2022-2023 APPIC Internship Interview Invitation Thread

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SunshinePsych said:
I did the rank as you go method with some criteria when I first started interviewing. For me, the biggest criteria was training/rotations and vibes. I did consider other areas similar to what @iheartbacon listed but eventually I threw those out after talking to other people who are in their postdocs now. My reasoning is that it is 1 year. Work / life balance is very important to me but I would rather get a great year of training during my internship and sacrifice an extra 10 hours a week than get a subpar intership that is a strict 40 hours. Everyone I know who did a post doc said it was not as competitive as internship and everyplace was flexible with start dates as internship completions were all over the place on the calendar.


I can honestly say that what I expected to be my top 3 choices prior to interviewing ended up being middle or lower on my final ranking. A lot of that boiled down to my gut feeling / the vibes I got from the interviews and if they had rotations that I really wanted to do. I wanted to find a place that I fit in and the people seemed honest. Several interviews turned me off due to being misleading (aka we love diversity but everyone on the interview / site visit was of one race). If everyone seemed to be super young I was turned off. I don't want to learn from someone who has only been in the field for a year or two. Also, sometimes talking to the current interns, they had fake smiles when asked about their site or the answers were short like they had nothing good to say about it.

Lastly, as you do interviews, if it is not clear, ask how rotations are chosen. Do you choose, does the faculty / training staff choose for you? We were put in a room at the end of our second week with just the interns and we had to put together our rotations with the limits the faculty put on us (how many interns per track in a rotation period). There were pros and cons to this approach but some people definately got the short stick.
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FWIW, I agree with the importance of great training, and if I were not a parent, I am pretty sure I would sacrifice work-life balance for a year too! However, I just want to add that I have seen some post-docs that have firm start dates and have indicated this in their brochures (mostly ones on APPIC), so I do think that is an important consideration. There is obviously no guarantee of where someone will end up for post-doc, but if there is a site someone has their heart set on, it would be hugely disappointing to be excluded simply because they cannot begin on the required date.
 
iheartbacon said:
FWIW, I agree with the importance of great training, and if I were not a parent, I am pretty sure I would sacrifice work-life balance for a year too! However, I just want to add that I have seen some post-docs that have firm start dates and have indicated this in their brochures (mostly ones on APPIC), so I do think that is an important consideration. There is obviously no guarantee of where someone will end up for post-doc, but if there is a site someone has their heart set on, it would be hugely disappointing to be excluded simply because they cannot begin on the required date.
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From my experience (I’m currently applying to post docs) there is generally some flexibility with ~75% of sites regarding start dates if you have an internship that ends late. I also will say most post docs seem to start in September, and some in mid-August. I’ve come across one that started early August and that one was flexible with their start date because I think they’re aware some internships end around that time. I feel like most internships end well before the time post docs start because they’re all aware how this works. Wasn’t a huge concern to be honest. A bigger deal for post docs is whether you’ve defended your dissertation. If they accept you, and your dissertation falls through, they’re out a post doc.

The OP has a great point about rotations on internship. I’ve had a few friends rank sites highly expecting to complete certain rotations that were offered and they ended up not being able to do so because their intern cohort had a lot of interest in the same rotations, or the supervisor decided not to take any interns, or the sites COVID protocol didn’t allow for it. Keep in mind when you’re ranking just because something is offered doesn’t mean you will be able to do it. If you have a strong interest in a particular rotation, I’d ask questions like how/when are rotations chosen, if an intern wants to fo X rotation but it’s not possible is there a way to still get the type of experiences offered on that rotation (for example, if you want to do a rotation in gero psych and for some reason it’s not available when you start, can you still get intervention experience with older adults on another rotation? Can you informally take a few gero patients while on another rotation?), and how the pandemic has effected some rotations (for example, is that rotation getting fewer cases because of the pandemic? Are some of the experiences limited now?).
 
