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Interesting step. Glad to see they're doing this. We needed things to help stem the issue of unaccredited programs. I don't think this fixes the issue as many poor programs are still able to gain accreditation, but still. It's a step.
APPIC would like to provide this reminder about important changes to the APPIC Match that will affect students from non-accredited doctoral programs two years from now, beginning with the 2017-18 application cycle which culminates in the 2018 APPIC Match. These changes were announced in 2013 but not scheduled to take effect until the 2017-18 application cycle. The changes described here will have no impact on any student’s participation in the current (2015-16) or next year’s (2016-17) application cycles.
In 2013, the APA Council of Representatives passed the “Resolution for Programs that Prepare Psychologists to Provide Health Services” (links to the resolution and FAQs are provided below), which stated that doctoral programs that train health service psychologists should be accredited within five years of the resolution. In conjunction with that resolution, APPIC established a policy on Doctoral Program Associates (see link below) which states that, effective with the 2018 APPIC Match (i.e., the 2017-18 application cycle) for internship positions beginning in 2018 or after, doctoral programs must meet any one of the following criteria in order for their students to participate in the APPIC Match or Post-Match Vacancy Service (PMVS):
1. The doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Regional or state accreditation or designation by any other entity is insufficient to meet this criterion; or
2. The doctoral program is not accredited but has been granted an initial accreditation site visit by APA or CPA. Students enrolled in such programs may participate in only the two Match and PMVS cycles that immediately follow the date that the program is notified of the site visit, and are eligible for placement at APPIC-member internship programs only during this period, unless and until the program achieves accreditation; or
3. The doctoral program is a re-specialization program in which the underlying doctoral program is accredited or in the process of gaining accreditation, as outlined in the preceding two paragraphs. A respecialization program offers training for individuals who already hold a doctoral degree in psychology in one area and who wish to change their specialty.
Thus, students who are matriculating through doctoral programs that don’t meet any of the above criteria by the 2017-18 application cycle will not be permitted to participate in the APPIC Match or PMVS, nor will they be permitted to attend an internship at an APPIC-member program beginning in 2018.
APPIC is invested in ensuring that students who attend non-accredited doctoral programs are informed of these important changes to ensure that they plan accordingly. Directors of Clinical Training of non-accredited doctoral programs are asked to ensure that their students understand these changes and to make this information available in the program’s public materials. Questions or concerns about this policy may be directed to the APPIC Chair, Dr. Jenny Cornish, at [email protected] .