APPIC thread?

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So jealous of the notifications! I’m in Canada and we all wait until December 4th 🙁
 
ccpsych16 said:
Super important and it’s not talked about enough (then again, neither is disability as a whole)! I’m immunocompromised and it didn’t deter me from applying to internship (I wouldn’t have a reason or finding to stay in my program an extra year anyway), it made me look at sites more closely. From whether they changed interviews to virtual to how they’ve protected the well-being of 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 interns. It didn’t impact the overall #of sites or the type of sites I applied to but I certainly scrutinized more. I’m lucky that my current practicum was accommodating and I was able to stop in-person for the time being, but everyone isn’t so lucky. I am concerned about internship overall in this regard, but it seems like some sites that were already set up for telepsych had a much easier transition. It’s more so a matter of red tape in whether they deem you compromised enough to get accommodations 🙄
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I really appreciate you sharing your experience and I am glad you were able to find options and apply this cycle. I agree that disability as a whole is embarrassingly not discussed enough in our field, yet we get the referrals from everywhere else when someone is having trouble adjusting to anything disability-related.
 
Random question that I didn't see addressed previously... for those applying out of their area, how are y'all judging the locations? I've thought about perusing citydata or even individually traveling to the areas I'm likely to rank higher. but is anyone else concerned about diversity, safety, food, housing?...
 
cjackord said:
Random question that I didn't see addressed previously... for those applying out of their area, how are y'all judging the locations? I've thought about perusing citydata or even individually traveling to the areas I'm likely to rank higher. but is anyone else concerned about diversity, safety, food, housing?...
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I haven’t crunched any numbers but I did screen sites based on certain criteria. I chose places that were close to loved ones or easily accessible (e.g., major airport). Cost of living was the number one factor, so my sites are generally clustered in certain geographic regions. I looked up apartments in each area on different websites and compared that to my current location, which is very affordable. Everywhere else will be more expensive but I expected that. In terms of diversity, I looked up demographic trends and applied to sites with significant % of people of color. And got in touch with people of color I knew grew up in or near these places. I also did some browsing to see what I could find in the way of other aspects of diversity, for example LGBTQ+ resources, resources for different religious groups, etc.
 
cjackord said:
Random question that I didn't see addressed previously... for those applying out of their area, how are y'all judging the locations? I've thought about perusing citydata or even individually traveling to the areas I'm likely to rank higher. but is anyone else concerned about diversity, safety, food, housing?...
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As a way of exploring areas I'm not familiar with, I use google maps to check out what's around where I would live or where the site is. Then I look at yelp reviews and satellite pictures. You can also look up crime rates online, walk-ability scores, etc. You can also see what kind of events are going on in that area by searching hashtags on insta, twitter, or facebook events. It can give you an idea of what people are like around that area or what people like to celebrate. It's not going to tell you the whole story, but it'll give you some vague information. For example, I would like to live somewhere with an art scene so if there are no museums any where, no art shops, no art events on facebook, etc. I know that area is probably not for me. It's not a perfect system, but it's something.

I'm not sure about the feasibility of physically visiting sites this year, but if you're comfortable with it and it would make you feel better, go for it. I would just wait until you know you got an interview. Speaking of which, if you can, ask the interns what they think of the area.
 
cjackord said:
Random question that I didn't see addressed previously... for those applying out of their area, how are y'all judging the locations? I've thought about perusing citydata or even individually traveling to the areas I'm likely to rank higher. but is anyone else concerned about diversity, safety, food, housing?...
Click to expand...

In addition to what everyone else has suggested I looked for ethnic restaurants, religious options, refugee resources, trends on relationship status, what singles say about the area (in terms of dating, things to do), transplant trends, what the locals suggest are must see/do's for visitors, where low income resources are, trends in poverty rates, what the primary employment industries are, obesity and other health trends, and local shopping options. Not all of that is stuff I personally need, but it gives me a sense of what other people are there and have access too.
 
