2014 APPIC internship Application Thread

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AryaStark said:
Anyone know what aspects of the application are most looked at/weighted most heavily? I know this will likely vary by site, but I just wonder which part (if any) is known to be the most important.
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I read an article that surveyed sites ranking what was important. In order:
Fit
Interview
Professional demeanor
Sup clinical experience
Completion of coursework
Personality
Graduate edu
Ability to conceptualize
Personal reactions
Completion of comps
Professional knowledge
Letters of rec
Clarity of goals
APA status of program
Self insight
Presentation of application materials
Related professional or volunteer experience
Number of sup hours
Exp with specific pop
Diversity of intern group
Site visit

There's more but that's a good start
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Was there anything in the article describing this for invitations to interviews, though? Sounds like the majority of that is for their rankings (I am not there yet, just asking more so about the application materials). Thanks for the info though! This will be very helpful (hopefully) in the coming months
 
I guess I am taking the naive approach of being happy to see people I know at interviews :-o
I was purely competitive at my grad school interviews the first time around, and then when I didn't get in and did it a second time, I came at it from the approach that I wasn't directly competing with anyone because if it really does come down to fit, if the other person is a better fit, they should end up there over me. It sounds a little polyanna, now that i'm saying it out loud, but I think it'll put me at ease to know/see a few people from here on interviews :) and if I do see you, know I won't be secretly hoping you don't get in!
 
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jennigold said:
polyanna
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Polyanna, for sure..
Srsly, it would be kind of neat to meet a virtual avatar in real life, and if we both get interviews at Montefiore in the Bronx, see you there!
Best pearls of wisdom tossed at me...you will end up exactly where you should be (or not). I'm just going with the flow. My hopes are for (at least) an interview so I can see how other people train during this last year before post-doc (or a licensure-fulfillment job). Litte voyeuristic of me, I know. But I might want to apply to one of those sites for a permanent position one day, ya know?

Jennigold, you're golden...don't change your "naiive" position - it's refreshing, especially around Ivy-League-wanna-be-go-get-er's like me. :)
 
G Costanza said:
I read an article that surveyed sites ranking what was important. In order:
Fit
Interview
Professional demeanor
Sup clinical experience
Completion of coursework
Personality
Graduate edu
Ability to conceptualize
Personal reactions
Completion of comps
Professional knowledge
Letters of rec
Clarity of goals
APA status of program
Self insight
Presentation of application materials
Related professional or volunteer experience
Number of sup hours
Exp with specific pop
Diversity of intern group
Site visit

There's more but that's a good start
Click to expand...

Nice. Thanks for sharing.
 
Happy to be the first to say, I got an interview!!! I was really surprised to hear this soon. I'll be interviewing at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MN. Hopefully this will be the first of several invites to interview at BOP sites. Good luck to all!
 
Congratulations Solipsism!! I am jealous! Good luck with the interview.
 
Solipsism3 said:
Happy to be the first to say, I got an interview!!! I was really surprised to hear this soon. I'll be interviewing at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MN. Hopefully this will be the first of several invites to interview at BOP sites. Good luck to all!
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Wow this is great news congratulations! Let's get the interview invite party started :)
 
Solipsism3 said:
Happy to be the first to say, I got an interview!!! I was really surprised to hear this soon. I'll be interviewing at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MN. Hopefully this will be the first of several invites to interview at BOP sites. Good luck to all!
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That was fast! Good luck and congrats!
 
G Costanza said:
I read an article that surveyed sites ranking what was important. In order:
Fit
Interview
Professional demeanor
Sup clinical experience
Completion of coursework
Personality
Graduate edu
Ability to conceptualize
Personal reactions
Completion of comps
Professional knowledge
Letters of rec
Clarity of goals
APA status of program
Self insight
Presentation of application materials
Related professional or volunteer experience
Number of sup hours
Exp with specific pop
Diversity of intern group
Site visit

There's more but that's a good start
Click to expand...

I really hate the term "fit" in admissions and hiring contexts. It's so nebulous and not operationally defined.--it's basically "whatever we want it to mean" and yet it can be used to justify pretty much any decision made for any reason because it so ambiguous.
 
CheetahGirl said:
Polyanna, for sure..
Srsly, it would be kind of neat to meet a virtual avatar in real life, and if we both get interviews at Montefiore in the Bronx, see you there!
Best pearls of wisdom tossed at me...you will end up exactly where you should be (or not). I'm just going with the flow. My hopes are for (at least) an interview so I can see how other people train during this last year before post-doc (or a licensure-fulfillment job). Litte voyeuristic of me, I know. But I might want to apply to one of those sites for a permanent position one day, ya know?

