2016/2017 Internship Advice

[Sportacus]

I'm 46,Married and w 2 kids (3.9yrs&9mo)) and should begin applying for my internship PhD Clinical Psychology for 2016/2017 term. I would like to focus more on clinical training than research. Can someone relate and bring some good advice on chosing the internship that could be the most suitable?

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[erg923]

What's the question?

 

[PGGage]

Start here: https://membership.appic.org/directory/search !

 

[CheetahGirl]

I'm 46,Married and w 2 kids (3.9yrs&9mo)) and should begin applying for my internship PhD Clinical Psychology for 2016/2017 term. I would like to focus more on clinical training than research. Can someone relate and bring some good advice on chosing the internship that could be the most suitable?

‎
Just some ideas off the top of head (more personal advice than choosing a site):
1) Aim for a site that has a 40-45 work week (like VA or State facilities). This makes for a more manageable personal life.

2) Finish (or be as close to finish, i.e., recruit all your participants, write as many chapters as you can, etc.....better to just finish) your dissertation PRIOR to internship b/c with family/kids and intensity of internship, poor dissertation ends up falling by the wayside‎.

3) Reach out for support when you need. I'm an older student with 4 kids under 12, and I have a tendency to just do everything myself without asking for help. I've realized it's better to just suck it up and ask for help when I need (from family member, friends, classmates, fellow interns)‎, like asking my spouse for a night out w/ friends, or having our nanny stay late for a date night w/ my spouse. Self-care is always important, especially when you are busy beyond belief.

4) Make sure you have a good heart-to-heart w/ your spouse/significant other to "prepare" him/her for internship year. But still, I realize all the pre-planning can still fizzle away in the moment. I have my husband listed as primary contact for my kids' school during my internship year (as I have always been the first one called and will be again after this year), but there's a lot of drama that goes on during the day and I'm in much better a position to deal with family/kid drama at home rather than at work, when my next patient needs to be seen in 5 minutes. And don't forget date night w/ your spouse...I find it necessary to stay connected with mine b/c most of our conversations are about the kids when we're both SUPER-BUSY during the week.

5) Regarding more clinical sites vs research sites: Program brochures, internship open house, and interviews will all clarify that. I've always been a research-focused clinician but I knew that I needed my internship to be more clinically-based to save for a working parent's attention span and the fact that I intend to get as many pubs out of my own independent research as possible (have stayed part of close-knit research teams from former positions). So I positioned it during interviews as "I'm excited about his internship program's strengths and I'm fully aware that a limitation will be less research, which I'm okay with for this next year as I'll be publishing work on my dissertation and past research." Interviewers liked hearing this. This way I wasn't like I hate research (which I don't but in case you do), just give me more clinical training (which is what sites do NOT want to hear).

6) One bonus is finding sites that offer post-docs to current interns. Mine does not, so I had to spend a significant amount of time debating post-internship plans, where it would've been nice to just flow into a position already available to me. (This helps towards licensure by satisfying necessary hours to sit for your state's licensing exam.) Life does not let up, so it may help with stability, post-internship...and I'm always planning out the next strategic move anyway.

7) Lastly, try to make your research interests broad, with a specific focus related to your ideas (even though you are not aiming for a research site, you still want to show your proficiency and if the site is truly awesome, they will be incorporating research/evidence-based treatments in your training paradigm and didactics). For example, my research focus is "trauma" which fits well with all the sites I interviewed with (as it should). Your's may be working with adolescences, severely mentally ill, mood disorders, personality disorders, etc. Highlight the population and/or the broad interest, as it fits with your desired 40hr/week sites.

Dare I mention again...finish that dissertation. It'll help your chances at 'picking and choosing' the site that you like the most (because that site has to LOVE you too).

Good luck!‎

 

[Old at heart]

I second the advice about dissertation. I don't have kids, and still find it is sooo hard to come home from working all day and then work on dissertation.

 

[Sportacus]

‎
Just some ideas off the top of head (more personal advice than choosing a site):
1) Aim for a site that has a 40-45 work week (like VA or State facilities). This makes for a more manageable personal life.

2) Finish (or be as close to finish, i.e., recruit all your participants, write as many chapters as you can, etc.....better to just finish) your dissertation PRIOR to internship b/c with family/kids and intensity of internship, poor dissertation ends up falling by the wayside‎.

3) Reach out for support when you need. I'm an older student with 4 kids under 12, and I have a tendency to just do everything myself without asking for help. I've realized it's better to just suck it up and ask for help when I need (from family member, friends, classmates, fellow interns)‎, like asking my spouse for a night out w/ friends, or having our nanny stay late for a date night w/ my spouse. Self-care is always important, especially when you are busy beyond belief.

