing you could do (for the future...assuming you go through round 2 or, God forbid, next year) is to apply to a broader range of sites in terms of competitiveness. Add up the number of positions and the number of applicants at each site over the last three years. I've seen research (now about five years out of date, but still helpful) that sites that admit 2-4% of their applicants are ultra competitive, 4-6% competitive, above 6% is less competitive. Make sure you apply to a range of sites, not just sites in the 2-4% range. Hope that helps and good luck!

Thank you so much! This is really helpful!
I really didn't want to apply to the most competitive sites, I just didn't know how to find less competitive sites that met my training goals. I searched and searched and searched to find a list of "competitiveness" so that I could vary my applications, to no avail.
Some of the hardest rejections have been the ones that interview many of their candidates. I have a spreadsheet of the info from the APPIC directory, for example Rochester gets around 100 applications, and invites around 50 for interviews - I haven't gotten my official rejection from there, but other people have gotten their invites, so I've given up hope because of my track record. (As for sites I have gotten rejections from, for example, University of Chicago gets 160 apps and interview 60 candidates)

 

[jennigold]

Reading this post gave me deja vu.....this was me last year. I applied to 15 sites last year. 8 of them were highly competitive child sites. I thought I had the elusive fit with these sites. I too came from a good PhD program and was definitely a little low on pubs, but had a crazy amount of hours. I didn't receive a single invite from any of the competitive sites. I ended up with only 2 interviews and one site that told me to rank them even though they weren't interviewing me. The good news is that I ended up matching, despite the odds against me. It only takes one good interview and I hope for the best for you. You still have a few sites to hear from, so wishing you the best for those sites as well. In hindsight I can say that I over reached when applying to the competitive sites. If I had it to do over again I would work on strengthening my CV and be much more realistic and apply to more sites that were not as competitive. Good luck to you.

Thank you!
I actually saw your post in one of the other threads about getting two interviews to your top site and last site, and then matching. It has been giving me hope for the last few days (with the hope that my duke app that was still in the air would come back with an interview). I am going to try and dazzle my one interview and hope it works out but it's definitely a struggle not to take this personally!

 

[cara susanna]

Thank you!
I actually saw your post in one of the other threads about getting two interviews to your top site and last site, and then matching. It has been giving me hope for the last few days (with the hope that my duke app that was still in the air would come back with an interview). I am going to try and dazzle my one interview and hope it works out but it's definitely a struggle not to take this personally!

If it helps, I know people who've matched with one interview!

 

[JonEC]

Invite:
South Florida Consortium Internship Program (SFCIP)
mass-email on 12/11/13 at 1:45p
one date offered = 1/17/13

 

[jennigold]

If it helps, I know people who've matched with one interview!

This DEFINITELY Helps, I have never seen that on this thread or any others!

 

[PsyDedicated]

Ditto.

If it helps, I know people who've matched with one interview!

 

[calimich]

There it is. Generic email invitation to Michigan State UCC interview!! Skype Dec 18 or 19, on-site Jan 10.

 

[laviel]

Anyone still waiting to hear from McLean? I wish this waiting game can stop...

 

[neurocenni]

me too! I really need this to be over. I'm waiting on McLean, Jesse Brown VAMC, Lovell (although I hear they sent out invites), and I never got a rejection from Northwestern SOM.

 

[SchoolPsyPh.D]

Rejection from Franciscan Hospital for Children, email, generic "dear applicant"--2:20pm.

10 rejections, 0 interviews, waiting on 4 more. It only takes one, right? I could vomit.

 

[@n0nym0us]

Interview for Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital (sent 12/11) 2:15 EST.

Interview dates are:
Thursday 9th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th, and Tuesday 21st

 

[psychrat]

Rejection from Franciscan Hospital for Children, email, generic "dear applicant"--2:20pm.

10 rejections, 0 interviews, waiting on 4 more. It only takes one, right? I could vomit.

Hang in there. I am sending positive thoughts your way. These next few days are going to be stressful but we will get through it.

 

[ThisProcessSucks]

Generic (but friendly) rejection from MercyFirst. I was expecting it.

 

[neurocenni]

Thank you so much! This is really helpful!
I really didn't want to apply to the most competitive sites, I just didn't know how to find less competitive sites that met my training goals. I searched and searched and searched to find a list of "competitiveness" so that I could vary my applications, to no avail.
Some of the hardest rejections have been the ones that interview many of their candidates. I have a spreadsheet of the info from the APPIC directory, for example Rochester gets around 100 applications, and invites around 50 for interviews - I haven't gotten my official rejection from there, but other people have gotten their invites, so I've given up hope because of my track record. (As for sites I have gotten rejections from, for example, University of Chicago gets 160 apps and interview 60 candidates)

I am having a similar experience (and likely got rejections from many of the same competitive AMCs that you did). I think I underestimated how competitive those sites were. I have a couple of publications (1 first author and 1 book chap), an F31, and another grant to fund my dissertation. I got 3 invites so far but to VAs only so maybe I am not as good of a fit as I thought I was for AMCs.. It's so hard to figure out what the problem is. But I did ask for feedback from UChicago and another site which provided me some brief feedback.....so it's worth a try.

