2016-2017 APPIC Internship Interview Thread

[PsyDGrl]

Ranking Question: I know there are specific guidelines in place per APPIC
"Internship programs may choose to inform applicants as to whether or not the applicants remain under consideration for admission (e.g., whether or not the applicants will be ranked) but may not communicate any other ranking information"
Is it common practice for a site to let you know after an interview whether or not they will rank you (not how high, just whether or not you're still in consideration)? I'm asking because I don't know if this is something I should expect after the interview.

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[WisNeuro]

Ranking Question: I know there are specific guidelines in place per APPIC
"Internship programs may choose to inform applicants as to whether or not the applicants remain under consideration for admission (e.g., whether or not the applicants will be ranked) but may not communicate any other ranking information"
Is it common practice for a site to let you know after an interview whether or not they will rank you (not how high, just whether or not you're still in consideration)? I'm asking because I don't know if this is something I should expect after the interview.

Don't expect it.

 

[PsyDGrl]

Don't expect it.

That's actually a relief, thank you.

 

[summerbabe]

Tuscaloosa VAMC (#2171)
Invite
Personal email, 12/19
Interview on 1/20 or 1/27, 8:30-12:30 followed by an optional facility tour

 

[glowstick]

Depends on your career goals. I ranked based on what I believed would give me the strongest training and most flexibility for postdoc, and subsequently, career options.

Yeah, I think that's wise -- but some sites have different sorts of excellent training. On the bright side, ending up at either would be good. On the difficult side, it's hard to decide between them.

 

[nodak89]

Got word back from UIC #1265 Adult Track... they said there was a glitch in the system and all those who are invited for interviews were notified before Thanksgiving, so if you were not then it is a rejection. The woman who e-mailed was apologetic about the situation. I knew it was coming, just wanted it confirmed.

 

[AspiringPsychologist2016]

So. Rankings. How are people planning on making those decisions? I've got some very different sites to rank against one another, and it's no help. My clinical/research supervisors all have their own agendas and prejudices. I'm honestly hoping to dislike some sites so I can figure things out a little better -- which is dumb. Any thoughts from you all (or from those of you lurking who had to do this in the past)?

I've been thinking about this quite a bit recently. I ended up (thankfully, and I'm sure somewhat luckily) receiving significantly more interviews than I anticipated and while I'm very grateful, I've also been thinking about how I'm going to rank order these sites. Also, for how I'm deciding my rank order -- I applied strictly to APA-accredited UCCs, so the categories/decision factors I have listed may not fit the best for other agency types.

A friend who is currently on internship sent me a spreadsheet that she used to help her make her ranking decisions; each site is rated on a number of factors from 1-10 (1=horrible, 5=neutral, 10=best ever) which are summed in columns (each factor is a row listed in column A, each site is a column starting in column B). Each factor is assigned a weight (either full points or half points) to allow for some comparison between sites -- not that your final ranking must follow the order of the values from highest to lowest, but so far it has helped me organize my thoughts after each interview. The decision factors/categories that I have (largely unedited from the document she sent me) are geographic location, how I think the interview went, assessment availability, supervision, hours, stipend, gut feeling, staff interactions, prestige (half points), diversity emphasis (half points), time off (half points), current intern happiness (half points), and start date (half points). Obviously, these categories can be adjusted to fit your preferences, including what is important to you and your future career goals. I'm also listing a few notes about each interview as I complete them further down in the spreadsheet to reference. Hopefully this is helpful to someone else too as we try to decide how to rank each site that offered interviews!

 

[kayjenchicken]

Question about interviews:
When individually interviewing with multiple (e.g., 5) psychologists, meeting with current trainees, and meeting the psychology chief, would you recommend writing thank you notes to all of them (i.e., especially the psychology faculty)? If so, could the letters being really similar? Or would you recommend them to be more individualized?

Thanks!!