Jennigold, you're golden...don't change your "naiive" position - it's refreshing, especially around Ivy-League-wanna-be-go-get-er's like me. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you - I thought you were all rolling your eyes at me! I'm with you, I would really be bummed if I didn't get any interviews, but from there, I think they'll make the right decisions. Crossing my fingers for Montefiore! And, for everyone's first choice!!
 
PsychPhDStudent said:
cara susanna: good luck with your procedure this week. thinking positive thoughts your way. :)
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Aww, thank you! I'm hoping that I'll be out of it for a few days and then it will be time to hear back. ;)

I can't believe that a site sent out interviews already! Congrats, solipsism3!
 
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Whoa, an interview already?! :eek: congrats, solipsism!!

Cara: take care during your recovery! I would be tempted to ask for extra sedatives ;)

jennigold: we only have one site in common, but I would be happy to meet you if we are both fortunate enough to land an interview. I met a couple of sdn'rs during grad admissions interviews, and it was a fun experience.

and now I continue waiting...
 
Best of luck everyone! As a match survivor from last year, I recommend (though I know how hard it is) taking a break from this board, actually... it creates a lot of stress in an already stressful process. Plus, I recommend trying to not take the process so personally (like I did). I know it's anecdotal, but I know a few people who didn't match, and who got their top choice the following year. Plus last year, I didn't match in Phase I, and was devastated... then I actually wound up matching to a site in Phase II that I had applied to in Phase I and didn't even offer me an interview. it's a great site, and I've really loved my experience there so far. So... keep in mind that the world doesn't end even if you don't get many interviews, or don't match in phase I. :)
 
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cara susanna said:
I hear you--it's this anxiety that you can't turn into productivity because there's literally nothing you can do at this point (unless you're still working on apps). I had a lot that I was putting off until apps were in, and now that they are, I really don't want to do any of it. ;)
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Just beetle away on the dissertation. The further you are along when you get to interview the better. This is absolutely the time to practice DBT distress tolerance skills like distraction and turning the mind. Nothing will change the pace at which sites read applications or send out further notice. But the further you are along with being DONE on that study you DON"t want to be doing on internship the better....
 
I'm in the data collection stage so there isn't really much I can do with my diss right now.
 
docma said:
This is absolutely the time to practice DBT distress tolerance skills like distraction and turning the mind. Nothing will change the pace at which sites read applications or send out further notice.
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Right on!
 
So is there someone who can update the first post with a list of interview invites? Racho, are you up for it?

Btw, pavlove, thanks for the well wishes :)
 
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eowyne said:
This is really helpful to know. Last year, applicants I knew coordinated interviews in the same area of the country, which vastly reduced cost and travel time. I'm not sure how they accomplished this if interview slots go so quickly and sites notify at different times... any ideas?
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Coordinating with other people probably should come second to making sure you coordinate with other possible interview sites so you don't have to turn down an interview. With that said, I made a calendar of all known interview dates (as some post the dates in advance) and figure out which days worked best for each site so I could respond quickly when an invite came. If there's any flexibility after that, you could try to coordinate with other people as well.
 
Congrats on the first interview! That's a great start :) Anxious question: do you all know of people that have gotten interviews at competitive sites without any publications? I'm trying to figure out how much of a deal breaker this could be, since I obviously don't have any yet, though two manuscripts submitted (and realize this won't really help me at this late stage in the game).
 
HomeworkHelper said:
Coordinating with other people probably should come second to making sure you coordinate with other possible interview sites so you don't have to turn down an interview. With that said, I made a calendar of all known interview dates (as some post the dates in advance) and figure out which days worked best for each site so I could respond quickly when an invite came. If there's any flexibility after that, you could try to coordinate with other people as well.
Click to expand...

I made a calendar last night too - we think alike! I don't think I was clear in my previous question - I meant coordinating visits to different sites in the same area to avoid flying across the country to the same area several times. However, looking at my calendar of pre-announced interview dates, that's a distinct possibility if I'm lucky enough to swing many interviews. The sites in the Pacific NW seem pretty well coordinated, other areas of the country not so much.
 
