I'm from a PhD program in the NYC area and will be applying to internships this Fall. Though I would prefer to stay in the area, I'm not opposed to moving to another state. The catch is that as an international student I really need to choose sites where commuting via public transportation is possible as I can't afford a car. I've always heard that it's important to include sites outside of NY/NYC since things are super competitive here. Anyone have suggestions for areas outside of NY that have a comparable public transportation system? I'm hoping to narrow down my list of sites soon.
2013 APPIC Internship Application Thread
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San Francisco and Chicago are two that immediately spring to mind, although both may be almost as competitive as NYC. I'd imagine you could likely also apply to a few places where affordable housing is walking distance from your training site, although that'd obviously require a bit more research.
Edit: As the post below me mentions, definitely forgot Boston as well. Re: rural sites, the public transportation is lacking, but I know quite a few people who were able to find nice, affordable housing (which is generally plentiful in these areas) that was close enough to allow them to bike or walk year-round to work.
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Many major cities (Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Philly) have trains that can help you get places... I'd expect nearly all cities would have buses or some way of getting to the training site. Depending on what setting you're looking for, most sites have a "directions" or "getting here" page on their website (even if it's for patients in the hospital or something), which tends to cover public transportation. I'd say that if you stick with sites in or near cities, you should be okay... rural sites will likely have less (or less frequent) options.
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You'll find them with the application when it's released. If they've not changed them, I believe these are the four: autobiographical, theoretical orientation, diversity, and research.
#1. Provide an autobiographical statement. Answer this question as if someone had asked you "Tell me something about yourself." It is an opportunity for you to provide the internship site some information about yourself. It is entirely up to you to decide what information you wish to provide along with the format in which to represent it.
#2. Describe your theoretical orientation and how this influences your approach to case conceptualization and intervention. You may use de-identified case material to illustrate your points if you choose.
#3. Describe your experience and training in work with diverse populations. Your discussion should display explicitly the manner in which multicultural/diversity issues influence your clinical practice and case conceptualization.
#4. Describe your research experience and interests.
G'luck!
Chicago is stupid-competitive. There are so many schools here that we have a match process for PRACTICUM. I'm not kidding. Schools are limited as to how many students are allowed to apply to each of the programs in the city. So, yes, Chicago has public transportation, but it is a VERY competitive place for internship.
I am in the process for the second time, though last year I applied as a third year student. So this year my hours are much more inline with everyone else. I'm revising my essays and my CV is updated and ready to go. I have a list of sites I'm planning to apply to, and some others that I'm looking into.
I can't believe this thread is up already!
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Comparable...not to NYC, but doable to get around and not be a hassle.
Baltimore/Maryland Area: The mass transit is hit and miss (decent buses with limited light rail), but the city is affordable enough to live & work in downtown b'more: Hopkins Counseling, Kennedy Kreiger (peds), and Mount Washington. Spring Grove Hospital is a bit outside B'more...but I think buses run there. The city can be rough around the edges, but there are some diverse neighborhoods and it is easy enough to grab a bus/train to DC/NYC/Philly. Go Ravens. 😀
Detroit/Ann Arbor Area: Hear me out about Detroit...it's actually a decent place to live if you know where to look. Henry Ford Hospital, Wayne State Med School, and the Children's Hospital are all in d'town Detroit and they all have good to very good reputations. The rent is cheap enough in decent parts of Detroit to walk/jump on a bus to any of the hospitals. U of Mich also has a couple sites, and the bus system is very good. Rent is expensive in Ann Arbor, but you can live in one of the less expensive neighboring towns and take the bus in. UM has a large int'l contingent, so it is a much easier place to live than other places in the Midwest. Go Blue. 😀
Ps. Chicago & Boston are both good cities...but neither is very doable on an intern's salary. I took a hard look at Boston for both internship and fellowship, and the housing cost was ridiculous in the city and outside of the city the mass transit was limited. I have a car, but I was hoping to not need it if I moved to Boston.
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Agreed. Boston is an awesome city, but living there on even a post-doc's salary (which, in the area, generally didn't seem much higher than for internship) seems like it'd be very, very tough.
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Is anyone else having difficulty accessing the AAPI online applicant portal? I was able to access it earlier today, but now it is saying I must log into a "Protected" area - prior to even reaching the applicant portal?
