2022-2023 APPIC Internship Interview Invitation Thread

[summerbabe]

Does prestige matter? Should I try and rank more prestigious site purely based on this?

I’d focus more on fit between the site and your career goals.

Now if your career goal is really specific and specialized and who you know, where you’ve trained and who you’ve been trained by carries a lot of weight and can literally open/close doors (think certain fields in academia or certain clinical specialties), then probably. But the prestige then lies more with that training program than the institution as a whole.

If you’re a generalist, people will care more that you did an accredited internship and what you have on your CV.

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[HarleyKing]

Will the end date of internship affect the post-doc? Is the start date of post-doc negotiable?

 

[Seven_Costanza]

Will the end date of internship affect the post-doc? Is the start date of post-doc negotiable?

Depends on the site. Some postdocs indicate that they are inflexible with their start date. FWIW, my postdoc site explicitly stated in the brochure that they wouldn’t allow late start dates for any reason, and 2 of us from my cohort ended up starting 2-4 weeks after the start date. It wasn’t an issue at all.

 

[jdawg2017]

Hugs to all submitting ranks today! We got this... only two more weeks!

 

[ClinPsych2]

This spreadsheet is amazing! Does anyone know if there's a place in the forum to get feedback about what the internship sites are like (culture of the site, what it's like to live in the area etc)? I'm beginning to select sites I plan to apply to last year and haven't found anywhere on this forum yet that has that kind of info; would find it very helpful!

 

[summerbabe]

This spreadsheet is amazing! Does anyone know if there's a place in the forum to get feedback about what the internship sites are like (culture of the site, what it's like to live in the area etc)? I'm beginning to select sites I plan to apply to last year and haven't found anywhere on this forum yet that has that kind of info; would find it very helpful!

Best bet is to contact the current trainees. You can ask the TD for their contact info.

You can post here asking about specific sites but the chances are probably pretty slim. Even if you find a match, the info may be dated and not totally relevant today.

 

[PsyDuck90]

This spreadsheet is amazing! Does anyone know if there's a place in the forum to get feedback about what the internship sites are like (culture of the site, what it's like to live in the area etc)? I'm beginning to select sites I plan to apply to last year and haven't found anywhere on this forum yet that has that kind of info; would find it very helpful!

In my experience, all of my interviews had Q&As set up with current interns where supervisors were not present. The interns were all pretty transparent about these things, even giving us specific rent amounts and commute times. They were also open regarding culture of the city/state and any difficulties they had with supervisors. They also all shared their email addresses and encouraged us to email them with further questions. I only interviewed at VAs and AMCs, but my cohortmates who interviewed at other types of sites had similar experiences to mine.

 

[ClinPsych2]

In my experience, all of my interviews had Q&As set up with current interns where supervisors were not present. The interns were all pretty transparent about these things, even giving us specific rent amounts and commute times. They were also open regarding culture of the city/state and any difficulties they had with supervisors. They also all shared their email addresses and encouraged us to email them with further questions. I only interviewed at VAs and AMCs, but my cohortmates who interviewed at other types of sites had similar experiences to mine.

I'm hoping for some guidance on where even to begin to apply! I have some general preferences but my list is still VERY long and I have questions about whether some sites are even worth my time in applying - hoping to get some opinions on those sites before getting to interview stage!

 

[ClinPsych2]

Best bet is to contact the current trainees. You can ask the TD for their contact info.

You can post here asking about specific sites but the chances are probably pretty slim. Even if you find a match, the info may be dated and not totally relevant today.

Yeah, unfortunately I'm looking more for pre-application guidance on sites, I have a REALLY long list and was hoping to narrow it down some based on any sites I could rule out based on work environment, supervision support, etc. That's why I was hoping to find something like what there is for applying to programs where folks share their experience. Guess once people are at internship their use for the forum subsides so they're not here posting so much. Will keep checking with my in-person networks about sites that meet my general criteria and are known to be supportive/healthy etc. But thank you!

