2018-2019 APPIC Internship Interview Thread

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Space Owl said:
Seconded. The Room is something everyone should experience, probably multiple times. I've always loved unintentionally bad movies, and this is...it's just on a whole other level. I just saw the Disaster Artist and really enjoyed it--especially for the psychological/interpersonal elements. And James Franco is incredible in it. He becomes Tommy Wiseau like Jim Carrey became Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon.
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Tommy Wiseau suggests on his website that you see The Room at least 100 times.

Also The Disaster Artist was fantastic.
 
drxa said:
Travel question time, for anyone else who is doing/has done a practicum at a VA: does anyone know if your PIV card can allow you to go through the TSA precheck line at airports?

Rumor mill says yes; one supervisor who hasn't actually tried it says doubtful. Another supervisor who HAS tried it says it does work as long as you don't get a newbie TSA agent. But I noticed that my student card looks different from the employee card, so I'm not sure if it would work for us.

tl;dr anyone have any experience using PIV cards at the airport?
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Hot tip: if you have a PIV card, you may be eligible for a discount at your hotel.
 
affectiveH3art said:
Figures.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
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Space Owl said:
Returned from my first interview to find a whole lot a thread**** has been flung about... [Eric Cartman, narrating his internet presence voice] Frowny face. [/Eric Cartman]



I applied to 15 sites, all UCCs, and took zero issue with affectiveh3art's post. Don't think anyone else read it as some kind of veiled UCC slam, either: UCCs generally ARE less competitive as compared to other site types. Recall that you were the person with the buyer's remorse going on about not having applied to more competitive placements. This seemed like an effort on their part to understand where you were coming from and maybe put into perspective that 14 invites/1 rejection is not some sort of standardized unit of measure with which one can assess an applicant's worth, as many of the applicants with only a few or even zero invites are going up against higher (in some cases, MUCH higher) odds.



Ok, but the fact is that I have an adequate sense of self-worth, such that I don't find it necessary to create a sock account on a message board to brag about my number of internship interview invites #TyPwonairisthatyou?
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To clarify, most urban UCCs (in competitive states like NY and CA) are actually just as competitive as major hospitals and VAs -- just look at past data. No need to put down a great training option because we don't like this troll. When making comments, think of the people who applied to UCCs and didn't get interviews. Saying "figures" about a troll's choice of sites (who knows if he/she's even really applying for internship) only feeds the hungry troll and stirs up unneeded controversy. #stopfeedingthetroll
 
Hi everyone - I accidentally double booked two interviews that I really want because I’m an idiot. I wrote one of the sites back super apologetically explaining what I had done and asking if I could switch dates maybe three days ago by I haven’t heard back yet and I’m a little bit worried. I worked my tail off to get these interviews (plus some luck and a little sorting hat magic) and then I messed it up by trying to respond to emails immediately without having my calendar in hand. So many lessons.
 
Ihaveacoffinforthis said:
Can I get some opinions from #forumfamily ? I got a call from DHS-Napa asking about my having indicated a possible need for accommodation for the interview. I know they said they may not notify till 12-19 and they didn't say anything about actually offering an interview (just wanted to know what accommodation I would ask for). But the call really got my hopes up. Do you guys think it' a good sign or maybe just a part of their new screening process? I don't know if maybe it's part of some standard procedural thing that others can shed light on? Just feeling confused. Did anyone else get a call from them? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
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They wouldn’t have asked about your accommodations if you were in the no pile. Not saying you’ll definitely get an interview, but they wouldn’t bother emailing you about it if they thought you were a terrible fit and weren’t going to possibly extend an invite. (Source: internship/post doc supervisor/on selection committee).
 
ay1314 said:
Hi everyone - I accidentally double booked two interviews that I really want because I’m an idiot. I wrote one of the sites back super apologetically explaining what I had done and asking if I could switch dates maybe three days ago by I haven’t heard back yet and I’m a little bit worried. I worked my tail off to get these interviews (plus some luck and a little sorting hat magic) and then I messed it up by trying to respond to emails immediately without having my calendar in hand. So many lessons.
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They’re probably trying to figure out whether they can swing it before writing back. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Internship TDs are used to this. Odds are they may be a little annoyed because of the extra finagling, but they won’t remember it was you/it probably won’t impact your chances if you’re still an awesome candidate/you’re a good interview!
 