T4C thanks for the positive words about my hometown! It is true about Detroit, and if you live in the midtown area, which is fast-growing, there is more within walking distance. There's a Whole Foods going in, as well. The rents are very doable on what the neighboring hospitals pay interns. Detroit is growing and it's awesome to see! Go Tigers! Go Wings! 😀
Ann Arbor. I lived in the area for many years and my impression of the bus system between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti was that it took forever. Rents in Ann Arbor, particularly near to the hospital are high because of the demand from U of M students (I echo your GO BLUE!). However, if you found a roommate situation, you'd be golden if you lived near downtown. Lots of restaurants, lot of things to do, and you could bike, take the bus, or cab.
I just didn't think of these two areas because I'd prefer to have a car there. And great suggestion on B'More, I echo those sentiments. Isn't Atlanta supposed to have decent public transportation too?
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I'm having this difficulty as well (it is asking me for a username and password). Earlier this week, the old info in the Applicant Portal said the new application would be up today...perhaps it is still a work in progress?
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I was able to access it today?
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Well, I emailed them, hopefully they get the kinks out soon!
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Hi all,
Question from a spectator: When are the earliest deadlines for internship apps?
Thanks!
Question from a spectator: When are the earliest deadlines for internship apps?
Thanks!
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I was able to access it earlier today... though not everything seemed to work (e.g., it wouldn't let me enter any of my assessment info. The drop-down boxes were empty.)
The earliest I've seen was October 26 or 29... something around there.
The earliest I've seen was October 26 or 29... something around there.
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E'gads! Really?!
I've only seen Nov-ish so far (if I'm recalling correctly--for the ones on my list at least, or the ones that made it to my list before they were cut eventually).In other news, double checking my hours is a serious pain in my arse. 👎 And I still don't know where I'm counting my intakes/SCID's...
However, I do have a question that I attempted to search (because I could've sworn that I saw it somewhere around here previously BUT I CAN'T FIND IT!?!) 😡...
If you (a) observe clients or shadow other clinicians during interventions for training purposes or (b) complete other "required training" during a practicum position, where the frak do you track this? I'd guess (b) would be "support," but I'm only guessing here (or do you just "work" these hours and not count them for anything)? And (a)?
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There's no APPIC hours police. Do what you feel is the best thing and what you think your DCT will approve. The whole hours thing is gross estimation, at best, and everyone knows it...
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E'gads! Really?!
Yup... Nationwide Children's Hospital, in Columbus, OH. Apparently last year's date was Oct. 31, this year's looks like Oct. 29th. Sigh. That's the only one I've seen in October though... all others at least gave us those extra three days of sanity. 🙂.
Re: Hours... my opinion is jut to try to be as accurate as you can. Most AAPI fields have an "other" with a description box, so if you're really not sure, you can explain it on the application. As someone else said, as long as your DCT will sign off on it and you're realistically describing your skill level, you'll be fine.
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If it makes you feel any better....before the APPI went online, we'd have to mail individual packets to each site, and they all had different policies for what they considered the actual deadline: postmarked by the listed date, received by the listed date, in the hands fo the admin/DCT by the deadline, etc. I still remember having ALL of my site material laid out on the pool table (bright blue felt!), it was a visual reminder of how much I had to do. The top left was the earliest due date, and then my apps went in chronological order from left to right. I made a checklist of requested materials for each packet, as back then some sites requested all sorts of supplemental attachments. One site I considered, but didn't end up submitting, required 7 additional documents: a seperate 4pg application, 2 assessment samples, d/c summary note sample, 4 short-answer questions, undergrad transcripts, etc. My first apps all just made it out, but most of the onces from Nov 15th or later got out with time to spare. I had a stack of USPS supplies stashed next to my couch, I looked like a fledging small business.
I'd run into cohort mates at the local post office, and we'd all be standing there with our intern apps getting ready to be sent Priority (and a few overnight!). It isn't like the experience was so stressful I can recall all of this like it was yesterday, even though it was 4 years ago. 😱
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If it makes you feel any better....before the APPI went online, we'd have to mail individual packets to each site, and they all had different policies for what they considered the actual deadline: postmarked by the listed date, received by the listed date, in the hands fo the admin/DCT by the deadline, etc. I still remember having ALL of my site material laid out on the pool table (bright blue felt!), it was a visual reminder of how much I had to do. The top left was the earliest due date, and then my apps went in chronological order from left to right. I made a checklist of requested materials for each packet, as back then some sites requested all sorts of supplemental attachments. One site I considered, but didn't end up submitting, required 7 additional documents: a seperate 4pg application, 2 assessment samples, d/c summary note sample, 4 short-answer questions, undergrad transcripts, etc. My first apps all just made it out, but most of the onces from Nov 15th or later got out with time to spare. I had a stack of USPS supplies stashed next to my couch, I looked like a fledging small business.