 

[pavlove]

Interview for Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital (sent 12/11) 2:15 EST.

Interview dates are:
Thursday 9th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th, and Tuesday 21st

+1!

I'm hoping they're able to give me the 1/21 date... already booked for the others.

 

[G Costanza]

Just had a phone interview. I want a do-over. If my brain would just get out of the way...

 

[PDXgeropsych]

Interview for Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital (sent 12/11) 2:15 EST.

Interview dates are:
Thursday 9th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th, and Tuesday 21st

Generic or personalized? Congrats!

 

[PsychappA]

Anyone still waiting to hear from McLean? I wish this waiting game can stop...

I'm waiting on McLean, too, but kind of losing hope on it at this point. Apparantly, the West Coast and South like me, but no love from the Northeast. It's my last site to hear from so I just want to hear at this point, even if it's bad news. Please. just. let. this. be. over.

 

[laviel]

I'm waiting on McLean, too, but kind of losing hope on it at this point. Apparantly, the West Coast and South like me, but no love from the Northeast. It's my last site to hear from so I just want to hear at this point, even if it's bad news. Please. just. let. this. be. over.

I am just the opposite; the West Coast hates me, and the Northeast is love-and-hate. I know what you're saying. I just want this to be over. If it's a rejection, so be it, and I'll deal with it...

 

[@n0nym0us]

Generic or personalized? Congrats!

The email was generic

 

[PDXgeropsych]

🙁 Great site. I'm assuming I was rejected, but I knew this one was a long shot for me. Congrats!!

 

[cara susanna]

I am having a similar experience (and likely got rejections from many of the same competitive AMCs that you did). I think I underestimated how competitive those sites were. I have a couple of publications (1 first author and 1 book chap), an F31, and another grant to fund my dissertation. I got 3 invites so far but to VAs only so maybe I am not as good of a fit as I thought I was for AMCs.. It's so hard to figure out what the problem is. But I did ask for feedback from UChicago and another site which provided me some brief feedback.....so it's worth a try.

That's crazy that you could have an F31 and get rejected from AMCs. This process is so random and scary.

 

[pavlove]

🙁 Great site. I'm assuming I was rejected, but I knew this one was a long shot for me. Congrats!!

I also got an e-mail invite to Edith Nourse VA that was personalized (my name) - hard to know what this might mean, but figured I would share!

 

[NeuroNerd253]

To add to the list of questions I saw on the main list that people have received interview invites for the neuro and general tracks of Missouri Health Sciences Consortium but I am curious has anyone heard anything from the VA or rehab track? Please let me know or PM if you have any info, thank you everyone I'm so thankful for my SDN family!

My invite was from the VA general track

 

[kestrelcry]

I also got an e-mail invite to Edith Nourse VA that was personalized (my name) - hard to know what this might mean, but figured I would share!

So, to engage fully in the insanity of the process, what time did you get your email?

 

[psych85]

Personalized email rejection from Baylor/Texas Children's Hospital

 

[PsychappA]

I am having a similar experience (and likely got rejections from many of the same competitive AMCs that you did). I think I underestimated how competitive those sites were. I have a couple of publications (1 first author and 1 book chap), an F31, and another grant to fund my dissertation. I got 3 invites so far but to VAs only so maybe I am not as good of a fit as I thought I was for AMCs.. It's so hard to figure out what the problem is. But I did ask for feedback from UChicago and another site which provided me some brief feedback.....so it's worth a try.

I agree with the commenters who suggest that you may be a little low on pubs for some of the competitive medical centers. I applied very similarly to mostly AMCs based on fit and my career goals and have been really shocked by just how competitive it is. I have 9 publications (3 first author, with 3 more first author pubs under review), an F31, and about 2,500 clinical hours so I thought I would be fairly competitive, but have only had about a 50% hit rate for interviews. I'm definitely not complaining because I am happy with the interviews that I have gotten, but it's crazy how competitive it is! Also, there is someone in my program with (no joke) about 4,000 clinical hours (and otherwise a good vita, too) who has only gotten two interviews so far.

I also strongly suggest maybe emailing your top site or two to ask for feedback on your application. They don't have to give you the feedback, but many of them will. I asked one of the sites where I didn't get an interview for feedback and got some that was very helpful and I know a couple other people in my program have done the same. Also, as far as competitiveness, remember it varies considerably by track. For instance, University of Chicago may interview 60 or so applicant, but I know that the Eating Disorder track only interviews about 10 or less for that one slot.