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

I've been thinking about this quite a bit recently. I ended up (thankfully, and I'm sure somewhat luckily) receiving significantly more interviews than I anticipated and while I'm very grateful, I've also been thinking about how I'm going to rank order these sites. Also, for how I'm deciding my rank order -- I applied strictly to APA-accredited UCCs, so the categories/decision factors I have listed may not fit the best for other agency types.

A friend who is currently on internship sent me a spreadsheet that she used to help her make her ranking decisions; each site is rated on a number of factors from 1-10 (1=horrible, 5=neutral, 10=best ever) which are summed in columns (each factor is a row listed in column A, each site is a column starting in column B). Each factor is assigned a weight (either full points or half points) to allow for some comparison between sites -- not that your final ranking must follow the order of the values from highest to lowest, but so far it has helped me organize my thoughts after each interview. The decision factors/categories that I have (largely unedited from the document she sent me) are geographic location, how I think the interview went, assessment availability, supervision, hours, stipend, gut feeling, staff interactions, prestige (half points), diversity emphasis (half points), time off (half points), current intern happiness (half points), and start date (half points). Obviously, these categories can be adjusted to fit your preferences, including what is important to you and your future career goals. I'm also listing a few notes about each interview as I complete them further down in the spreadsheet to reference. Hopefully this is helpful to someone else too as we try to decide how to rank each site that offered interviews!

I'm sure this will help a lot of people! I will say, having been through this, I would recommend two things:

1. Don't decide on ranking until you go through the interview. Most people I talked to changed their opinion drastically on at least one or two previously high ranking sites after interviewing.

2. Don't rank based on how you think the site ranked you. It doesn't matter. Rank in the order of your preference. That's it. The matching system essentially treats your lower ranked sites as if you had put them first if they can't match you to the higher ranked sites. It doesn't decrease your chance of matching even if your top site is a perceived huge reach.

Overall, remember that as stressful as this is, it's a year and at the end you'll have a degree that they can't take away. Be confident, enthusiastic, and remember that you bring something unique to the table. Own that!

 

[psyguy1984]

Has anyone heard from Citrus Health Network?

I did last week. It was an invite


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[Forever_grad]

I have my first interview tomorrow and I'm super nervous... we've all interviewed 1000 times at this point in our careers but this one feels like the reaping I'm not so worried about if I'm going to say something wrong..because i will, I'm socially inept like that.... as WHAT I'm going to say wrong

 

[PsychCaRIH]

I have my first interview tomorrow and I'm super nervous... we've all interviewed 1000 times at this point in our careers but this one feels like the reaping I'm not so worried about if I'm going to say something wrong..because i will, I'm socially inept like that.... as WHAT I'm going to say wrong

Same... and I worked in HR for many, many years. It's different.

 

[erw129]

Do you have an idea for a more fair way of assigning dates? My experience was that first come/first served was the way most sites assigned dates but they all had flexibility if you couldn't make it to any of the dates. I actually interviewed at sharp last year and they were fine when I said I couldn't make 2 of the dates offered.

Oh, no, I don't actually have a problem with the first-come-first-served method. I know things are just as crazy for the sites on their side of this process... AND I do think that sites that send their invites in the middle of the night necessarily disadvantage applicants in other time zones for responding and getting their choice of interview date (all the west coast applicants were probably awake and checking email at 11PM but I bet many of the east coast applicants were asleep at 2AM when the email came through). I stayed up late waiting but fell asleep with my phone in my hand. I happened to wake up to use the bathroom 7 minutes after the email was sent (and yes, I was checking my email on the toilet at 2AM )! I'm still waiting to hear confirmation for my interview date but I agree that Sharp as a site seems pretty reasonable.

 

[heartdignan]

I'm sure this will help a lot of people! I will say, having been through this, I would recommend two things:

1. Don't decide on ranking until you go through the interview. Most people I talked to changed their opinion drastically on at least one or two previously high ranking sites after interviewing.