I never had to mess with the pre-online process myself, but I was definitely around when a few of my peers were slogging through it. I distinctly recall hearing about at least a few panicked trips to the post office to overnight materials owing to a mis-read application deadline, or a recommender having gotten their letters to the student much later than expected.
As confusing and sometimes-buggy as the AAPI has been, I'd take it over the old system anyday.
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If it makes you feel any better....before the APPI went online, we'd have to mail individual packets to each site, and they all had different policies for what they considered the actual deadline: postmarked by the listed date, received by the listed date, in the hands fo the admin/DCT by the deadline, etc. I still remember having ALL of my site material laid out on the pool table (bright blue felt!), it was a visual reminder of how much I had to do. The top left was the earliest due date, and then my apps went in chronological order from left to right. I made a checklist of requested materials for each packet, as back then some sites requested all sorts of supplemental attachments. One site I considered, but didn't end up submitting, required 7 additional documents: a seperate 4pg application, 2 assessment samples, d/c summary note sample, 4 short-answer questions, undergrad transcripts, etc. My first apps all just made it out, but most of the onces from Nov 15th or later got out with time to spare. I had a stack of USPS supplies stashed next to my couch, I looked like a fledging small business.
Yup... sounds awful. Suddenly I'm not regretting my decision to get a job before starting graduate school. 🙂
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Alrighty then, random CV question (and although I'm finding multiple CV threads re: specific issues, no overall "ask me your CV questions here" one I can add mine to)! 😳
Research mentoring, does this go under research or service? I'm a mentor for a NIH research program (R25) and at a loss where to include it since it's not really "my" research... Thoughts/suggestions?
Research mentoring, does this go under research or service? I'm a mentor for a NIH research program (R25) and at a loss where to include it since it's not really "my" research... Thoughts/suggestions?
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Hmmm...I think it would depend on what your role entails. Are you participating in data collection or analysis? Or are you mainly overseeing others who are carrying out their own studies? Perhaps you could put it under supervisory experience?
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I've had "supervisory" experience in past research positions. I simply included that detail within the duties for whatever that position might be (e.g., project director, lab coordinator, etc.) rather than having a separate section for supervision.
This is a program funded by NIH for the purposes of providing research education, training, etc. in the sciences to undergrad students from underrepresented backgrounds in the hopes that some of them will go on to pursue research careers (and continue to participate in NIH-funded research). Students are "matched" with a faculty member as their mentor (me), but *I* am not conducting any research whatsoever here (or at least I do not anticipate doing so...).
Oh, and if it matters, I do receive an additional nominal "stipend" for this.
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Hmm...I might almost be inclined to count that as teaching experience, although I don't remember whether or not the AAPI actually had a section for instruction.
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I was actually leaning in that direction myself the more I thought about it (i.e., adding it with my teaching experience section)... Just wasn't sure since it's technically funded by an NIH research/education grant to complicate matters! I'm TRYING to keep things simple. 😀
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Can anyone tell me why some people want to start the appi the second it goes online? Why does it matter when you register/access the appi portal, if nothing is even remotely due yet?
haha maybe y'all should be writing/editing essays instead....?
haha maybe y'all should be writing/editing essays instead....?
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Meh, some of us are excited. 🙂.
Really, I don't have much else to do this summer... I just moved to a new city to be with my partner (and it's been too hot to go outside), I work in a school so there's nothing there this summer, my new externship starts after the summer, my advisor has a draft of my dissertation proposal, and a professor has a draft of my essays. If I want to type my address into the AAPI now, so what? The parts that will change I'm not touching until at least mid-September.
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Actually, I gotta tell you, if I was in your position I'd be doing the same exact thing!
And good for you! I guess I assumed that everyone planned as foolishly as I did, and is very busy this summer! You have officially proved me wrong! 👍
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I tend to be a last-minute worker, so this "Do things in advance, get feedback, and don't be stressed" thing is breaking new ground, for sure. 🙂.
Honestly, I wish I had planned on a happy medium! I'm bored.
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I personally haven't touched the portal yet as I still don't know whether I'm officially applying this cycle. I have too many other things to be doing rather than dicking around with it. But I tend to take some time here & there to at least look at my list, hours, etc., so they're at least accessible & ready if/when the time comes. My dept asks for a crapload of stuff to submit to the faculty in an application packet to request that one receives approval to apply. I need to make sure there's something there...
If others want to look at the portal and get crap done now rather than waiting 'til later, especially when later may very well be a busier time (at least for me, it will be), then more power to them. 👍 I'm certainly not going to hold that against them.