4) Make sure you have a good heart-to-heart w/ your spouse/significant other to "prepare" him/her for internship year. But still, I realize all the pre-planning can still fizzle away in the moment. I have my husband listed as primary contact for my kids' school during my internship year (as I have always been the first one called and will be again after this year), but there's a lot of drama that goes on during the day and I'm in much better a position to deal with family/kid drama at home rather than at work, when my next patient needs to be seen in 5 minutes. And don't forget date night w/ your spouse...I find it necessary to stay connected with mine b/c most of our conversations are about the kids when we're both SUPER-BUSY during the week.

5) Regarding more clinical sites vs research sites: Program brochures, internship open house, and interviews will all clarify that. I've always been a research-focused clinician but I knew that I needed my internship to be more clinically-based to save for a working parent's attention span and the fact that I intend to get as many pubs out of my own independent research as possible (have stayed part of close-knit research teams from former positions). So I positioned it during interviews as "I'm excited about his internship program's strengths and I'm fully aware that a limitation will be less research, which I'm okay with for this next year as I'll be publishing work on my dissertation and past research." Interviewers liked hearing this. This way I wasn't like I hate research (which I don't but in case you do), just give me more clinical training (which is what sites do NOT want to hear).

6) One bonus is finding sites that offer post-docs to current interns. Mine does not, so I had to spend a significant amount of time debating post-internship plans, where it would've been nice to just flow into a position already available to me. (This helps towards licensure by satisfying necessary hours to sit for your state's licensing exam.) Life does not let up, so it may help with stability, post-internship...and I'm always planning out the next strategic move anyway.

7) Lastly, try to make your research interests broad, with a specific focus related to your ideas (even though you are not aiming for a research site, you still want to show your proficiency and if the site is truly awesome, they will be incorporating research/evidence-based treatments in your training paradigm and didactics). For example, my research focus is "trauma" which fits well with all the sites I interviewed with (as it should). Your's may be working with adolescences, severely mentally ill, mood disorders, personality disorders, etc. Highlight the population and/or the broad interest, as it fits with your desired 40hr/week sites.

Dare I mention again...finish that dissertation. It'll help your chances at 'picking and choosing' the site that you like the most (because that site has to LOVE you too).

Good luck!‎

Thank you! This is great help!

 

[Sportacus]

What's the question?

What's your best advice for chosing my internship? I should apply for the 2016/2017 term and I am beginning to look.

 

[DontDissTheDiss]

I'm not sure what your clinical focus has been or what type of sites you are applying to, but I am focused on UCC's and they have tended to be fairly family friendly. I made sure to ask questions about family while on interviews (e.g., have you had interns in the past who have had children, and how did it go for them) and while I was ranking, I did consider things like the average number of hours that interns worked per week as well as how many sick/vacation days were offered. Basically it was important to go somewhere that would not feel as if it were a bad thing for me to have children and that it was simply a part of life. I definitely did get a good sense of different attitudes towards that as I interviewed at various sites.

 

[erg923]

What's your best advice for chosing my internship? I should apply for the 2016/2017 term and I am beginning to look.

What do you want to do?

 

[docma]

I'm 46,Married and w 2 kids (3.9yrs&9mo)) and should begin applying for my internship PhD Clinical Psychology for 2016/2017 term. I would like to focus more on clinical training than research. Can someone relate and bring some good advice on chosing the internship that could be the most suitable?

Be sure that you are not avoiding completing the dissertation by focusing on internship. (It is not too early to be asking your question or thinking about it...but I have seen students get absorbed in the internship search prematurely and then run aground on the thesis work.) You will be more "matchable" and have a better year on internship if the dissertation is done or nearly so by the time you apply. This is probably especially true with a family, as they need attention all along and you will be overburdened if you go on internship while trying to complete research and be a parent.

 

[Sportacus]

What do you want to do?

I would like to get to my professional career without any more delay and still have a good training. I know that APA internships are a must in order to get more job opportunitties, however in my situation I would not rule out other options.

 

[erg923]

I would like to get to my professional career without any more delay and still have a good training. I know that APA internships are a must in order to get more job opportunitties, however in my situation I would not rule out other options.

I asked what you want to do.

Translation: clinical/research area(s) of interest and what are your career goals? This should largely shape the kinds of places you apply to.

 

[Sportacus]

Thanks for your reply erg923. I've been working at a translational research clinic with anxiety disorder patients (pannic disoder, social phobia, ptsd) within a socially diverse environment. This clinic has done some remarkable work with fear extinsion research for the last 10+years. I think I want to pursuit my career working more as a clinician within an adult population. Since I come from an MBA background y would not rule out combining private practice with a good institution.