 

[PsyDuck90]

I'm hoping for some guidance on where even to begin to apply! I have some general preferences but my list is still VERY long and I have questions about whether some sites are even worth my time in applying - hoping to get some opinions on those sites before getting to interview stage!

Your best bet is to start with your DCT and people from previous cohorts. A lot of these factors will be personal preference. Also, I think the number of sites with awful work cultures are the exception and not the rule. For instance, I interviewed at 12 sites and only 1 was problematic (crazy hours, poor support, etc.). My cohort-mates also had similar experiences in 0-2 sites having clear red flags.

To narrow down my list, I started by searching for sites that had training opportunities within my specialization and then combed through the brochures and cut sites that didn't really have what I was looking for. Then, when I still had well over 20 sites, I cut some that weren't in geographic areas I was too thrilled about or maybe didn't have other opportunities I would like to have. It's time consuming, but it's do-able.

 

[summerbabe]

I have a REALLY long list and was hoping to narrow it down some based on any sites I could rule out based on work environment, supervision support, etc.

How long is your list? 30? 40? 50? Since you're a year out, I'd recommend differentiating between types of sites and then figuring out specifics like work environment later.

For example, interning at a large VA or AMC hospital is going to be really different than a small counseling center versus a prison versus a community mental health setting. Somebody who would be really happy in one of those settings may be unsatisfied in the other 3, regardless of how supportive supervisors are or how reasonable the workload is.

Even for the most generalist of clinicians, there are probably more category based cuts that can be made. And once you narrow to 1-3 major categories, factors like geography and general competitiveness (e.g., programs where past interns come from compared to your program) may contribute to some additional cuts.

 

[NinnyPants]

Yeah, unfortunately I'm looking more for pre-application guidance on sites, I have a REALLY long list and was hoping to narrow it down some based on any sites I could rule out based on work environment, supervision support, etc. That's why I was hoping to find something like what there is for applying to programs where folks share their experience. Guess once people are at internship their use for the forum subsides so they're not here posting so much. Will keep checking with my in-person networks about sites that meet my general criteria and are known to be supportive/healthy etc. But thank you!

It's very hard to get a sense for the work environment and supervision support without speaking to current interns. One thing that might help you cut down on number of sites is reading thoroughly through the brochure and see if they have any "assignments" interns will have to complete over the course of the year. I interviewed at 12 VAs and two of them wanted the interns to do more than the standard, "generic" VA training requirements and I knew those were not the VAs for me, even though I was really looking forward to interviewing at those sites. I also found that the way the staff clinicians interviewed me was very telling of whether they'd be a good match for me. Ultimately, the sites that I gravitated towards most were those that did give me some feedback on my interview answers and cracked jokes with me, who had referenced something they saw on my CV that they were really interested in, and who did not expect interns to do something like complete literature reviews or program development or whatnot. No judgement against those sites, but I feel pretty solid in knowing that I want a (relatively) breezy training year where I can enjoy life outside of internship so I'm not resenting my training site. It's also important to me that I feel like it's okay for me to be human at the site, so I look to see if I can be human during the interview and if the interviewers are human in return. I also realized that if I felt exceptionally nervous during an interview or like it went poorly, it wasn't necessarily an indication that I'm a bad interviewer, but that the mindset of the site isn't in alignment with the kind of site that I would thrive at. A few sites asked particularly stumping questions or really dug into my knowledge of research/assessment (areas where I'm relatively weak) and it said to me that their bar for entry was higher than my current training level, so I may have ended up struggling excessively to meet them at that bar. I took pretty detailed notes about my impression of each site, as well as things that were pros or cons to me, and I'm happy to share that info privately if you happen to be looking at any VAs. Also, I may be stating the obvious here, but look at the cost of living at bestplaces.net for each site. That might help you cut down your list a bit since internship stipends aren't particularly generous.