I'm really sorry that this process has been such a struggle. All I can say is that it is a terrible, terrible process. I am sure you are a fabulous applicant; it's just the distinctions between the fabulous applicant who gets an interview and the one that does not are so fine. I think the best you can do right now is focus on preparing for the interview(s) you get (I also know a number of people who have matched with one or two interviews!) and maybe seek feedback so that you can know how to strengthen yourself or your search for (god forbid!) next year if you need to repeat the process or else (hopefully!) next year for applying to postdocs. Also a positive note: I have heard the postdoc process to be far more humane and less competitive.

 

[herwitz]

Personalized email invitation from VA Maine Healthcare Center (general track). Interview dates:

Friday, December 20
Monday, January 6
Friday, January 10
Monday, January 13
Friday, January 17
Friday, January 24
Monday, January 27

 

[PsychappA]

I am just the opposite; the West Coast hates me, and the Northeast is love-and-hate. I know what you're saying. I just want this to be over. If it's a rejection, so be it, and I'll deal with it...

I don't know where you are geographically, but I am on the West Coast and I wonder if some sites are influenced by where you live and how likely they think you are to relocate across the country.

 

[pavlove]

So, to engage fully in the insanity of the process, what time did you get your email?

2:31pm EST

 

[I'llhavewhatshe'shaving]

And a late in the game rejection from Westchester Jewish Community Services...starting to feel the burn in my recent rejection rally! I'll take my frustration out on the glue gun while I make holiday wreaths

 

[cara susanna]

I don't know where you are geographically, but I am on the West Coast and I wonder if some sites are influenced by where you live and how likely they think you are to relocate across the country.

Mine definitely weren't--I live in the Midwest and all of my Midwestern sites rejected me. 😉

 

[PDXgeropsych]

I would move to Antarctica if it meant I could finally graduate.

 

[psyd102]

Rejection from Riverbend, Personalized attached letter

 

[PsychappA]

Mine definitely weren't--I live in the Midwest and all of my Midwestern sites rejected me. 😉

Haha... so much for my theory! Always trying to make sense of this madness...

 

[G Costanza]

Still waiting on 10 sites. Serenity NOW!!!

 

[Avocadobunny]

My invite was from the VA general track

Thank you! Did you receive it awhile ago?

 

[cara susanna]

Still waiting on 10 sites. Serenity NOW!!!

We'll have a lot to say at this year's Airing of Grievances!

 

[laviel]

And a late in the game rejection from Westchester Jewish Community Services...starting to feel the burn in my recent rejection rally! I'll take my frustration out on the glue gun while I make holiday wreaths

I'll call that healthy and mature coping 🙂

 

[grenas]

Ah! Congrats! I'm still waiting to hear from them but it looks like it's taking them a while to send out the invites since it's so personalized. Hopefully good news is coming my way soon!

Thanks! I hope you heard something good from them!

 

[NeuroNerd253]

Thank you! Did you receive it awhile ago?

I got a phone call the morning of December 2nd. A girl in my program got an invite from them the Wednesday prior so I know they are slow and staggered in getting back to applicants. I'm not sure if they are still making calls but so long as you haven't received a rejection, it's possible you still get one!

 

[simplesimon]

Interview for Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital (sent 12/11) 2:15 EST.

Interview dates are:
Thursday 9th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th, and Tuesday 21st

+1

 

[simplesimon]

Personalized email invitation from VA Maine Healthcare Center (general track). Interview dates:

Friday, December 20
Monday, January 6
Friday, January 10
Monday, January 13
Friday, January 17
Friday, January 24
Monday, January 27

+1

 

[laviel]

I don't know where you are geographically, but I am on the West Coast and I wonder if some sites are influenced by where you live and how likely they think you are to relocate across the country.

I live in the Northeast, and I figured that some sites are more likely to take some of their "very own" than others. For instance, at a major VA hospital where I am currently externing, 3 out of 6 of the interns come from the same school and the other 3 are all from the same metropolitan area. It's hard not to think that there are some major geographical biases...

 

[grenas]

Ok I am giving up on U of Minnesota Counseling Center for today.

 

[s23456]

Bowling Green State UCC personalized but generic email invite for Skype interviews from Dec. 19th - Jan. 14th!

 

[Lifeisgood555]

And a late in the game rejection from Westchester Jewish Community Services...starting to feel the burn in my recent rejection rally! I'll take my frustration out on the glue gun while I make holiday wreaths

Sublimation - psychological breakfast of champions 😉

 

[TellMeAboutYourMother]

Ok I am giving up on U of Minnesota Counseling Center for today.

Same. I can't believe it's almost 4pm, and we're almost through another day without a single notification (at least for me). Still waiting on 10. I thought they would trickle in this week, but it's looking more like I'm going to get plowed over by news all at once.

 

[G Costanza]

We'll have a lot to say at this year's Airing of Grievances!

I'll bring the aluminum pole. Who's up first for the feats of strength?