Does anyone have any interview tips for a short interview (~1 hour) at a private practice? I work in one and LOVE it. This one also offers 50% assessment so it is my top choice <3
 
PsyDontWantToDoThis said:
Does anyone have any interview tips for a short interview (~1 hour) at a private practice? I work in one and LOVE it. This one also offers 50% assessment so it is my top choice <3
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It really depends on the type of PP. I would just be prepared for the general questions: What are your long term goals? What aspects of the program are you most excited about? What do you hope to gain during internship? What experience do you have in EBTs? If it’s an assessment heavy site, I’d imagine they’d ask what measures you’re most familiar with, what type of batteries you administer on your current/most recent assessment site, and maybe a case vignette.
 
I have a dumb question, I've been struggling with answering the question" how do you approach to therapy" , I understand that I need to talk about my theoretical orientation and how I integrate the theory into my work with patients, right? What else do I need to add to this?
 
HarleyKing said:
I have a dumb question, I've been struggling with answering the question" how do you approach to therapy" , I understand that I need to talk about my theoretical orientation and how I integrate the theory into my work with patients, right? What else do I need to add to this?
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It's a big question so it's natural to feel like it would be difficult to fully answer in a minute it two. I'd think about how to best match your answer to the type of therapies done/favored by your site and highlight the applied components guided by your theoretical orientation.

For example, if it's a AMC/VA, perhaps highlight your approach to and patient considerations for time-limited EBPs. And it would be a different answer for a psychodynamic private practice or a state hospital.

Regardless of site, you can also potentially speak to broad factors like assessment of patient needs/goals, collaborating on treatment planning, etc. Good luck!
 
anxiousPsyDtobe said:
Can anyone who may have applied to Ancora Psych Hospital last year provide any insight into if they ever notify earlier than their stated date? I know their notification date is 1/1 and from the spreadsheet, no one has heard back yet, but their interview dates are 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 which is really cutting it close!
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I'm wondering the same thing! Can anyone provide some input? Also - are you forensic focused?
 
summerbabe said:
It's a big question so it's natural to feel like it would be difficult to fully answer in a minute it two. I'd think about how to best match your answer to the type of therapies done/favored by your site and highlight the applied components guided by your theoretical orientation.

For example, if it's a AMC/VA, perhaps highlight your approach to and patient considerations for time-limited EBPs. And it would be a different answer for a psychodynamic private practice or a state hospital.

Regardless of site, you can also potentially speak to broad factors like assessment of patient needs/goals, collaborating on treatment planning, etc. Good luck!
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Thank you for your input!
 
anxiousPsyDtobe said:
Can anyone who may have applied to Ancora Psych Hospital last year provide any insight into if they ever notify earlier than their stated date? I know their notification date is 1/1 and from the spreadsheet, no one has heard back yet, but their interview dates are 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 which is really cutting it close!
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i was wondering the same thing! Also, has a gl w heard about the scandal of legal charges they had a few years back??? reconsidering my app a little lol
 
anxiousPsyDtobe said:
I had not heard about that, but now I am researching...
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apparently they had a bunch of legal charges that were dropped for abusing a patient. i found an article about it just by googling them last week out of anticipation of waiting on hearing from them. It’s recent too within the last few years. /:
 
Hi! Has anyone who is interviewing for University of Washington's child track gotten a follow-up email with more detailed info about the open house since the initial invite email? The invite email said to wait for more detailed info but then on the website it says to contact your track coordinator so I am unclear if I should be being more proactive versus just waiting for them to send me a schedule
 
IStanLinehan said:
Has anyone applied to WVU/Charleston Medical Center? I emailed the DCT as instructed on the website about requesting to visit/interview and having them review my materials, and have not heard back (over a week ago). A bit of a non traditional approach and I don't know when to reach back out? How long did this take for others if you emailed him sooner?
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I also am waiting to hear back. I sent two emails and no response.
 