PsychGradAd said:
To clarify, most urban UCCs (in competitive states like NY and CA) are actually just as competitive as major hospitals and VAs -- just look at past data. No need to put down a great training option because we don't like this troll. When making comments, think of the people who applied to UCCs and didn't get interviews. Saying "figures" about a troll's choice of sites (who knows if he/she's even really applying for internship) only feeds the hungry troll and stirs up unneeded controversy. #stopfeedingthetroll
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Yah. That did get me as someone who applied to alot of UCCs and got rejected from plenty
 
AcronymAllergy said:
I've heard that people have successfully done this, but I don't know that it's "supposed to be" the case. I once asked an agent in the security line if I could've used my VA ID. She told me that A) it wouldn't work for pre-check, and B) if I'd used it for the regular line, I would've had to present a supplemental form of ID. Not sure of the accuracy, but I wouldn't bank on it working.
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It's been a while, but I used to use my PIV badge to go through the employee line all the time. Someone saw my badge and holder once, mistook it for employee, and pointed me to that line. I used it all the time after that. And, I used it as my only ID the whole time I had a PIV, never asked for my DL. Never tried the pre-check line though. Additionally, if you wear it with your holder, people think you are en employee at the airport and will occasionally get the employee discount if you buy snacks or food.
 
I stop following the forum for like 12 hours...

latest
 
Marissa4usa said:
Has anybody received a rejection from Northwestern (#1262)? They sent out invites a while back, and today was their notification deadline, but I haven't heard anything either way.
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I haven't heard anything from them either... But by now I'm assuming it's a rejection 🙁
 
Did anyone who applied to the Battle Creek VA neuro track hear back from them about their invite-only open house? I know other tracks hear back from them yesterday...
 
PsychGradAd said:
I had a feeling that devaluing a training experience hurt at least some of the forum fam. Best of luck to you 😍
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I said figures... and the troll could have said anything I would have still responded the same. I myself received 90 percent of my training at a UCC. You all are looking too much into one word. I work at a UCC bleh come on folks


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
I've only posted a couple times (people with the same invites/rejections generally post before I do), but feel a lot of love for my #forumfam. Spent a solid 10 days sinking deeper and deeper into a hole when I had one invite and was waking up to a new rejection every day. You guys helped me keep my head up (and it finally turned around to a place where I feel ok). Thanks for being the biggest best support group.

On the note of UCCs, I don't see them as less competitive at all (Im in the NYC area). My TD actually counseled me not to bother applying to any bc I didn't have previous UCC experience, and even friends who at least one UCC placement weren't consistently getting interviews for them.
 
dizzyotter said:
Anyone hear from MUSC? I'm definitely anticipating a rejection at this point, but I MUSC know!😵
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🙁
I just emailed them. I know it’s a rejection but it’s my last site. Just let them know I wanted clarity so I can finalize travel plans. Hope they respond....
 
slaney said:
So I'm trying to construct a list of different criteria to rate each site on after I interview, and I'm wondering if I'm leaving anything out: Training (clinical rotations, assessment rotations, ability to provide supervision, protected research, diverse populations, DBT component), Supervision (based largely off of number of hours for group and individual), facility (office space, access to other resources, multiple locations within a site/ease of traveling to them), quality of life (#hours work/week, specific billing hours to be met each week, taking work home (per intern report), do interns seem happy/respected?), living/city ("vibe", cost of living, weather, stipend, health insurance plan).

What am I forgetting that should I add?
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Those are all great considerations when making a decision, and will ultimately help you make the most informed decision for sure. As cheesy as it sounds, though, I would prioritize your overall gut reaction to the site and how you felt while you were there. Sites can have the highest scores in all of the above areas and still not be the best fit for you based on some unmeasurable quality. If you have enough interviews to feel like you get to be a bit more selective, then I think you can really listen to your intuition to guide certain aspects of decision making. You sound like you have some pretty incredible sites in your pocket, and I truly hope you end up in the place that fits with you the best and grows you as a person and clinician. Happy interviewing!
 
Alright #forumfam I pose a question. I’ve heard back from all my sites and have 2 invites out of 16 (I applied to very competitive places, neuropsych is my endgame). The thing is.. the sites I got interviews at are a VA (that I’m currently a prac student at and I love) and a Kaiser Permanente (big hospital chain in California) - they are brand NEW sites so are in the process of applying for accreditation. Both of these are big name places so I’m just wondering what you all think. The sites are optimistic to receive at least accreditation on contingency during the time we interns are there so....any thoughts? I would love to have either site as they both lead to neuropsych as well.... I’m just torn because I’m the only one in my cohort out of the 5 who applied that only has interviews at currently unaccredited/brand new sites....they are both exciting sites and my OPT/professors at school believe there will be no issue with 95% confidence... but just looking for some forum support and thoughts.
 
slaney said:
You rock for giving me other things to consider! For all the time, money, blood, sweat, and tears we invest in this process, I want to have a thorough way to evaluate each site, so I love having a lot of factors to weigh.