 

[iheartbacon]

Yeah, unfortunately I'm looking more for pre-application guidance on sites, I have a REALLY long list and was hoping to narrow it down some based on any sites I could rule out based on work environment, supervision support, etc. That's why I was hoping to find something like what there is for applying to programs where folks share their experience. Guess once people are at internship their use for the forum subsides so they're not here posting so much. Will keep checking with my in-person networks about sites that meet my general criteria and are known to be supportive/healthy etc. But thank you!

I'm going through the internship application process right now. I applied to a variety of different settings - some with which I have had previous experience, some new that I thought I would like to try (e.g., private psychiatric hospital, VA, AMC, etc.). I also applied to a variety of training opportunities that offered an emphasis in one or more areas of which I am interested in acquiring special skills (e.g., treatments for PTSD, women's health, children). I would say that one of the things that is helpful is looking at your clinical experiences thus far to see if you have the basic competencies sites would hope to see to think you are a "good fit". For example, it is often challenging to get into a UCC if you have no experience in a UCC. Likewise, if you have only worked with adults, it could be hard to match to a site that is child-focused. Or if you identify yourself as having a cognitive-behavioral orientation, a site that focuses primarily on psychodynamic treatment may not be seen as a great fit. I think sites are interested in helping people learn and grow in new ways, but also want an intern who has the basic competencies to be stretched instead of being rebuilt from scratch.

Therefore, it is important to try to clarify your own goals for internship year - what do you hope to learn? What gaps in your training do you hope to fill? What do you want to ultimately focus on in your career after graduating? Knowing the answer to this will help you in selecting sites that are a good fit - which is the most important factor in matching. It will also help you to better convey this in your cover letters, which will be tailored to each site and describing your career goals, why you are a good fit for the site (strengths, past experiences), as well as why the site is a good fit for your training needs (more experience with a certain type of therapy, adapting and refining your skills in a new setting, experience with a new population, etc.). My DCT recommended we all review the book Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and Finding the Right Fit. I did this later into the game and I think there were some tips that would have been extremely helpful prior to determining my list of sites to apply to.

 

[Uplift]

Yeah, unfortunately I'm looking more for pre-application guidance on sites, I have a REALLY long list and was hoping to narrow it down some based on any sites I could rule out based on work environment, supervision support, etc. That's why I was hoping to find something like what there is for applying to programs where folks share their experience. Guess once people are at internship their use for the forum subsides so they're not here posting so much. Will keep checking with my in-person networks about sites that meet my general criteria and are known to be supportive/healthy etc. But thank you!

I'm no expert, but I applied to lots of sites in the Northeast. If you happen to be looking at sites there I'm happy to share what I have learned! That goes for anyone, just PM me!

 

[SunshinePsych]

@ClinPsych2 I think you have gotten a lot of great advice here. I think @iheartbacon provides a good summary. What are you goals and what sites align with those goals?

I knew prior to looking at site selection that I wanted to be adult trauma focused but that is still very broad. My partner and I sat down and first listed all the places we were willing to lived and we each got to veto any states that were problematic to each of us. I figured that if my list ended up being too narrow, we could add them in later.

I then started listing every site (in a spreadsheet) that interested me and had a rotation or provided experience to interns treating trauma. The list was very long at over 100 sites all in the Eastern or Central time zones. I then started looking at the site requirements. Do I have the hours needed? Are there other requirements and do I meet them? That trimmed out 1/2 the sites that I was looking at because my testing hours weren't high enough although the APPIC site hadn't been updated to the latest requirements and I would later end up adding about 10 back into my selection.

After that I downloaded and started looking at all of the brochures. I ended doing this twice. The first time through I was looking for requirements and other activities. If it was a research focused site, then I was not that interested in going there but would note it.