IStanLinehan said:
Still crickets on my end as well. A bit frustrating after spending $60 to apply, but alas...
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I’m with you on this one. I think I even applied in early November and followed all the instructions by emailing him dates and faculty of interest and no response.
 
surviving2021 said:
I’m with you on this one. I think I even applied in early November and followed all the instructions by emailing him dates and faculty of interest and no response.
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Part of me is worried they might just send me an open house link but the dates I emailed I was available I am no longer available


Or I’m just overly optimistic
 
For those interviewing at Coatesville VA, does anyone know if the open house invite on 1/31 is virtual or in person? I perceived when their TD said “the opportunity to get a feel for our facility” meant that it was in person but it was unclear.
 
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Does anyone know where I can find the APPIC stats that suggest the percentage of those who match based on the number of interviews offered? TIA!
 
PsyPsy said:
For those interviewing at Coatesville VA, does anyone know if the open house invite on 1/31 is virtual or in person? I perceived when their TD said “the opportunity to get a feel for our facility” meant that it was in person but it was unclear.
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I believe it’s in person according to their APPIC page (under the interview day section)
 
Can a current intern (or anyone who knows) provide some insight into how much of the stiped we actually take home after taxes, etc.? If a VA pays interns $25,000/year, how much can we expect to have taken out? I'm not knowledgeable about these things lol
 
cbtqueen said:
Can a current intern (or anyone who knows) provide some insight into how much of the stiped we actually take home after taxes, etc.? If a VA pays interns $25,000/year, how much can we expect to have taken out? I'm not knowledgeable about these things lol
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taxfoundation.org

2022 Tax Brackets

The IRS recently released the new inflation adjusted 2022 tax brackets and rates. Explore updated credits, deductions, and exemptions, including the standard deduction & personal exemption, Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), capital gains...
taxfoundation.org taxfoundation.org

And then add in any applicable other things taken out (insurance premiums, state taxes, etc).
 
cbtqueen said:
Can a current intern (or anyone who knows) provide some insight into how much of the stiped we actually take home after taxes, etc.? If a VA pays interns $25,000/year, how much can we expect to have taken out? I'm not knowledgeable about these things lol
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For reference, I did my internship at a VA a couple cycles ago. Stipend was around $29,500. I took home just about $900 every 2 weeks after taxes (after claiming “1” allowance), health insurance, etc.

There are some state-specific take home pay calculators that can give you a rough estimate. Just remember that it won’t be exact and that it won’t consider health insurance (mine was about $60 per pay period for the most basic insurance coverage for just me).
 
Seven_Costanza said:
For reference, I did my internship at a VA a couple cycles ago. Stipend was around $29,500. I took home just about $900 every 2 weeks after taxes (after claiming “1” allowance), health insurance, etc.

There are some state-specific take home pay calculators that can give you a rough estimate. Just remember that it won’t be exact and that it won’t consider health insurance (mine was about $60 per pay period for the most basic insurance coverage for just me).
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Thank you for sharing!! That was helpful.
 
I noticed one thing when I selected the UCC sites that I was going to apply for: it seems that the counseling centers of those top universities/colleges( e.g. ivy league, MIT) barely participate in the internship training. I assume that these schools have counseling centers on campus, but I don't know why they don't open their center to training. Does anyone have any thoughts?
 
HarleyKing said:
I noticed one thing when I selected the UCC sites that I was going to apply for: it seems that the counseling centers of those top universities/colleges( e.g. ivy league, MIT) barely participate in the internship training. I assume that these schools have counseling centers on campus, but I don't know why they don't open their center to training. Does anyone have any thoughts?
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I've never done any UCC work but I'm assuming for these sites, the 'costs' of maintaining an internship (accreditation, selection, supervision, didactics, etc) outweighs the benefits (steady supply of intern labor each year, retention/recruitment incentive for staff who enjoy supervising, etc).

For universities in larger metros or have significant budgets, they may already have the resources and ability to hire/retain enough staff to manage their needs whereas internship sites might be more reliant on each intern cohort to help them meet their staffing needs.