I'm also considering adding a "gut feeling" score from like 1-10 on how much each site just FEELS right. I definitely think there's something to be said for also considering our gut/wise mind in this process along with all other data points 🙂
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Clearly I responded to your other post before I read these following comments lol I hope gut feelings + data leads you to the right match!
 
PsyGal192 said:
Alright #forumfam I pose a question. I’ve heard back from all my sites and have 2 invites out of 16 (I applied to very competitive places, neuropsych is my endgame). The thing is.. the sites I got interviews at are a VA (that I’m currently a prac student at and I love) and a Kaiser Permanente (big hospital chain in California) - they are brand NEW sites so are in the process of applying for accreditation. Both of these are big name places so I’m just wondering what you all think. The sites are optimistic to receive at least accreditation on contingency during the time we interns are there so....any thoughts? I would love to have either site as they both lead to neuropsych as well.... I’m just torn because I’m the only one in my cohort out of the 5 who applied that only has interviews at currently unaccredited/brand new sites....they are both exciting sites and my OPT/professors at school believe there will be no issue with 95% confidence... but just looking for some forum support and thoughts.
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My opinion- based on zero factual information— is the VA is a good bet. Easy for them to get accredited and even if they don’t, you will be eligible for other VA postdocs and could do neuro that route/ be more competitive for a VA postdoc than if you went to a non APA Kaiser and then wanted to come back to VA.
 
PsychGradAd said:
To clarify, most urban UCCs (in competitive states like NY and CA) are actually just as competitive as major hospitals and VAs -- just look at past data. No need to put down a great training option because we don't like this troll. When making comments, think of the people who applied to UCCs and didn't get interviews. Saying "figures" about a troll's choice of sites (who knows if he/she's even really applying for internship) only feeds the hungry troll and stirs up unneeded controversy. #stopfeedingthetroll
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That's very true on all counts--well said!

Just to clarify, my intent (and apologies if it didn't come across like this) was to point out that just because someone has had a lot of success in one area, and one where there is generally (though not always) less competition does not immediately translate to 1) I'd have just as much success applying to traditionally more competitive sites in a vastly different specialty area and 2) I have 14 invites which means I am superior to those with fewer invites (which was increasingly becoming peaceandlove's tone).

I in no way meant to devalue UCCs as a training specialization by noting that another poster's statement about them being less competitive was generally true (the "Figures" and other sentiments were expressed after I posted), but I can see how it might come across that way. A site's number of applicants each year is far from 100% correlated with "offers the best training." Training quality is part of it, but so is geographical desirability, prestige, and an imbalance between supply and demand for some specializations, among other factors. Three of my top picks going into submitting my materials happened to be the ones that had the fewest number of applicants apply in previous cycles, and several more competitive sites were substantially lower on my list.

Which site offers "the best training" is really, really subjective, and less competitive =/= less desirable.
 
Gepetto said:
My opinion- based on zero factual information— is the VA is a good bet. Easy for them to get accredited and even if they don’t, you will be eligible for other VA postdocs and could do neuro that route/ be more competitive for a VA postdoc than if you went to a non APA Kaiser and then wanted to come back to VA.
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Thanks for the input I really appreciate it! I was thinking along similar lines too, it's just a bit of a confusing spot to be in.
 
drxa said:
Great info, thank you!
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As a follow-up, seems like WisNeuro had more success with it than me. If it's mistaken for an employee badge, I could see it working quite well. That never happened with me, though, unfortunately.
 
mika1008 said:
Forum Fam.. does anyone know what a "roundtable" during an interview might be referring to? Group interview? Casual chat?
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There should be a glossary for some of these terms, that's pretty ambiguous. My guess is it means an informal/non-structured interview with several staff members? Maybe with multiple applicants, too? (My fantasy is it means the interviewers are Monty Python-style knights).
 
