Advice and Recommendations on Private Practice Informal Post Doc?

[pinkbromeliad]

For those currently in private practice or who took this route for post-doc hours:
- What were the pros and cons of an informal post doc? Of private practice?
- Recommendations for finding and securing a position. Some places I am looking seem to have an informal post doc already built in, others seem to be smaller private practices where I'd be having to propose the arrangement.
- How did you negotiate pay? Was it salary or a percentage split? What were typical client loads?
-What are your recommendations for someone interested in this path? Or, recommendations from someone on the other side of the table looking to hire?

I'm feeling a lot like, "You don't know what you don't know," applies to where I am right now, so thank you for your time in reading and responding!

For background:
I am currently on internship at a VA. I will be relocating to a new city after the end of this year. I am someone who likes a little bit of everything, a true generalist with a lean towards more complex presentations and PDs. I'm happy doing individual or group and love assessment, and I find peculiar enjoyment in administrative tasks. I'm being told that I'm at a developmental level appropriate for applying to staff positions at the VA, but, I think the rigidity and bureaucracy of the VA seems like it might eventually erode my love of this work over time. I am mulling over trying to get my post doc/licensure hours in a private practice with the goal of settling in the sector long term.

I am working on networking in the area to which I'll be moving, but most of my professional resources are at AMCs or the VA, so I welcome any and all thoughts you might have.

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[WisNeuro]

Private practice postdocs are extremely variable. I've heard that some good ones exist. But, I've never met someone who did a private practice postdoc who had positive things to say about it.

 

[Sanman]

Are we talking about PP post-doc as in you will be unlicensed or PP post-doc as in you are licensed and accruing hours for a different state license? If it is the former, think hard about how the PP plans to get you cases. I know folks that struggled to get enough hours and took 2 years to get licensed. If it is the latter, it is pretty easy to negotiate.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Getting patients and hours is the challenge. I have two supervisees right now and they are getting them slowly and it works because they are still in school and I also have some access to clients who need extra help with life skills stuff so they get some experience there. I’m going to be talking to a potential postdoc on Wednesday who reached out to me so I am definitely thinking about how this could work. My practice is a little different than the average group practice because I am developing a program that would make it easier to guarantee hours, but when she wants to start next fall, I’m not sure where I will be in that process.

 

[PsychPhDone]

Echoing others, my biggest concerns would be getting enough patient contact hours and enough supervision. I never would have guessed I would land in the state I'm in - you need to figure out who has the most stringent requirements and work towards those.

I would be hesitant to take a postdoc position in a practice that is unknown to me or a trusted friend/colleague. I've personally never known anyone to have a good experience with this.