If others want to look at the portal and get crap done now rather than waiting 'til later, especially when later may very well be a busier time (at least for me, it will be), then more power to them. 👍 I'm certainly not going to hold that against them.
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I applied last year and found the site challenging. Part of it was the anxiety it provoked in me and some of it was the fact that it isn't the most user-friendly site.
So if I were you I would go do that and get some easy tasks out of the way, like putting in info, registering for the match, counting hours... Things that are more scary than actually difficult (at least that how it was for me).
And as for deadlines, last year you could send out applications as soon as Oct 1st. I sent mine in batches - those who had Nov 1st deadline I sent on Oct15-16th and those that had a later deadline I sent the weekend after.
Internship directors told me specifically that sending things early matters. Some of them read them as they come and if you're early, they are not flooded yet and have more time to really look into your material.
Also, I was told time and again that the Auto-bio essay is the most important one and that the fact that I went personal was a good thing. I am dynamically oriented and applied to dynamic places. Never wrote anything about "evidence based" just emphasized my experience with patients and clients, things that moved me, surprised me, made me excited about becoming a psychologist.
I got my first choice, so something went right...
🙂
So if I were you I would go do that and get some easy tasks out of the way, like putting in info, registering for the match, counting hours... Things that are more scary than actually difficult (at least that how it was for me).
And as for deadlines, last year you could send out applications as soon as Oct 1st. I sent mine in batches - those who had Nov 1st deadline I sent on Oct15-16th and those that had a later deadline I sent the weekend after.
Internship directors told me specifically that sending things early matters. Some of them read them as they come and if you're early, they are not flooded yet and have more time to really look into your material.
Also, I was told time and again that the Auto-bio essay is the most important one and that the fact that I went personal was a good thing. I am dynamically oriented and applied to dynamic places. Never wrote anything about "evidence based" just emphasized my experience with patients and clients, things that moved me, surprised me, made me excited about becoming a psychologist.
I got my first choice, so something went right...
🙂
Does anyone happen to know APPIC's official position on whether you can count as an "integrated report" a report for which you did not personally administer all of the testing (e.g., testing was done by a psychometrist, or raw scores from a previous assessment were re-interpreted in the context of a more comprehensive evaluation)? I've heard informally from others in my program that this counts, but I haven't been able to find anything from APPIC. Thanks in advance for any help. 🙂
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I used to work for a Clinical Neuropsychologist, as a psychometrician. The supervised practicum student wrote the integrated assessments for the batteries of tests that I administered. They counted those hours on their APPI. Its important to count what you actually did- you will not have hours of administering tests on your APPI for the tests you didn't admin, just the hours of report writing for those integrated reports. That is honest and has integrity. I'm not sure why it would work any other way... unless one claimed the hours for administering the tests also...?
I'm asking about counting the number of integrated reports written. I'm obviously not going to add hours for tests I didn't administer. I'm not sure how you got that from my question...I didn't even mention hours anywhere in my post.
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Agreed. Last year, I heard during one of my interviews that applying early made a difference. It shouldn't be this way, but I guess TDs only have so much time. On the flip side, I also had one site tell me they did not review applications until the very end. However, maximize your chances by submitting early if you can. It also feels REALLY good to have it off of your plate and not hanging over your head. The waiting game for interviews is tough, but at least you can move forward with working on other things (dissertation, practicum reports, etc) after you press submit.
I'll get off my soapbox, but please take time for self-care as this process ramps up. I matched at my top choice, but it took me weeks to recover from the travel, stress and second guessing that accompanied most interviews. Even after match day, I felt bitter, angry and sad despite the very positive outcome. I kept thinking - what have we done to ourselves as a profession????
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My knee-jerk reaction would be to say that it would count as an integrative report, but I'm obviously not an official APPIC spokesperson or anything. I'd imagine the "test count" and face-to-face hours categories capture the administration aspect, while the integrative report section is (in spirit, and as would be expected) more concerned with integrating the multiple information sources into a coherent narrative, which it sounds like you did. This is, of course, assuming the multiple information sources meet APPIC's requirements for integrative reports, which it sounds like they would.
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I'm a second timer and wanted to pose a question to the community. I have had this discussion with a few people privately, both here and in my program, but never get a confident answer.
I'm applying to CCs. I was at a CC last year so I will definitely have that supervisor write me a letter. One of my practica this coming year will be another CC. The dilemma is do I have my new supervisor write me a letter as well (Pro: A CC site, Con: He/She will only have known me about 2 months) or have my supervisor from two years ago write me a letter (Pro: She knows me well, Con: Not a CC site).
