2019-2020 Postdoc Interview Thread

[PsychDreams]

I’m curious, when is it appropriate to ask for a status update on your application? I turned in a couple early December and haven’t heard anything. Is it too much for me to reach out and ask about the status of my application/timeline of their decisions?

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[LCat37]

Maine VA (neuro) notified by email 1/8
Interview at INS
Staying sane: watching Bourdain's No Reservations, re-reading everything I've ever read, and looking at this website to normalize my insanity every 30 minutes im so grateful for this thread and to everyone on here that normalizes this insanity!

 

[waffleprincess]

I was told that college counseling centers in California used to offer only phone interviews. Does anyone know if this is still true? Wondering whether I should finalize my plane tickets to California, or wait to see if other in-person interview offers will come in. I'm waiting to hear back from UC Davis, Stanford CAPS, and UC Berkeley. Thank you!

 

[neurostruggles]

Luo Ruvo Cleveland Clinic Las Vegas
Track: Neurodegeneration/Neuropsychology Fellowship
Invite 01/09
Personalized Email
Invite to interview first through Zoom 1/21-1/28.

 

[ToneTone]

I was told that college counseling centers in California used to offer only phone interviews. Does anyone know if this is still true? Wondering whether I should finalize my plane tickets to California, or wait to see if other in-person interview offers will come in. I'm waiting to hear back from UC Davis, Stanford CAPS, and UC Berkeley. Thank you!

Not sure for postdoc, but for internship UC Davis is on the phone I believe...

 

[peacepizza&pediatricpsych]

Hey All I've been following for a while but never posted! You've all really helped with my waiting game so I thought I'd update with a few programs I've heard from that aren't on the list that others might want to know about!

Hurley Medical Center/MSU (Flint, MI)
Pediatric Psych
Invite 1/4
Personal Email
Interview Dates: 2/1 and 2/8

Stanford University Medical Center
Pediatric Pain Psych
Invite 1/8
Mass Email
Interview Date: 2/8

Mayo Clinic
Pediatric Psych
Waitlist 1/9
Personal Email

On another note, what do you guys think are the merits of a phone interview vs. in person "informal" interview? I can't make the scheduled formal interview date for one of my sites. The training director offered me to come a different date and meet with her alone and possibly a few other faculty if they were "around" or have an interview via phone. I usually think going to a site in person is better but if I am likely only going to speak to one person either way is it worth it to take the phone interview and save the money?

 

[peacepizza&pediatricpsych]

I am waiting to hear from Michigan Medicine for the clinical child track. Has anyone heard from there? Are you both waiting for the VA/neuro track?

I haven't heard from Michigan Medicine clinical child - I don't think they've sent anything out yet!

 

[tvc]

McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment (ART) Program
Invite 1/9
Personal E-mail
They offered one day at the end of January.
Staying sane: I'm not.

Hi, me too! Hopefully will see you there.

 

[thisgirl]

Is there anyone else who also applied or has heard anything ab
Nationwide
All children’s or
U of Oklahoma Peds

 

[copingcat200]

Is there anyone else who also applied or has heard anything ab
Nationwide
All children’s or
U of Oklahoma Peds

I also applied to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (ASD track) and haven't heard back yet!

 

[thisgirl]

I also applied to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (ASD track) and haven't heard back yet!

Thanks! I applied to the other track so hopefully we’ll both hear soon!

 

[NeuroLober01]

Brown University
Neuropsych
Invite 1/10/19
Personal E-mail
Interview Date: not at INS; setting up individual interview through Skype

 

[espressobean11]

Philadelphia CMC VAMC - Health psych/Interprofessional training
Personal email on 1/10
Many dates & times to choose from, asked to rank three
Coping: peanut butter everything


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[pontocerebellar]

Boston Children's Hospital
Pediatric Neuropsychology
Invite 1/10/19
Personal e-mail
Interview at INS
Staying Sane: Scouring the internet for any and all gifs of babies and animals

 

[Psychchick09]

Saint Louis va
Pcmhi
Invite
1/10
Mass email
Dates to follow
Coping by focusing on the internship applicants that are currently at our site


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[pontocerebellar]

Kennedy Krieger Institute
Pediatric Neuropsychology
Invite 1/10
Personal email
Interview at INS
Staying sane: Great British Baking Show, because listening to Mary Berry say "crispy custard tart" is basically ASMR for me at this point

 

[slaney]

Decided between eating leftover pizza or dumb, boring salad for dinner based on how tight my suit pants were.

Happy Postdoc interviewing, y'all.

 

[Psyched1515]

Saint Louis va
Pcmhi
Invite
1/10
Mass email
Dates to follow
Coping by focusing on the internship applicants that are currently at our site


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Did you apply to any other tracks? I’m wondering/hoping they haven’t notified for the others....haha

 

[OpalinePhoenix]

Philadelphia CMC VAMC - Health psych/Interprofessional training
Personal email on 1/10
Many dates & times to choose from, asked to rank three
Coping: peanut butter everything


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

This might be my favorite coping strategy I've seen so far. Along with dogs, because dogs. But also peanut butter might be the real world's ambrosia. Especially when with chocolate.