2. Don't rank based on how you think the site ranked you. It doesn't matter. Rank in the order of your preference. That's it. The matching system essentially treats your lower ranked sites as if you had put them first if they can't match you to the higher ranked sites. It doesn't decrease your chance of matching even if your top site is a perceived huge reach.

Overall, remember that as stressful as this is, it's a year and at the end you'll have a degree that they can't take away. Be confident, enthusiastic, and remember that you bring something unique to the table. Own that!

I agree with this. I can only speak from my personal experience, but rankings were pretty clear for me once I completed the interviews. There are obviously many important factors that can go into how to rank a site, but my general comfort, enthusiasm, and "feel-good-ness" at a site was a big motivator for me. Having been in some less-than-enjoyable clinical settings in my life, I knew how important it was for me to feel good about the site and the people I'd be working with. You absolutely can not get impressions like that until you interview. Everyone always has these surprise experiences, too. "I thought I'd love this site, but it was not what I expected..." or "This was low on my list when I applied and I loved it!" After each interview, I compared each site to the previous one and made an "as I go" ranking list. So, my first interview was obviously #1, and then when I had my second interview, I decided if that was a better or worse than the preceding site, and so on. By the time I was done interviewing, my ranking list was done and didn't change. Other people seemed to agonize putting together their ranking list in the weeks before the deadline. You hear a million times about this "goodness of fit," and to me, that's about how well the site's environment/vibe matches my personality and how well they'll support my goals.

 

[glowstick]

Question about interviews:
When individually interviewing with multiple (e.g., 5) psychologists, meeting with current trainees, and meeting the psychology chief, would you recommend writing thank you notes to all of them (i.e., especially the psychology faculty)? If so, could the letters being really similar? Or would you recommend them to be more individualized?

Thanks!!

People have discussed this earlier in this thread. Consensus was don't bother. Many sites explicitly tell you not to bother. It's not going to sway things one way or the other. If you do want to write them, write brief appreciative notes.

 

[glowstick]

I agree with this. I can only speak from my personal experience, but rankings were pretty clear for me once I completed the interviews. There are obviously many important factors that can go into how to rank a site, but my general comfort, enthusiasm, and "feel-good-ness" at a site was a big motivator for me. Having been in some less-than-enjoyable clinical settings in my life, I knew how important it was for me to feel good about the site and the people I'd be working with. You absolutely can not get impressions like that until you interview. Everyone always has these surprise experiences, too. "I thought I'd love this site, but it was not what I expected..." or "This was low on my list when I applied and I loved it!" After each interview, I compared each site to the previous one and made an "as I go" ranking list. So, my first interview was obviously #1, and then when I had my second interview, I decided if that was a better or worse than the preceding site, and so on. By the time I was done interviewing, my ranking list was done and didn't change. Other people seemed to agonize putting together their ranking list in the weeks before the deadline. You hear a million times about this "goodness of fit," and to me, that's about how well the site's environment/vibe matches my personality and how well they'll support my goals.

I like your way of thinking on this. Fortunately/unfortunately I'm feeling like two sites are both really good, but very different, and that makes it tough. Maybe other sites will help me to differentiate. But also maybe not. Well, at least the Match takes it partially out of my hands.

 

[123EW]

I like your way of thinking on this. Fortunately/unfortunately I'm feeling like two sites are both really good, but very different, and that makes it tough. Maybe other sites will help me to differentiate. But also maybe not. Well, at least the Match takes it partially out of my hands.

I had two sites that were equal on all levels. I had a spreadsheet and added things such as availability to local coffee shops in an effort to decide. I landed up having my partner pick them out of a hat and ranked them in that order. Honestly, if you are struggling so much between two sites, that only means you would be happy matching to either. If there is a gut feeling that you would regret not ranking one higher than the other, then go with that.

 

[PsychCaRIH]

Ann Martin
Personal email
Invitation
Email to schedule-interviews in January
1142am pacific

University Hawaii Manoa CAPS
Mass email
Rejection
1144am pacific

Rena is freeeeeeeeee!

