APPIC Match Cognitive Assessments Importance

[howeverimprobable]

Hello!

I am applying to internship soon and am hoping for some advice. I am interested in clinical tracks / rotations (particularly eating disorders) that would ideally put me in academic medical center or research hospital settings, based on where those opportunities are. Currently, I have no in-depth cognitive assessments (just 5 screeners), although I have administered 6 intelligence tests and an academic achievement test. How important is getting more experience in cognitive assessment for the types of settings I'd like to match to for internship? If I am an otherwise good applicant in other areas, would relative lack of experience in cognitive assessment likely rule me out?

Thanks in advance for any help!

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[Fan_of_Meehl]

I'm sure experiences vary but I haven't conducted any IQ or academic achievement assessments (personally) for 20+ years. With the exception of neuropsych, educational psych, or developmental disorders...besides having been trained on these assessments, in most applied areas (e.g., rank and file psychotherapy positions), we really don't do much of this after graduation (at least that's been my experience and observation).

Edit: I left out the geropsychology specialty (as one where cognitive assessment would be important) and, to an extent, inpatient work.

As much as I respect, say, David Barlow and Marsha Linehan...if you unexpectedly sat them down in a room and put the WAIS-5 in front of them, they couldn't just start testing people. I trained on the WAIS-R, for example. So, no, IQ or academic achievement assessments--though important for us to learn how to do, the theory (statistical/inferential, norms, components of IQ, etc.) under which they operate, etc.--they're not part of the routine practice of psychology for the vast majority of practicing psychologists these days.

 

[howeverimprobable]

I'm sure experiences vary but I haven't conducted any IQ or academic achievement assessments (personally) for 20+ years. With the exception of neuropsych, educational psych, or developmental disorders...besides having been trained on these assessments, in most applied areas (e.g., rank and file psychotherapy positions), we really don't do much of this after graduation (at least that's been my experience and observation).

Edit: I left out the geropsychology specialty (as one where cognitive assessment would be important) and, to an extent, inpatient work.

As much as I respect, say, David Barlow and Marsha Linehan...if you unexpectedly sat them down in a room and put the WAIS-5 in front of them, they couldn't just start testing people. I trained on the WAIS-R, for example. So, no, IQ or academic achievement assessments--though important for us to learn how to do, the theory (statistical/inferential, norms, components of IQ, etc.) under which they operate, etc.--they're not part of the routine practice of psychology for the vast majority of practicing psychologists these days.

Thank you for the in-depth response!! I am more angling this question to the internship match process, but to extrapolate from your answer, it sounds like these assessments may not be considerations for APPIC placement in those settings?

 

[summerbabe]

Hello!

I am applying to internship soon and am hoping for some advice. I am interested in clinical tracks / rotations (particularly eating disorders) that would ideally put me in academic medical center or research hospital settings, based on where those opportunities are. Currently, I have no in-depth cognitive assessments (just 5 screeners), although I have administered 6 intelligence tests and an academic achievement test. How important is getting more experience in cognitive assessment for the types of settings I'd like to match to for internship? If I am an otherwise good applicant in other areas, would relative lack of experience in cognitive assessment likely rule me out?

Thanks in advance for any help!

At my fairly competitive VA, we prioritize well roundedness because that means the applicant is more likely able to jump quickly into clinical care and start to really refine their skills, rather than having to teach from scratch or needing more hands on time, which adds more burden to supervision.

So people who are lacking in an area, they will be scored lower on that rubric. But if you're strong elsewhere, it shouldn't matter much since we expect everybody to have strengths and weaknesses.

But somebody who is poor in assessment and also hasn't done a lot of research and has average letters of rec and low individual supervision hours etc etc might be somebody who won't get an interview at my location.

A broader question that I would have is how many assessment hours and integrated reports do you anticipate having?

Low integrated reports can especially hurt an application since that would show less experience and supervision doing formal assessment but also less documenting of complex medical care and could negatively extend to things like writing intakes.

A very competitive site may use these criteria to weed out applicants if you are under their benchmarks. And hospital settings are likely to attract applicants with greater assessment experience than a setting like a college counseling center.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

Thank you for the in-depth response!! I am more angling this question to the internship match process, but to extrapolate from your answer, it sounds like these assessments may not be considerations for APPIC placement in those settings?