My second pass through which was now down to about 30 sites was my more focused on fit. Were there other rotations outside of trauma that I was interested in? What experiences do I have that match the site? Are they providing additional training or certifications beyond the basics in areas that will help me get a job or advance my career? As you start going through brochures, you will start to get a feel for what you are looking for and will likely end up going back to some of the first ones you looked at to compare again.

I ended up with 19 sites from my original list. By the time applications came around that 19 changed due to updates from sites, updated brochures, and requirements. Of my 19 that I had narrowed down I ended up with 17 and then added some more back in that I had originally eliminated because their requirements had also changed.

 

[iheartbacon]

Just think everyone... by this time, seven days from now, we will all have gotten our results!

 

[twistytie1]

Just think everyone... by this time, seven days from now, we will all have gotten our results!

So true! How is everyone feeling about it? I wouldn't say I'm anxious--I'm just ready to get the results and move on haha.

 

[Uplift]

So true! How is everyone feeling about it? I wouldn't say I'm anxious--I'm just ready to get the results and move on haha.

Im actually surprised at how calm I feel. Maybe its just the relief that we made it this far.... Practicing lots of radical acceptance and non-attachment!

 

[sopsyched11]

So true! How is everyone feeling about it? I wouldn't say I'm anxious--I'm just ready to get the results and move on haha.

I feel anxious about hopefully matching but given I'll likely be moving away from my spouse if I do, I've been trying to be super present and appreciating the time I have. That is really helping with the eagerness of getting to Friday.

 

[iheartbacon]

I go between super calm, to anxious about not knowing, to being just so exhausted from all of the months of work to get there that I am ready for it to be done. Trying to just keep busy and also appreciate this time with my family before I am gone 50-60 hours per week for internship. It will be a big change for me, and even bigger for my four very young children.

 

[twistytie1]

I go between super calm, to anxious about not knowing, to being just so exhausted from all of the months of work to get there that I am ready for it to be done. Trying to just keep busy and also appreciate this time with my family before I am gone 50-60 hours per week for internship. It will be a big change for me, and even bigger for my four very young children.

Wow, I can't imagine juggling this with four young kids. That is amazing how far you've come. As others have said, spending time with loved ones seems like a great way to get through these weeks.

 

[NinnyPants]

Good luck to everyone today!

 

[SunshinePsych]

Good luck and best wishes for everyone in their match today. Wishing all of you the best.

 

[twistytie1]

I hope everyone matched at a good place! If not, phase 2 is super promising

 

[Psycholokitties]

Hi everyone,

I matched at the Charleston Consortium in the Substance Abuse Track. I'd love to find and talk to others who have matched at this site. Feel free to DM me!

Applied: 18
Interviewed: 11
Ranked: 14
Matched: 1

 

[thisisjustatest]

I know these stats has helped me during my application. Here it is
Applied:20+ (22 or 23)
Interviewed: 14
Ranked: 14, took 2 sites out but others added positions
Matched: #1 neuropsych

Anyone who is going to bay pines VA, feel free to DM me!

 

[PedsPhD23]

Applied: 22 - I go to a clinical program so applied to peds neuro (what I wanted and ultimately got most interviews in), peds general with neuro, and peds clinical typical for my program.

Interviewed: 8
Ranked: 12 - didn't rank 1 site and ranked multiple tracks at others
Matched at my #1 site, #2 rank

THRILLED to be further on my way to becoming a pediatric neuropsychologist!!!!

 

[CanisRufus]

Applied: 11
Interviewed: 10
Ranked: 10
Matched at my #3 site (which I am actually still very excited about!!)

 

[NinnyPants]

Applied: 19
Interviewed: 13
Ranked: 9
Matched at my #1 site. I was exhausted after all the interviews and kind of wished I didn't apply to so many out of fear of not matching a second year in a row, but my #1 site ended up being the second to last application I sent in. I didn't anticipate loving it as much as I did, so I'm glad I ignored the recommendation to only apply to 15.