 

[Sportacus]

Be sure that you are not avoiding completing the dissertation by focusing on internship. (It is not too early to be asking your question or thinking about it...but I have seen students get absorbed in the internship search prematurely and then run aground on the thesis work.) You will be more "matchable" and have a better year on internship if the dissertation is done or nearly so by the time you apply. This is probably especially true with a family, as they need attention all along and you will be overburdened if you go on internship while trying to complete research and be a parent.

Thanks docma. That is very helpful!

 

[Sportacus]

I'm not sure what your clinical focus has been or what type of sites you are applying to, but I am focused on UCC's and they have tended to be fairly family friendly. I made sure to ask questions about family while on interviews (e.g., have you had interns in the past who have had children, and how did it go for them) and while I was ranking, I did consider things like the average number of hours that interns worked per week as well as how many sick/vacation days were offered. Basically it was important to go somewhere that would not feel as if it were a bad thing for me to have children and that it was simply a part of life. I definitely did get a good sense of different attitudes towards that as I interviewed at various sites.

Thanks! I hear you. Thats excellent advice. Btw. Forgive my ignorance but what exactly are the UCC's?

 

[DontDissTheDiss]

Thanks! I hear you. Thats excellent advice. Btw. Forgive my ignorance but what exactly are the UCC's?

UCC = university counseling center. Typically you need experience working in college counseling centers or work with college students to be considered competitive at most of these sites, however.

 

[jade1234]

Hi everyone,

This thread has been particularly helpful to read. I'm in a five year program, and my husband and I are contemplating the feasibility of having a child in my fourth year. This would mean though, that either I would have to struggle with completing my dissertation in fourth year or finish in third year, so that I can be free in internship year (fifth year).

 

[Sportacus]

Thanks for your reply erg923. I've been working at a translational research clinic with anxiety disorder patients (pannic disoder, social phobia, ptsd) within a socially diverse environment. This clinic has done some remarkable work with fear extinsion research for the last 10+years. I think I want to pursuit my career working more as a clinician within an adult population. Since I come from an MBA background y would not rule out combining private practice with a good institution.

Any thoughts erg923?

 

[erg923]

Panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD? Sounds like a fit with the VA to me...

 

[CheetahGirl]

Panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD? Sounds like a fit with the VA to me...

I was thinking the same (plus I was just dying to hear erg923's feedback).

Sportacus, make sure you highlight your LOVE for evidence-based treatment and present a flexible approach to theoretical orientation (something like more integrative...or even cognitive-behavioral) because (at least the VAs in the Northeast) have a good mix of psychodynamic and cognitive-behaviorally trained clinicians, so your supervisors may be a good mix of both training modalities (although, less psychodynamic work is done around here and used mainly for case conceptualization). Also, highlight your LOVE for multidisciplinary models of treatment because (at least in the Northeast VAs) you will be working closely with a team of clinicians. Interviewers will want you to work well & closely with others. I'm presenting my cases to psychiatrists, surgeons, internists, social workers, occupational therapists, researchers in team meetings, sometimes multiple times daily. Also, if you are into behavioral health or health psychology, it will also help your overall fit.

 

[Sportacus]

Thanks CheetaGirl! That is definitely some great advice!

 

[h2ofall]

Hi everyone,

I'm in a five year program, and my husband and I are contemplating the feasibility of having a child in my fourth year. This would mean though, that either I would have to struggle with completing my dissertation in fourth year or finish in third year, so that I can be free in internship year (fifth year).

My husband and I had a baby in June this past year and then I applied for internship this past fall. It was brutal with a newborn. #brutal! Fortunately, it worked out and I matched to an APA internship today, but I certainly paid a hefty price of extra sleep deprivation and occasional delirium trying to navigate motherhood and the application process. I would recommend starting really early (close to finalizing) with cover letters, essays, hours, etc., before the little one arrives...if you plan to have the baby before you apply. Sorry if I'm imposing with the advice, but couldn't not say something considering how difficult it was for me.

 

[Sportacus]

Congrats jade1234 on your match! It is inspiring to see all the sacrifice and determination for one's professional growth. My respect for you and your husband on achieving this goal. I guess some restoration sleep is well deserved...thanks for sharing!

 

[jade1234]

My husband and I had a baby in June this past year and then I applied for internship this past fall. It was brutal with a newborn. #brutal! Fortunately, it worked out and I matched to an APA internship today, but I certainly paid a hefty price of extra sleep deprivation and occasional delirium trying to navigate motherhood and the application process. I would recommend starting really early (close to finalizing) with cover letters, essays, hours, etc., before the little one arrives...if you plan to have the baby before you apply. Sorry if I'm imposing with the advice, but couldn't not say something considering how difficult it was for me.

Thanks for your advice!! I was actually searching the forum for baby planning advice, because I am trying to outline what third and fourth year will look like now, so any tips are appreciated. Even though I am a second year, I am in no mood to spend longer in this program than I have to.