 

[HaiPo]

University of Hawaii at Manoa Counseling and Student Development Center (CDSD)
Invitation
Mass email 12/20
Skype interviews 1/3-1/20

 

[REN1990]

Manhattan Psychiatric Center
Rejection
Mass Email
12/19/16

 

[REN1990]

Has anyone heard from the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Adult Correctional/Prison Track?? It appears that the juvenile forensic track had sent out notifications a while ago, but I have not seen anyone post about the adult prison track.

 

[Forever_grad]

Has anyone heard from McGaw Medical Center - their deadline was 12/15...I've emailed and STILL haven't heard back
I'm assuming rejection but it's odd to have not heard from them at all

 

[ForeverJung]

Has anyone heard from McGaw Medical Center - their deadline was 12/15...I've emailed and STILL haven't heard back
I'm assuming rejection but it's odd to have not heard from them at all

I applied to the LGBTQ Health track. Went to find a contact on the website to e-mail and ask about my status... only to find that they "will not be accepting LGBTQ Health Interns for the 2017-2018 Academic Year." Don't remember seeing that when I applied, but oh well. I imagine that's why they aren't contacting applicants to that track. Not sure about the general track though...

 

[a1b2c3de]

Has anyone heard from the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Adult Correctional/Prison Track?? It appears that the juvenile forensic track had sent out notifications a while ago, but I have not seen anyone post about the adult prison track.

I apologize for not posting, I swore I saw someone else mention it earlier in the month on this feed but it wasn't in the desired format that most have been posting notifications. I received an interview notification on 12/2 for the correctional track. And they only offered one interview date: 1/13. The email seemed like a semi-mass email, although it did have my name rather than dear applicant like some
of the other true mass emails I have gotten. This site gets a good amount of applicants and their notification date is late so let's hope they are doing rolling notifications and an interview is coming your way.

 

[syzergy]

updated.

 

[LadyHalcyon]

Advocate family network
Mass email sent 12/20
Rejection

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[counseling205]

I emailed Howard University last night and got a response this morning.

Howard
Email sent 12/21 (after inquiring via email on 12/20)
Invitation
Email to schedule interviews in Jan

 

[PsychDoc85]

Howard University Counseling Service
Invite
Personal Email 12/21
Email to schedule interviews, which take place in January.

Super excited about this one!!!

 

[dancingnights999]

Children's Institute (L.A.)
Rejection
Mass email, 12/21

Kind of relieved, honestly. I don't think I could afford another flight!

 

[sblaze56]

Children's Institute, Inc. (Los Angeles)
Rejection
Mass email rec'd 12/21

 

[psyguy1984]

So yeah Miami VA um?


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[a1b2c3de]

Has anyone received a rejection from King County Hospital Center? I know there notification date is still 9-10 days away but...just curious, ya know?

 

[guapsy]

Has anyone received a rejection from King County Hospital Center? I know there notification date is still 9-10 days away but...just curious, ya know?

Also waiting on them! Hoping they answer before the 31st

 

[ChildPsyc1625]

Is anyone else still waiting on trinitas??

 

[summerbabe]

Anybody hear from Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek? Their notification date is 12/23. Last one to hear back from!

 

[psychedonpsych]

Does anyone know the likelihood of matching per interview? I think 1 interview is 68% chance, but how about 2, 3, 4, etc?

 

[ForeverJung]

Does anyone know the likelihood of matching per interview? I think 1 interview is 68% chance, but how about 2, 3, 4, etc?

From 2015 Applicant Survey (item 17):

1-2 interviews: 57% Match rate (n =343)
3-4 interviews: 79% Match rate (n = 459)
5-6 interviews: 91% Match rate (n = 502)
7-8 interviews: 94% Match rate (n = 463)
9-10 interviews: 97% Match rate (n = 318)
11 or more interviews: 99% March rate (n = 522)

I'm not sure how meaningful these are, aside from raising blood pressure.