 

[hhhzzzaaa]

Applied to 13, interviewed at 11, ranked 11, matched to #1. Congrats to everyone!

 

[browniesandcookies96]

Applied to 17, 10 interviews, ranked 10, matched at number 1! congrats everyone!!

 

[twistytie1]

Here are my stats!

Applied: 15
Interviewed: 12
Ranked: 12
Matched: 1

I matched at my #1 site--an AMC in Pennsylvania.

 

[EAD8]

What are the sites available for phase 2?

 

[SunshinePsych]

What are the sites available for phase 2?

APPIC Internship Phase II Interview & Support Thread (2022)

I wanted to get this thread started for those of you who did not match in Phase 1. It is going to be okay. There are a lot of great opportunities to still be had in Phase 2. I had several friends last year who did not match in Phase 1 and it is not the end of the world. Please feel free to...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[PhD Mami]

Applied to 15, 7 interviews, ranked 9, matched at my #8. This is hard.

 

[szymk1sm]

Applied to 15, 7 interviews, ranked 9, matched at my #8. This is hard.

I matched lower on my rank list and was so disappointed (especially when cohort-mates matched at their #1 or #2). My internship site ending up being exactly what I needed (which I did not appreciate when I had gone through the interview process) - I learned so much in my specialty area, got great breadth of training, met some amazing people, and made professional connections. All of this is to say allow yourself to feel and process those feelings, but also be open to what your internship site has to offer. Worst case scenario, it's only 1 year of your life - it goes by so fast and pretty soon, you'll be applying for postdocs or jobs. Good luck!

 

[tdot_psych]

Applied to 15, 7 interviews, ranked 9, matched at my #8. This is hard.

I’m sorry you didn’t get the result you wanted. Nobody prepares you for the mixed feelings of matching lower than expected. I interviewed and ranked 7 sites and matched at my #7 so I understand the emotions. I was grateful to match but very disappointed in where I matched at. I agree with the poster above, I’ve been able to get good experience in my area of interest as well as grow in other areas. And I just accepted an offer for postdoc at a site that I LOVED but didn’t even get an interview at for internship. I hope you’re able to get good experience and that it’ll set you up well for the career you want. Give yourself time to experience all the feelings!

 

[lgd004]

Applied to 15, 7 interviews, ranked 9, matched at my #8. This is hard.

This will make you feel better applied to 24 got 10 interviews match to my 10th choice. I almost took it off my list if I had would not have matched. I applied to my current practicum site and they either did not rank me or rank me so low that I still matched to my choice ( which is **** site). Believe me you have nothing to feel ashamed of the situation could be considerably worse.

 

[WisNeuro]

Applied to 16
12 Interviews
Ranked 13 tracks
Didn't rank 1 site
Matched at my #3 (which really was my number 1, but I thought I bombed the interview and was not competitive enough, so I was just praying I at least did good enough to be third). I am super excited and it's funny how the universe works.

If it was your top site, why did you drop it to #3?

 

[psych_o]

Applied to 15, interviewed at 14, ranked 11. Matched at my top choice site and #3 rank. Looking back, ranking based on my "truest preference" was such obvious and good advice. Congratulations to everyone. For those who matched: We 👏 Never 👏 Have 👏 to 👏 do 👏 this 👏 again.

 

[alice_in_neuro_wonderland]

Applied to 35 (I know, a lot, but I didn't match last year so give me a break lol) interviewed at 8, ranked 10, matched to my #2, which was very closely tied with my #1!!!!!! SO happy, relieved, grateful, and excited. Congratulations to everyone who matched, we did it!!!! To those in Phase II, hang in there and best of luck, you got this!!!!!! 💪💪💪

 

[psychedmom]

Congratulations to all those that matched! I have a quick question if anyone can give me more insight. I was contacted by my first choice to congratulate me (I was matched with my 2nd choice) to say how much they enjoyed me and hoping I apply in for postdoc there. The email was personalized and the director of my top site even knew where I was matched. Obviously, there were more competitive applicants but for her to reach out personally, I was wondering if this is common and how she knew where I matched. Any thoughts?