Decided between eating leftover pizza or dumb, boring salad for dinner based on how tight my suit pants were.

Happy Postdoc interviewing, y'all.

And the verdict was...?!?!

 

[slaney]

And the verdict was...?!?!

....They were a bit snug AND I ate the pizza anyway. It was veggie pizza, after all, sooooooooo...

 

[Psychchick09]

Did you apply to any other tracks? I’m wondering/hoping they haven’t notified for the others....haha

Yes, I also applied to the EBP/PRRC track and I haven’t heard about that one, and one of my cohort mates applied to the ptsd track and she didn’t hear anything either!


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[OpalinePhoenix]

....They were a bit snug AND I ate the pizza anyway. It was veggie pizza, after all, sooooooooo...

It's like salad + pizza! Pretty sure that makes it cancel out. It's like how if you have a caramel apple it's equivalent to having nothing because apple + caramel = cancelled.

 

[psychtrauma]

James A. Haley VA
Health Focus (other tracks have not yet been notified)
Invite 1/10/19
Mass Email
Interview Date: 2/1/19

 

[Bryan91]

Community Health of Central Washington
Primary Care Behavioral Health
Invite 1/9/19
Personalized Email
Multiple interview dates (skype)

HealthPoint CHC
Primary Care Behavioral Health
Personalized Email

VA St. Louis Healthcare System
PCMHI Residency Program
Invite 1/10/19
Mass Email
Multiple interview dates

 

[Puzzle Pieces]

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Child Clinical/Neuropsychology Track
Invite 1/9/19
Semi-personalized email
Interview dates- Fridays in January and February
Coping: watching all 6 parts of Surviving R. Kelly and actively developing future research studies in my head.

 

[espressobean11]

Dying inside after receiving word from a postdoc (app was due back in December) that they didn’t receive my third letter of rec...ANDDD I really think it was an APPA CAS glitch because I received the confirmation email and everything. Too bad the confirmation emails don’t tell you which specific program they’re referring to!

Not a good feeling on a Friday. I’m just glad they didn’t reject me yet?

Edit: somehow Christmas snuck in there?
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[bigdreamer3]

Dying inside after receiving word from a postdoc (app was due back in December) that they didn’t receive my third letter of rec...ANDDD I really think it was an APPA CAS glitch because I received the confirmation email and everything. Too bad the confirmation emails don’t tell you which specific program they’re referring to!

Not a good feeling on a Friday. I’m just glad they didn’t reject me yet?

Edit: somehow Christmas snuck in there?
Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Oh no! That’s like nightmare level stuff

 

[deleted893246]

Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle
DBT Program
12/17/2018 – invitation for phone screening interview via personal email; in-person determined later
1/11/2019 – rejection via personal email

Battle Creek VAMC
PTSD & General Mental Health @ WHCC
PTSD & General Mental Health @ Battle Creek
1/8/2019 – invitation for in-person interview via phone call
1/30 or 1/31 in the morning…don’t remember the other dates

Utah Center for Evidence Based Treatment
1/2/2019 – invitation for in-person interview via personal email
2/1 and 2/8
Skype also offered

Eastern Colorado VA
PTSD-Trauma Track
12/18/2019 – invitation for in-person interview via personal email
1/18 or 2/4

Milwaukee VAMC
Women’s Health
1/7/2019 – invitation for in-person or Skype interview via personal email
Doodle sent out w/ several options

VA Puget Sound – American Lake
BCP and PTSD focus area
1/10/2019 – invitation for open house + interview (phone/Skype/in-person options) via personal email
Open house on 2/6, in-person interviews that day or the afternoon before

VA Puget Sound – Seattle
Mental Health (Anxiety and Mood Disorders)
1/10/2019 – invitation for phone/Skype/in-person interview via personal email
Phone options 1/17, 1/22, 1/23, 1/24, 1/29, in-person TBD

Salt Lake City VA
PTSD Track
1/11/2019 – rejection via personal email


Staying sane: I am not.

 

[bigdreamer3]

When a rejection comes out of the blue and you weren't prepared when checking e-mails. Oomph.

 

[bakrea]

Invitation from New Mexico VA (neuropsych) - phone call

Rejection from DSH Patton (neuropsych) - email

 

[waffleprincess]

When a rejection comes out of the blue and you weren't prepared when checking e-mails. Oomph.

I feel like this would be me. (cue meme with sad cat wearing animal footie pajamas, eating pizza and watching TV).

Coping: yoga and ice cream sandwiches

 

[espressobean11]

When a rejection comes out of the blue and you weren't prepared when checking e-mails. Oomph.