Thoughts?
I'm applying to CCs. I was at a CC last year so I will definitely have that supervisor write me a letter. One of my practica this coming year will be another CC. The dilemma is do I have my new supervisor write me a letter as well (Pro: A CC site, Con: He/She will only have known me about 2 months) or have my supervisor from two years ago write me a letter (Pro: She knows me well, Con: Not a CC site).
Thoughts?
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Who's currently writing your third letter, and would that person be better-replaced by the new boss than your supervisor from two years ago?
Either way, I'd actually say ask for letters from all three so that you at least have some options available to you. I didn't apply to CCs myself, so I unfortunately can't offer much insight into your actual question beyond what I've already posted.
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There are also plenty of sites that don't look at a single application until they have the entire batch. Especially if you're applying to places that get hundreds and hundreds of applications, they're going to divide up applications among many, many reviewers for the first pass, and it's easier to make that division all at once, rather than sending multiple updates to the list as more applications roll in.
I went to a major conference the weekend after Nov. 1st, and I chatted with some folks there from some of the big name sites (Boston Consortium, MUSC, UW, etc.) who were groaning about having to go through their allotted potion of applications. They definitely hadn't received their chunk of the applications from the TD until after the deadline, let alone looked at them!
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I'm also not applying to any CC's, but my initial reaction was to go with the supervisor from two years ago. I think it's better to have someone who knows you well and can write a very strong letter based on knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, rather than someone who is just writing a generic positive one. Especially since you already have experience at a CC and have a supervisor from there writing you a letter.
Though, I'd probably talk about it with the new supervisor, and ask their opinion.. they might say that they're not comfortable writing one for someone they just started working with. I'm sure they remember the application process and know what you're facing. Like another poster said, you can always ask for letters from both and then decide which to designate to sites later (especially if they can give you a copy and let you see it!).
Personally, I don't think I'm going to be asking my supervisor this year to write a letter, since I'm starting in September and I'm going to be applying to the same site for internship. I have enough strong letters already.
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On the subject of letters of reference, I am trying to figure out who to ask for my third LOR. I will have one from my advisor (who is familiar with my research only), and one from a supervisor who supervised me in an outpatient therapy setting. Last year, I did a neuropsych externship. However, assessment is not one of my main interests for my internship year, although I would be interested in doing a neuropsych rotation. Would you all reccommend asking my supervisor at my neuropsych externship for a LOR, even though he can only speak as to my assessment skills (no therapy skills)? Maybe it would seem odd if I didn't ask him, as he was my supervisor for a full year. Someone might assume that we did not get along well if I do not ask him for a LOR.
There is another supervisor I could ask for a LOR who has supervised me in group therapy settings, but not individual therapy. Any thoughts?
There is another supervisor I could ask for a LOR who has supervised me in group therapy settings, but not individual therapy. Any thoughts?
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Also, does anyone know if there is a date by which all the internships are suppose to update the information in the brochures and the APPIC directory? So far, it looks like all of the informaiton is from the 2011-2012 round.
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Why not ask both of them for a LOR, and then choose the one that best fits your desired rotations at each site (e.g., if you definitely want to take a neuro rotation at a site, include the neuropsych reference; if the site doesn't have any neuro opportunities you're interested in, or if they have a group you DEFINITELY want to be involved with, include the group therapy supervisor)?
Edit: As for your second post/question, as best I can remember, most sites were updated by August or September; at least for the year I applied, anyway.
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My third letter will be from my advisor. She wrote me a great letter last year as well. Another question to sneak in- I had two supervisors from my previous practicum (if I choose to go that route). One is a PhD and one is a MSW. The MSW knows me much better than the PhD though I had a good relationship with both. Would it be discouraged to get one from the MSW?
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Keep in mind that I don't really have any real data to back up what I'm saying, but I think sites really want PhD level psychologist letter writers. If a site says, "We require three LoR, but you may send a fourth if you'd like" I would think it would be okay to add the letter from the MSW as the fourth (even though everyone else on this board seems to be against adding LoR). If they only want three, though, I'd try to stick to three PhD's, especially if one letter doesn't speak to your clinical qualifications.
While I personally don't think there is a huge difference between what a therapist with an MSW does vs. a therapist with a PhD, the argument is that an MSW doesn't know what is required to complete an internship in psychology and as such, cannot vouch for your qualifications.
Is it possible to have the two supervisors collaborate on one letter? I'm sure it's unorthodox, but then you can have your cake and eat it too. 🙂.
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