 

[WisNeuro]

Congratulations to all those that matched! I have a quick question if anyone can give me more insight. I was contacted by my first choice to congratulate me (I was matched with my 2nd choice) to say how much they enjoyed me and hoping I apply in for postdoc there. The email was personalized and the director of my top site even knew where I was matched. Obviously, there were more competitive applicants but for her to reach out personally, I was wondering if this is common and how she knew where I matched. Any thoughts?

Sites get feedback on everyone that they ranked. So, we see where they went. If you liked the site, I would keep it in consideration for postdoc as it sounds like you were just outside of their very top rankings and would be competitive for the postdoc.

 

[calimich]

Sites get feedback on everyone that they ranked. So, we see where they went.

What kind of feedback do sites get beyond seeing where folks matched? Do sites get to see where they were ranked by applicants?

 

[WisNeuro]

What kind of feedback do sites get beyond seeing where folks matched? Do sites get to see where they were ranked by applicants?

I'm not in a training program this year, but in the past, the only info I remember receiving as a training faculty was where they matched. I don't ever recall our DCTs talking about where applicants had ranked us.

 

[niceman]

What kind of feedback do sites get beyond seeing where folks matched? Do sites get to see where they were ranked by applicants?

Nothing beyond where everyone an internship site ranked matched/did not match. No ranking information.

 

[niceman]

Congratulations to all those that matched! I have a quick question if anyone can give me more insight. I was contacted by my first choice to congratulate me (I was matched with my 2nd choice) to say how much they enjoyed me and hoping I apply in for postdoc there. The email was personalized and the director of my top site even knew where I was matched. Obviously, there were more competitive applicants but for her to reach out personally, I was wondering if this is common and how she knew where I matched. Any thoughts?

As mentioned above sites do see where everyone they ranked ended up so your first choice seemed to really like you and wanted you to keep them in mind down the road so this is a good sign. Some sites have also used the list to reach out to unmatched applicants who they enjoyed interviewing with (but for some reason the applicants did not rank them) to see if the applicants are still interested in their positions.

 

[iheartbacon]

Congratulations to all those that matched! I have a quick question if anyone can give me more insight. I was contacted by my first choice to congratulate me (I was matched with my 2nd choice) to say how much they enjoyed me and hoping I apply in for postdoc there. The email was personalized and the director of my top site even knew where I was matched. Obviously, there were more competitive applicants but for her to reach out personally, I was wondering if this is common and how she knew where I matched. Any thoughts?

I got an email like this yesterday from a site ranked lower than where I matched too. I wonder if it is the same site? I was wondering how common this is too, and thought it was really nice!

 

[jdawg2017]

I just had a conversation the other day with a mentor at a site who I think is in charge of making rankings and clearly didn't understand how APPIC rankings work. That was fun, lol. I can't believe how confusing it is and that some people (even at very prestigious sites) don't get it, even after going through internship themselves...?

Thankfully I matched to my #2 (which was very tied with my #1 but involves a bigger move). I applied to 15 sites, had interviews at 12, and ranked 16 tracks (some sites had several tracks).

 

[SunshinePsych]

I just had a conversation the other day with a mentor at a site who I think is in charge of making rankings and clearly didn't understand how APPIC rankings work. That was fun, lol. I can't believe how confusing it is and that some people (even at very prestigious sites) don't get it, even after going through internship themselves...?

Thankfully I matched to my #2 (which was very tied with my #1 but involves a bigger move). I applied to 15 sites, had interviews at 12, and ranked 16 tracks.

I can understand how that could occur. Match is not a straight forward process. I did a fair bit of reading and watching videos prior to doing my rank order last year to make sure that I understood how the match work. I even ended up whiteboarding some scenarios with my spouse so we could both better understand.