PsyGal192 said:
Alright #forumfam I pose a question. I’ve heard back from all my sites and have 2 invites out of 16 (I applied to very competitive places, neuropsych is my endgame). The thing is.. the sites I got interviews at are a VA (that I’m currently a prac student at and I love) and a Kaiser Permanente (big hospital chain in California) - they are brand NEW sites so are in the process of applying for accreditation. Both of these are big name places so I’m just wondering what you all think. The sites are optimistic to receive at least accreditation on contingency during the time we interns are there so....any thoughts? I would love to have either site as they both lead to neuropsych as well.... I’m just torn because I’m the only one in my cohort out of the 5 who applied that only has interviews at currently unaccredited/brand new sites....they are both exciting sites and my OPT/professors at school believe there will be no issue with 95% confidence... but just looking for some forum support and thoughts.
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I'm in California as well - I didn't apply to any VA's (though I trained at 2) or Kaiser's. Those two types of institutions are very likely to get accreditation or at minimum accreditation on contingency given the caliber of training they traditionally offer, especially in CA. I would confidently rank both. To make a fully informed decision you may consider looking into what might happen if the site didn't become accredited in some way. For example, would you be eligible to work at other HMO's or VA's - is it a big factor if you conducted your training at one of these sites in CA, accredited or not? Those kinds of things - might give you peace of mind when ranking.

Big congrats on pursuing your neruo-psych dreams. As one of the only psychoanalysts left, it was a dogged fight to get invitations to sites that share my paradigm. Being one of five to try something new is bold and demonstrates your willingness to do what it takes to see your goal through. Seems like you made good site choices and I think you got this!
 
Space Owl said:
There should be a glossary for some of these terms, that's pretty ambiguous. My guess is it means an informal/non-structured interview with several staff members? Maybe with multiple applicants, too? (My fantasy is it means the interviewers are Monty Python-style knights).
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Hahaha - if that's the case I will probably just do this..
.
hhhhh.gif


The site sent out a schedule for the interview date that only lists "roundtable" without any explanation of what that refers to... There are specific times for individual interviews so my guess was that this is either a group interview with all applicants or an informal chat but if anyone has the slightest clue, send it my way please
 
PsyGal192 said:
Alright #forumfam I pose a question. I’ve heard back from all my sites and have 2 invites out of 16 (I applied to very competitive places, neuropsych is my endgame). The thing is.. the sites I got interviews at are a VA (that I’m currently a prac student at and I love) and a Kaiser Permanente (big hospital chain in California) - they are brand NEW sites so are in the process of applying for accreditation. Both of these are big name places so I’m just wondering what you all think. The sites are optimistic to receive at least accreditation on contingency during the time we interns are there so....any thoughts? I would love to have either site as they both lead to neuropsych as well.... I’m just torn because I’m the only one in my cohort out of the 5 who applied that only has interviews at currently unaccredited/brand new sites....they are both exciting sites and my OPT/professors at school believe there will be no issue with 95% confidence... but just looking for some forum support and thoughts.
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One more thing! Having worked at to VA's, I noticed that they tend to pick their post doc's from the pre-doc pool. Not always, but nearly one or more people ended up staying. Not sure if anyone has insight into the Kaiser system. Really hope that this helps.
 
kuch kuch hota hai said:
One more thing! Having worked at to VA's, I noticed that they tend to pick their post doc's from the pre-doc pool. Not always, but nearly one or more people ended up staying. Not sure if anyone has insight into the Kaiser system. Really hope that this helps.
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I will add that at the VA I interviewed at last week one of the points the program seemed to be selling was that pre-doc interns have first pick options for post-docs, barring any major screw-ups, obviously. Then if for whatever reason an intern doesn't want the post-doc it gets released to some kind of national pool that I'm sure other people here know more about than I do.
 
Full Site Name: NYCCC-Queens campus
Track: None
Invite or rejection: Invite!
Date of Notification: 12/15/17
How You Were Notified: Mass email
Interview Date(s): will be contacted in the coming weeks to set up


Full Site Name: School at Columbia
Track: None
Invite or rejection: Rejection
Date of Notification: 12/15/17
How You Were Notified: Mass email


Also has anyone heard from JCCA? Their notification was yesterday and I have not heard yet.
 
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dizzyotter said:
Anyone hear from MUSC? I'm definitely anticipating a rejection at this point, but I MUSC know!😵
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NOTHING yet and the deadline was yesterday. If I don't hear over the weekend, I will be asking about my status on Monday (upon recommendation from my adviser)!
 
Gepetto said:
My opinion- based on zero factual information— is the VA is a good bet. Easy for them to get accredited and even if they don’t, you will be eligible for other VA postdocs and could do neuro that route/ be more competitive for a VA postdoc than if you went to a non APA Kaiser and then wanted to come back to VA.
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Agreed. I may be wrong, but I think that Kaiser LA is the only internship-accredited Kaiser in California. Given Kaiser’s PR problems (esp re: patients not getting therapy at appropriate frequency), I would definitely not bet on a Kaiser as I would on a VA.
 