Yeah, I bought a planner and marked all of the possible interview/OH dates that sites have posted. It made me realize how much overlap there is, so it was kind of overwhelming. But that would be a good problem to have, of course. ;)
 
eowyne said:
I made a calendar last night too - we think alike! I don't think I was clear in my previous question - I meant coordinating visits to different sites in the same area to avoid flying across the country to the same area several times. However, looking at my calendar of pre-announced interview dates, that's a distinct possibility if I'm lucky enough to swing many interviews. The sites in the Pacific NW seem pretty well coordinated, other areas of the country not so much.
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Thanks for clarifying. Even if you can swing interviews close enough together in time so you can fly from one to another without returning home in between, that can save money as well. When I interviewed, I was able to do a 3-way flight on two occasions, and that helped save money.
 
jjeggles2012 said:
Congrats on the first interview! That's a great start :) Anxious question: do you all know of people that have gotten interviews at competitive sites without any publications? I'm trying to figure out how much of a deal breaker this could be, since I obviously don't have any yet, though two manuscripts submitted (and realize this won't really help me at this late stage in the game).
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I think it should only matter if the site specifically states under their applicant qualifications that they prefer applicants with publications. I believe you could find this within each sites online brochure.
 
All applications submitted! Whew. :)
 
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jjeggles2012 said:
Congrats on the first interview! That's a great start :) Anxious question: do you all know of people that have gotten interviews at competitive sites without any publications? I'm trying to figure out how much of a deal breaker this could be, since I obviously don't have any yet, though two manuscripts submitted (and realize this won't really help me at this late stage in the game).
Click to expand...

I think the answer largely depends on how you define a competitive site? Given the match imbalance, any APA accredited internship is a competitive site. Given that the modal (someone correct me if I'm wrong) number of publications was 0 for match applicants last year, there had to be plenty of applicants who interviewed with zero publications.

If by competitive you mean, Mass General Hospital (the director of one of the tracks, either child or bmed, told me that the most successful applicants have approximately 10 publications about half of which are first author), Charleston Consortium, Brown, Seattle VA, etc., THEN YES, I think having publications is a must. I think having some grant funding (NIH or foundational) really puts people over the top at those sites. The only way I can envision an applicant getting around this would be to have a very well known advisor who basically explains why you don't have any publications at this time (i.e., you've been exploring phenomenon X using paradigms Y and Z and your studies just haven't panned out), but then explains that some significant progress has been made that will likely guarantee that you will have some very high impact publications in the near future.

In short, for the average APA site, I don't think publications are a must, but when you start getting to the sites where people on academic tracks end up, publications and grants become very important.
 
Member1928 said:
In short, for the average APA site, I don't think publications are a must, but when you start getting to the sites where people on academic tracks end up, publications and grants become very important.
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This quote helps highlight something that can get lost in the frenzy: sites are preparing interns for different career paths and much of the "fit" is really about this. We want to select for interns who will both be a good "fit" with the staff and clinical population served at the site and who are on a logical flight path for a career track in that setting. Internship is not about just being a "student" for another year; it is about becoming an entry-level professional for that setting. So we look for the basic skill set the site-specfic career path requires. The Red Sox want batting skills, the Celtics dribbling; good athletes may not be equally strong in both skills. No training director expects candidates to be good at everything. And they might really want to meet you based on an essay--but if you have no experience with a key population they serve, you won't get to tryouts for that specific team. Fit is about finding the sport and team for your skills at this point in your learning trajectory. You may be a multi-sport athlete over your career but for internship you have to choose one and go for it.
 
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dear docma,
i love sports analogies. go sox.
love,
researchgirl
 
Thanks both Dogma and 'Member1928'! That DEFINITELY adds much needed perspective to my original question!
 
Member1928 said:
I think the answer largely depends on how you define a competitive site? Given the match imbalance, any APA accredited internship is a competitive site. Given that the modal (someone correct me if I'm wrong) number of publications was 0 for match applicants last year, there had to be plenty of applicants who interviewed with zero publications.

If by competitive you mean, Mass General Hospital (the director of one of the tracks, either child or bmed, told me that the most successful applicants have approximately 10 publications about half of which are first author), Charleston Consortium, Brown, Seattle VA, etc., THEN YES, I think having publications is a must. I think having some grant funding (NIH or foundational) really puts people over the top at those sites. The only way I can envision an applicant getting around this would be to have a very well known advisor who basically explains why you don't have any publications at this time (i.e., you've been exploring phenomenon X using paradigms Y and Z and your studies just haven't panned out), but then explains that some significant progress has been made that will likely guarantee that you will have some very high impact publications in the near future.

In short, for the average APA site, I don't think publications are a must, but when you start getting to the sites where people on academic tracks end up, publications and grants become very important.
Click to expand...