I think that it would be important for an applicant to have received training/supervision in the use of these instruments. However, beyond giving a few under supervision, I don't think that most generalist programs would give you any extra 'points' for having more extensive IQ assessment experience. Can't speak to neuropsych tracks (which may be different). I have reviewed several hundred intern applications in my time as a training director (old site) and internship faculty member. I can't recall anyone commenting, 'wow...look at all those WAIS (or WISC or whatever) administrations! Even when I was working at a developmental center where it may even be consequential.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

I remember when i was applying for internship (over ten years ago), the number of comprehensive assessments at a minimum was like 8-10?

 

[WisNeuro]

I remember when i was applying for internship (over ten years ago), the number of comprehensive assessments at a minimum was like 8-10?

Yeah, our cutoff was 10, regardless of whether or not it was for general or neuro track. Unfortunately, in my experience, the assessment experience has dramatically declined over time in applicants. Which, somewhat relatedly, coincides with reimbursement losses, hastening doctoral psychology's decline to midlevel payment and expertise status.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Yeah, our cutoff was 10, regardless of whether or not it was for general or neuro track. Unfortunately, in my experience, the assessment experience has dramatically declined over time in applicants. Which, somewhat relatedly, coincides with reimbursement losses, hastening doctoral psychology's decline to midlevel payment and expertise status.

In my semi-recent experiences reviewing applications, I agree. Very, very few applicants had double-digit comprehensive assessments. In talking with some of said applicants, they said they'd wanted more assessment experience, but there were very few training faculty and practicum sites available to provide it.

 

[R. Matey]

In my semi-recent experiences reviewing applications, I agree. Very, very few applicants had double-digit comprehensive assessments. In talking with some of said applicants, they said they'd wanted more assessment experience, but there were very few training faculty and practicum sites available to provide it.

Does 'comprehensive assessment' mean integrated reports? I had like 25 of those when I went out a couple of years ago. Didn't know that wasn't common.

 

[psych.meout]

Does 'comprehensive assessment' mean integrated reports? I had like 25 of those when I went out a couple of years ago. Didn't know that wasn't common.

I had that many as well, but from talking to other grad students and interns from other programs, it seems less common, at least for those who aren't going into neuro or forensic.

 

[WisNeuro]

Does 'comprehensive assessment' mean integrated reports? I had like 25 of those when I went out a couple of years ago. Didn't know that wasn't common.

Kind of. If someone did the assessment and the report, then the integrated report would map onto the assessments as well. Some people have more assessments than reports if they did some testing but not reports at first. But yeah, before I left training positions, there was a clear downward trend in assessment experience.

 

[R. Matey]

Kind of. If someone did the assessment and the report, then the integrated report would map onto the assessments as well. Some people have more assessments than reports if they did some testing but not reports at first. But yeah, before I left training positions, there was a clear downward trend in assessment experience.

Interesting. I thought it was just my program. I was lucky to get an AMC prac where all I did was administer tests and write up the reports. It was good training that should be more available, even to generalists like me.

 

[WisNeuro]

Interesting. I thought it was just my program. I was lucky to get an AMC prac where all I did was administer tests and write up the reports. It was good training that should be more available, even to generalists like me.

I agree, but neuro pracs are only really feasible at large institutions. Even smaller practices struggle, especially in adult clinics (e.g., dementia evals) as none of the work done by prac studens/interns can be billed by some payment sources. So, they end up costing a huge amount of lost productivity

 

[R. Matey]

I agree, but neuro pracs are only really feasible at large institutions. Even smaller practices struggle, especially in adult clinics (e.g., dementia evals) as none of the work done by prac studens/interns can be billed by some payment sources. So, they end up costing a huge amount of lost productivity

Yeah, it was a good set up for my supervisor and I at the AMC, but I can see how it would be hard to replicate on a smaller scale.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Yeah, our cutoff was 10, regardless of whether or not it was for general or neuro track. Unfortunately, in my experience, the assessment experience has dramatically declined over time in applicants. Which, somewhat relatedly, coincides with reimbursement losses, hastening doctoral psychology's decline to midlevel payment and expertise status.

It def has been a noticeable decline i Generalists getting solid assessment training, which makes the “assessment on the side” generalists even more sketchy. It’s great for my forensic work, but annoying for the clinical referrals.

 

[Justanothergrad]

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onlinelibrary.wiley.com

perhaps relevant although in less detail for specific type of eval. Given appic changes to make personality hour admin not count, and the focus on neuro/rehab/etc rotations but not diagnostic assessments, it's likely to generalize across sites for focus and importance (check the supplemental data for site type data)