Fridays are awful days for this to happen, too. I got one last Friday and it wasn’t a nice way to start the weekend. But their loss, right?

 

[bigdreamer3]

Fridays are awful days for this to happen, too. I got one last Friday and it wasn’t a nice way to start the weekend. But their loss, right?

Yeah. It came after a phone screen pre-interview too. I thought the site and I were a good match, and I can't help but wonder if I said something wrong that I'm unaware of. Oh well. =)

 

[OpalinePhoenix]

Yeah. It came after a phone screen pre-interview too. I thought the site and I were a good match, and I can't help but wonder if I said something wrong that I'm unaware of. Oh well. =)

I doubt you said anything *wrong*. It's so hard to know what EXACTLY places are looking for, and who else they talk to has a lot to do with it. In addition, if multiple people ran the phone interviews (or in-person ones work this way too, for everyone else!), then one person might systematically and without realizing it rank lower than another, etc. At my site, interns help with the selection process for next year, so while I'm applying for postdocs I'm also watching a similar process from the other side. And for sure all of those things have come up.

 

[thisgirl]

Yeah. It came after a phone screen pre-interview too. I thought the site and I were a good match, and I can't help but wonder if I said something wrong that I'm unaware of. Oh well. =)

I

I doubt you said anything *wrong*. It's so hard to know what EXACTLY places are looking for, and who else they talk to has a lot to do with.

I’m not sure if yours phrased it more like a screener / your exact situation but
I also think phone interviews are tough because you don’t know how much further they are trying to refine the list. It could be that you did in fact rock the phone interview but that they still needed to reduce their number by half at that point

 

[thisgirl]

if multiple people ran the phone interviews (or in-person ones work this way too, for everyone else!), then one person might systematically and without realizing it rank lower than another, etc

This is terrifying

 

[NeuroLober01]

Hey all! First interview this week! Anyone have any insight into interview questions asked?

 

[espressobean11]

Hey all! First interview this week! Anyone have any insight into interview questions asked?

I’ll let you know in about 8 hours when I’m done with my first

Edit: although I’m not neuro so it will likely be different.


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[pontocerebellar]

Children’s National
Peds neuro
Invite via personal email 1/14
Interview at INS
Staying sane: I got this really cool sticker-by-number book that takes so much concentration my brain can’t perseverate on postdoc

 

[NeuroWise]

Here's a fun story:

I flew to a far away city for an interview. After arriving late last night, I immediately went to my hotel to sleep. This morning, while dressing for the interview, I see that the sole of one of my dress shoes has seaparated from the leather upper at the toe. It's not flapping around, but it is noticeable if you look. To make matters even better, it is raining and my foot is wet. My interview is in 20 minutes so there is no time to Uber to a Target/Walmart. Oh and the interview is 5 hours long.

I love this process.

 

[merlin242]

I also applied to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (ASD track) and haven't heard back yet!

Just got a rejection letter a few hours ago. Hope you had better luck!

 

[MissLyss]

Orlando va
Medical psych
Jan 14
Invitation
In person feb 8 or via phone any time
Dogs

 

[thisgirl]

Just got a rejection letter a few hours ago. Hope you had better luck!

Nope rejection lol

 

[Psychchick09]

Puget sound, Seattle division
CESATE
1/14
Phone call
Invitation
Phone interview
Next 3 Tuesday afternoons
Trying to stay busy at work


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[copingcat200]

Just got a rejection letter a few hours ago. Hope you had better luck!

Nothing from them yet on my end...I'm beginning to worry that my e-mail is broken! Thought I'd left that irrational fear behind in internship application season...

 

[xinfamoustophx]

-New Mexico VA
-Track (if applicable): PTSD/SUD STARR Program
-Invite or rejection: Invitation
-Date notified: 1/8/2019
-How notified (mass email, personal email, phone): Personal Email
-Interview date: 1/22/2019 via telephone
-How are you coping? I am currently preparing to be a new father, so my coping efforts are disbursed more toward that, at this point.

 

[hopeful_pedsneuro]

Texas Children’s/ Baylor
Peds neuropsychology
Phone call
1-14-2019
INS

 

[slaney]

Anxiously awaiting to hear back from my top site, and had cookies and peanut butter cups for dinner.

Happy Monday, fam.

edit: also, can I just say, I am personally offended each time SDN randomly decides it can't post one of my hilarious gifs. KEEP YOUR SECRETS, SDN, NO ONE LIKES YOU ANYWAY

 

[bigdreamer3]

Anxiously awaiting to hear back from my top site, and had cookies and peanut butter cups for dinner.

Happy Monday, fam.

edit: also, can I just say, I am personally offended each time SDN randomly decides it can't post one of my hilarious gifs. KEEP YOUR SECRETS, SDN, NO ONE LIKES YOU ANYWAY

I seriously admire your sense of humor so much. Just sayin'

 

[slaney]

I seriously admire your sense of humor so much. Just sayin'

Thanks, fraaaand