I also worked at a highly selective liberal arts college before grad school and definitely witnessed decisions which were driven by perception rather than outcomes so I wouldn't put it past a school to opt out of having non-licensed trainees work with their students because it might 'look bad' to parents spending small fortunes for their kids to attend. But that's total speculation as I have zero direct exposure to the UCC world.
 
summerbabe said:
I've never done any UCC work but I'm assuming for these sites, the 'costs' of maintaining an internship (accreditation, selection, supervision, didactics, etc) outweighs the benefits (steady supply of intern labor each year, retention/recruitment incentive for staff who enjoy supervising, etc).

For universities in larger metros or have significant budgets, they may already have the resources and ability to hire/retain enough staff to manage their needs whereas internship sites might be more reliant on each intern cohort to help them meet their staffing needs.

I also worked at a highly selective liberal arts college before grad school and definitely witnessed decisions which were driven by perception rather than outcomes so I wouldn't put it past a school to opt out of having non-licensed trainees work with their students because it might 'look bad' to parents spending small fortunes for their kids to attend. But that's total speculation as I have zero direct exposure to the UCC world.
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I suspect that funding does have something to do with it. UCCs tend to operate on shoestring budgets already, and in most circumstances interns are a significant net cost in a budget.
 
Has anyone heard anything about Ancora yet? I’m assuming they’re pushing back interviews considering their previous tentative interviews were scheduled for 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 and they have not reached out to anyone at all yet about interview notifications.
 
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anxiousPsyDtobe said:
Has anyone heard anything about Ancora yet? I’m assuming they’re pushing back interviews considering they’re previous tentative interviews we’re scheduled for 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 and they have not reached out to anyone at all yet about interview notifications.
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I reached out to the training director to see if my application was still under consideration and all I got was a "yes." No formal rejection/invite email still.
 
LMA882 said:
I reached out to the training director to see if my application was still under consideration and all I got was a "yes." No formal rejection/invite email still.
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Wow lol i’m honestly really unimpressed with how late their notification is… i feel like they should’ve acknowledged that in their response to you
 
Does anyone know if your internship year might be able to count as a year under PSLF if you make a years' worth of payments?
 
Finally heard from Ancora...recieved a voicemail just now, a little odd theyre calling at 9 pm on a Saturday but oh well
 
gulp said:
Does anyone know if your internship year might be able to count as a year under PSLF if you make a years' worth of payments?
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Good question. If the internship site is a qualifying location and you make payments as usual, I suspect it would; I know fellowship years can count toward PSLF.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Good question. If the internship site is a qualifying location and you make payments as usual, I suspect it would; I know fellowship years can count toward PSLF.
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Definitely get something in writing. Only roadblock I can think of is the grey area where interns are not technically employees according to some guidelines.
 
Do sites adjust ranking base on interview? I went to a interview. Initially there were 32 applicants and site says they don’t keep attendance. By the end of the day there were only 24 applicants left. Would this 24 be adjusted to a higher ranking if anyone was lower than the people left without saying anything?
 
thisisjustatest said:
Do sites adjust ranking base on interview? I went to a interview. Initially there were 32 applicants and site says they don’t keep attendance. By the end of the day there were only 24 applicants left. Would this 24 be adjusted to a higher ranking if anyone was lower than the people left without saying anything?
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How do you know they left without saying anything? We would occasionally have people who needed to leave by a certain time for flights or travel.
 
WisNeuro said:
How do you know they left without saying anything? We would occasionally have people who needed to leave by a certain time for flights or travel.
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It was virtual so nobody needed to catch a flight. The point is wouldn’t “perceive level of fitness” partially reflect on whether one take the time to express their interests or ask specific questions about a site?
 
thisisjustatest said:
It was virtual so nobody needed to catch a flight. The point is wouldn’t “perceive level of fitness” partially reflect on whether one take the time to express their interests or ask specific questions about a site?
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Depends on the site. Our rankings were always pretty set before the interview based on the application. The interviews pretty much only got people moved down or into the do not rank category.
 
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