PsyGal192 said:
Alright #forumfam I pose a question. I’ve heard back from all my sites and have 2 invites out of 16 (I applied to very competitive places, neuropsych is my endgame). The thing is.. the sites I got interviews at are a VA (that I’m currently a prac student at and I love) and a Kaiser Permanente (big hospital chain in California) - they are brand NEW sites so are in the process of applying for accreditation. Both of these are big name places so I’m just wondering what you all think. The sites are optimistic to receive at least accreditation on contingency during the time we interns are there so....any thoughts? I would love to have either site as they both lead to neuropsych as well.... I’m just torn because I’m the only one in my cohort out of the 5 who applied that only has interviews at currently unaccredited/brand new sites....they are both exciting sites and my OPT/professors at school believe there will be no issue with 95% confidence... but just looking for some forum support and thoughts.
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Psygal, see comment above
 
msgeorgeeliot said:
Agreed. I may be wrong, but I think that Kaiser LA is the only internship-accredited Kaiser in California. Given Kaiser’s PR problems (esp re: patients not getting therapy at appropriate frequency), I would definitely not bet on a Kaiser as I would on a VA.
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Walnut Creek and Fresno are as well. Maybe even San Diego?
 
Space Owl said:
That's very true on all counts--well said!

Just to clarify, my intent (and apologies if it didn't come across like this) was to point out that just because someone has had a lot of success in one area, and one where there is generally (though not always) less competition does not immediately translate to 1) I'd have just as much success applying to traditionally more competitive sites in a vastly different specialty area and 2) I have 14 invites which means I am superior to those with fewer invites (which was increasingly becoming peaceandlove's tone).

I in no way meant to devalue UCCs as a training specialization by noting that another poster's statement about them being less competitive was generally true (the "Figures" and other sentiments were expressed after I posted), but I can see how it might come across that way. A site's number of applicants each year is far from 100% correlated with "offers the best training." Training quality is part of it, but so is geographical desirability, prestige, and an imbalance between supply and demand for some specializations, among other factors. Three of my top picks going into submitting my materials happened to be the ones that had the fewest number of applicants apply in previous cycles, and several more competitive sites were substantially lower on my list.

Which site offers "the best training" is really, really subjective, and less competitive =/= less desirable.
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All good points! Goodness of fit is where it's at!
 
msgeorgeeliot said:
Agreed. I may be wrong, but I think that Kaiser LA is the only internship-accredited Kaiser in California. Given Kaiser’s PR problems (esp re: patients not getting therapy at appropriate frequency), I would definitely not bet on a Kaiser as I would on a VA.
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Agreed. I don't have personal experience with kaiser, but my understanding is that it's not the best training/work environment. I don't know what that means exactly, and it doesn't mean that it might not be a good fit for you internship goals, but I think a VA internship might be the "safer" choice.
 
Oh right — I stand corrected. That said, I would be very careful in this situation given 1) Kaiser’s well-documented legal issues re: mental healthcare access (which will likely complicate an accreditation process) and 2) the reality that the process of “applying for accreditation” is extremely long. It can easily take more than a year depending on where the site is in the cycle, and the site has very little ability to influence the pace of an accreditation decision by APA, especially if the site has any institutional controversy to address. I personally have no bone to pick with Kaiser, but if I were in psygal’s shoes, I’d want to be able to give serious thought to this, and ask related questions (e.g., exactly where are they in the accreditation process, does accreditation need to be granted within your internship year to be able to state that you attended an APA-accredited internship, etc.). Hope this is helpful.
 
PsychDreams said:
Agreed. I don't have personal experience with kaiser, but my understanding is that it's not the best training/work environment. I don't know what that means exactly, and it doesn't mean that it might not be a good fit for you internship goals, but I think a VA internship might be the "safer" choice.
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It seems like looking at Kaiser's website (a while back and only one data point) they spent absolutely zero time putting together a description of their training. If memory serves, it was so barebones that I wasn't sure what a day in their training would look like or what the types of experiences would be that I could count on having. I wouldn't trust that. The limited experience I have watching a patient with psych and med issues go through their system was negative, too, so that's my two cents.
 
coffeepsyched said:
sooooo.....

has anyone watched Christmas Inheritance on netflix?! i smell more cotton candy for the brain!!!! :playful:
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No, but should I?!?! I need to see if I can download A Christmas Prince and watch it on the plane tomorrow as I fly to my next interview.

freudianslip67 said:
Clearly I responded to your other post before I read these following comments lol I hope gut feelings + data leads you to the right match!
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Thanks, friend! I hope you find your #wandsite, too! 🙂
 
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