To be fair, 10 publications puts you in upper 2% for internship applicants (http://www.appic.org/Match/MatchStatistics/ApplicantSurvey2011Part1.aspx), so it's hardly common. I've also known people who have matched at some some of the sites you mentioned within the past 5 years with 3-4 publications. Truth is, having 5+ publications by internship application time is exceedingly rare across the board, even for people from clinical science type programs--the time constraints are real, for one, as even a relatively uncomplicated review process (i.e., eventual acceptance to the first journal you submit to after one R&R) takes around 6 months. Of course, even if you're a tenured professor, plenty of articles have at least one rejection under their belt before they get accepted, so add on a few months there. It's not an easy thing to accomplish in 4.5 years (assuming that the applicant us applying in fifth year, as IME, people rarely apply to research-heavy sites during 4th year). Of course, more publications in good outlets is always better, but it's hardly modal for even research-focused applicants to have 10+ articles when applying.

ETA: cara, hope your procedure goes well! :)
 
Last edited:
I may be the only person in the world who doesn't have a smart phone, but if you're like me and don't get email on your cell, here's a tutorial for getting emails forwarded as texts to your phone: http://www.bestdamntech.com/text-message-email-notification-with-gmail-filters/ I was concerned about losing times since half of my sites prefer or require in person interviews, that I would miss times that work for me because I'm not at my computer 24/7. So follow this link for tutorial if you're in a similar position--hopefully it's helpful!
 
[
futureapppsy2 said:
To be fair, 10 publications puts you in upper 2% for internship applicants (http://www.appic.org/Match/MatchStatistics/ApplicantSurvey2011Part1.aspx), so it's hardly common. I've also known people who have matched at some some of the sites you mentioned within the past 5 years with 3-4 publications. Truth is, having 5+ publications by internship application time is exceedingly rare across the board, even for people from clinical science type programs--the time constraints are real, for one, as even a relatively uncomplicated review process (i.e., eventual acceptance to the first journal you submit to after one R&R) takes around 6 months. Of course, even if you're a tenured professor, plenty of articles have at least one rejection under their belt before they get accepted, so add on a few months there. It's not an easy thing to accomplish in 4.5 years (assuming that the applicant us applying in fifth year, as IME, people rarely apply to research-heavy sites during 4th year). Of course, more publications in good outlets is always better, but it's hardly modal for even research-focused applicants to have 10+ articles when applying.

ETA: cara, hope your procedure goes well! :)
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IMO, productivity in grad school has as much to do with the lab and supervisor as the student. Very productive labs/supervisors facilitate getting many pubs. Student motivation plays a role but everyone is trying hard, so I don't think that's the main driver. And originality/relevance of research plays a role in long-term impact but does not necessarily result in publishing faster early on. Higher impact studies can sometimes take longer to carry out and publish. I can't say what internship sites value, but having been involved in hiring professors in the past, we were more interested in promise of the research ideas, competence of design, and overall evidence of potential productivity (research activity, presentations, submitted papers) than how much had made it through the fickle review process. But again, can't speak from the perspective of an internship site...
 
Has anyone started hearing from APA child sites?
 
Interview in North Carolina.

Woot woot!
 
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congrats to those who got interviews!
is anyone going to keep a running list? i'd be willing to do it, but i think rancho is the only one who can edit the first post....
thoughts?
 
researchgirl said:
congrats to those who got interviews!
is anyone going to keep a running list? i'd be willing to do it, but i think rancho is the only one who can edit the first post....
thoughts?
Click to expand...
Whoever takes on this task could look at the thread from last year and use that as a template? Just a thought :thumbup:
 
researchgirl said:
congrats to those who got interviews!
is anyone going to keep a running list? i'd be willing to do it, but i think rancho is the only one who can edit the first post....
thoughts?
Click to expand...

It may not have to be on the first page. Just a note that it is on page 12 lol. Thanks for doing this researchgirl!

Congrats on those who received interview invites!
 
Hi all,
Is the only way to confirm whether or not the sites received your application is the confirmation email that appic sends once you've submitted? Even though I got that confirmation email, I'm paranoid that my apps might have not gotten through..
 
Jeeson528 said:
Hi all,
Is the only way to confirm whether or not the sites received your application is the confirmation email that appic sends once you've submitted? Even though I got that confirmation email, I'm paranoid that my apps might have not gotten through..
Click to expand...
From my understanding one way to double check that your apps are submitted completely is to click on the Designations link under status on the right side of your application home page. There will be two columns, one that says date paid and another that says date completed, as long as there is a date under date completed you should be good to go! Hope this helps!
 
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Avocadobunny said:
From my understanding one way to double check that your apps are submitted completely is to click on the Designations link under status on the right side of your application home page. There will be two columns, one that says date paid and another that says date completed, as long as there is a date under date completed you should be good to go! Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
Wow, congrats to the people who got interviews! That is so exciting.
 
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