 

[psychedonpsych]

From 2015 Applicant Survey (item 17):

1-2 interviews: 57% Match rate (n =343)
3-4 interviews: 79% Match rate (n = 459)
5-6 interviews: 91% Match rate (n = 502)
7-8 interviews: 94% Match rate (n = 463)
9-10 interviews: 97% Match rate (n = 318)
11 or more interviews: 99% March rate (n = 522)

I'm not sure how meaningful these are, aside from raising blood pressure.

It's my masochistic personality structure, what can I say? Thank you

 

[Psych99]

Canandaigua VA Medical Center
Personal email invite
Dec 22
Open hour January 13 and 27

 

[erw129]

I emailed New York City Children's Center--Queens to inquire about the interview dates (initial contact on 12/15 said another email would follow to schedule) because I couldn't schedule any of my other travel until I knew their dates.

The dates are not completely finalized yet but TD was very kind and helpful and let me know that the interviews will most likely be on 1/11, 1/12, and 1/13 in the morning. She is trying to get things finalized and said they'll be reaching out to us to schedule very soon. Hope this helps those of you waiting for this site's scheduling!

 

[sweettea613]

Heard from my last site today:

Applewood Centers, Inc.
Rejection
Received via mass email 12/22

Good luck everyone! This process is arduous and painful but you are all tough and amazing and you will make it out alive.

 

[cupoftea2]

Got my last two rejection emails today: Northwestern (personal and very kind) and North Central Bronx Hospital (mass email). Saw 'em coming, thanks to you lovely folks. That's a wrap! Hope everyone can take a few days off from thinking about all this to focus on family and self-care during the holidays. Warm wishes to all!

 

[sarah_bellum_]

Still waiting on notification from one--Nicklaus Children's Hospital (neuropsych). I know that invites were sent out so expecting a no, but wondering if anyone received a rejection yet (notification date was 12/19)?

 

[ChildPsyc1625]

Okay everyone, if you have heard anything from Trinitas Hospital PLEASE tell me. Their notification date was Friday 12/23. I'm assuming it's a no but I just want to be sure!

Also, Merry Christmas!

 

[jade1234]

Hello, I've gotten this question several times in interviews - "where do you see yourself, not in 5 years, but 10 or 15 years from now?" What do you think they are looking for, and why are we expected to know exactly where we'd be by then? I have some sense of where I would like to be and where I would not like to be, but I can not help but feel as though I am supposed to be extremely specific.

 

[mishpug]

Hello, I've gotten this question several times in interviews - "where do you see yourself, not in 5 years, but 10 or 15 years from now?" What do you think they are looking for, and why are we expected to know exactly where we'd be by then? I have some sense of where I would like to be and where I would not like to be, but I can not help but feel as though I am supposed to be extremely specific.

I am sure interviewers understand that you cannot know exactly where you will be in 10-15 years and when they ask that question they probably want to know your career aspirations. I think it is reasonable to share where you would like to be and even how you see that internship as part of your journey to get there.

 

[Motif]

I received an interview from Trinitas Hospital on December 8, 8:03 PM. Personal email. Interview date Jan. 9th
Good luck!

 

[Motif]

Okay everyone, if you have heard anything from Trinitas Hospital PLEASE tell me. Their notification date was Friday 12/23. I'm assuming it's a no but I just want to be sure!

Also, Merry Christmas!

I received an interview from Trinitas Hospital on December 8, 8:03 PM. Personal email. Interview date Jan. 9th
Good luck!

 

[CowatScratchFever]

I received interview invites for McGuire (Richmond) VA, Buffalo VA, American Lake (Tacoma) VA, and Miami VA. I have never visited these areas and am a bit curious about what it is like to live there. I am also curious about folks experiences at these VA's. If anyone has any insights to offer, please pm me! I would love to learn more about these cities/training programs...

 

[guapsy]

Anyone else waiting on Manhattan Psychiatric Center?