APPIC Internships

[NYCPsych]

So, this is way in advance. I haven't even applied to doctoral programs yet. But since I read the posts about match day this year, I started wondering about matched applicants, and relationship to the programs applicants attended.

In general, what makes a good candidate for an APPIC internship? Should you have many publications? Focus on clinical work? Depends on the internship site??

I'm basically thinking about this because I want to apply to programs that will give me good qualifications when I eventually apply for a clinical internship.

I'm focusing on Psy.D. programs (ideally ones affiliated with research institutions, that is, not freestanding schools), as I'm currently working in research, & am realizing that I'm not a great fit for academia & research. I am worried that being matched is dependent on authoring many publications, and that Psy.D. programs may not provide enough opportunities to publish.

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[GiantSteps]

So, this is way in advance. I haven't even applied to doctoral programs yet. But since I read the posts about match day this year, I started wondering about matched applicants, and relationship to the programs applicants attended.

In general, what makes a good candidate for an APPIC internship? Should you have many publications? Focus on clinical work? Depends on the internship site??

I'm basically thinking about this because I want to apply to programs that will give me good qualifications when I eventually apply for a clinical internship.

I'm focusing on Psy.D. programs (ideally ones affiliated with research institutions, that is, not freestanding schools), as I'm currently working in research, & am realizing that I'm not a great fit for academia & research. I am worried that being matched is dependent on authoring many publications, and that Psy.D. programs may not provide enough opportunities to publish.

I think nearly all psychology schools, in their disclosed data sections of their websites, list the numbers each year related to internships including: how many student matched into internships initially and how many later.

You should look at the specific data from each school to which you want to apply. There has been some discussion on one of these threads stating that the APA is accrediting too many schools, particularly very professional oriented ones, which is resulting in too many students being left out in the cold since they can not compete with the students from better programs. I am not sure if this is correct.

I also would like to know how research comes into play when applying for internships since most of the internships (I assume) are practice/ applied oriented. In fact, a friend, who got first rate internship from her excellent Ph.D. program, said that she was shocked to suddenly get exposure to classic psychodynamic methodology in her internship since all the professors at her school had spent years convincing her that these types of psychodynamic treatments were scientifically unsound and had no place in psychology. So where did all that research get her?

 

[NYCPsych]

Huh. Yeah, good call with research, too. I am definitely taking note of
programs' # of students accepted to accredited internships!

 

[Neuro-Dr]

You can get any data on any grad program at the APPIC website.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You can get any data on any grad program at the APPIC website.

Check out the Match Day thread...I posted links to the data. (both the 5ish year individual school report, and the general 2007 data)

-t

 

[LM02]

The short answer to your question is: It depends.

Having a couple of pubs under your belt will never hurt you, but certain types of internship sites are going to be much more interested in research productivity than others.

For example, places like WPIC, Brown, MGH, Palo Alto, Duke, UCSD, etc. are interested in recruiting interns who want to pursue research careers. Despite the fact that internship is a "clinical year," such sites are going to want students with established research records - publications, grants, etc. They are also going to lean toward taking students who value empiricism in clinical work. Having 50 Rorschach's under your belt is not going to earn you anything here.

But there are literally hundreds of other programs that are simply looking for the best match clinically for their site - they want students with lots of clinical hours, solid training in objective and projective testing, and an overall diversity of experience. A PsyD program should be able to provide that.

Overall, the issue is one of match (no pun intended). I would never have been competitive for a slot at one of the more clinically oriented programs - my clinical hours, while sufficient, weren't astronomical enough for those sites. And I have NO projective testing experience, as my graduate program did not provide such training (given the mixed empirical support). But on the other hand, I focused my applications on the more "research heavy" sites, and got an interview at every one.

This is also why geographical limitations can bite one in the butt. If you are limited by geography, you're most likely forced to apply to programs that would not be a good match. As a result, you get your situation when an otherwise "rock star" applicant gets tepid response for interviews, and may not match. You do need some flexibility in this process, or you have to accept the risk in not matching.

 

[NYCPsych]

Thanks everyone, for responses! Data from the Insider's Guide & APPIC match site are definitely good measures.

Re: internship location- it's true, that can be limiting. Although, depending on relationship/family happenings on the time, it's kinda cool just to apply all over the country, since the internship is usually just a year. My cousin lived in DC for a year while her husband (Psy.D, actually) did his clinical internship an 8+ hour drive away! Their 1st child was born about 9 months after his return, and he's now in an awesome private practice.

That was absolutely a complete tangent. But talk about commitment to the field.