Spydra said:
In addition to what everyone else has suggested I looked for ethnic restaurants, religious options, refugee resources, trends on relationship status, what singles say about the area (in terms of dating, things to do), transplant trends, what the locals suggest are must see/do's for visitors, where low income resources are, trends in poverty rates, what the primary employment industries are, obesity and other health trends, and local shopping options. Not all of that is stuff I personally need, but it gives me a sense of what other people are there and have access too.
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Yes! I was just looking up one area with <10% black population and >53% of those in poverty... oof.
 
In terms of looking for internship locations, be broad, just aim for the best training that will give you the most flexibility career-wise. Save the fine grained details for when you settle down longer term for an adult job. Don't hamstring yourself this early in the game.
 
WisNeuro said:
In terms of looking for internship locations, be broad, just aim for the best training that will give you the most flexibility career-wise. Save the fine grained details for when you settle down longer term for an adult job. Don't hamstring yourself this early in the game.
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As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
 
ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
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I definitely relate to this. I know figuratively we should be able to live anywhere for a year but, speaking as a disabled person reliant on public transportation, this isn't the case for many of us. It is very important to prioritize your daily safety and comfort regardless of the period you'll be living somewhere.
 
ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
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I completely agree with this and this has been a big concern for me. The Society for Black Neuropsychology is actually hosting a webinar for minority students approaching interviews and internship considerations in general on Monday if you're interested! May be a good place to ask question related to these issues. I know I'll be asking some of my own.
 
ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
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Perfectly fine, but sometimes people get way too tied up on minutiae of location and discard top training sites in their areas. For example, New Haven is a terrible location IMO, but that name and letters of rec will help you later on. I would personally rather not like where I live for one year *which will be very busy anyway) in order to set myself up to live wherever I want after internship and command a good salary while doing so.
 
WisNeuro said:
Perfectly fine, but sometimes people get way too tied up on minutiae of location and discard top training sites in their areas. For example, New Haven is a terrible location IMO, but that name and letters of rec will help you later on. I would personally rather not like where I live for one year *which will be very busy anyway) in order to set myself up to live wherever I want after internship and command a good salary while doing so.
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I happen to be from that area and think it’s a great place to live, particularly for people of color. But Yale (and other local programs) isn’t the only good training site to launch a good career from. And only so many interns can go there anyway, that the large majority will miss out simply for lack of spots.

Myself and others have brought up important issues that go beyond minutiae. Many people live in less than ideal locations for short periods of time, whether for college, grad school, internship, or post-doc, and suffer for it because of issues rooted in much larger, systemic factors. We are fully grown adults helping each other out and giving each other more things to think about. Apps are already submitted for almost everyone, so the locations we have to choose from are already locked in. Your comments come off as dismissive.
 
cjackord said:
Yes! I was just looking up one area with <10% black population and >53% of those in poverty... oof.
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Speaking only for myself, something like this is helpful to know in terms of housing options. Internship stipends are not designed for us to live like royals, but if the only affordable housing options are concentrated in neighborhoods that are also food deserts, other resources are limited, there's no hospital nearby, and it doesn't seem like there is any real effort to revitalize (and no I don't mean gentrify) that area then its probably not where I want to be.

ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
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This was also a large factor for me because I am applying to places where I won't have family or friends nearby (just like when I applied to programs), and I am a minority woman traveling and living alone. While I won't live a life afraid to venture out in the world, I also want to make the best choices I can. I want to be somewhere that I feel safe at home, going to and from the inevitable evening shift, using public transit, and engaging in any other normal tasks anyone else does. I ruled out a number of sites because when I visited the area I did not feel safe there at all and I have zero regrets about that. I don't care how great the training may be, my well-being comes first.

babkelneuro said:
I completely agree with this and this has been a big concern for me. The Society for Black Neuropsychology is actually hosting a webinar for minority students approaching interviews and internship considerations in general on Monday if you're interested! May be a good place to ask question related to these issues. I know I'll be asking some of my own.
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Are applicants with other minority identities and different specialties welcome to attend this? If so I would appreciate the registration details.
 
ccpsych16 said:
I happen to be from that area and think it’s a great place to live, particularly for people of color. But Yale (and other local programs) isn’t the only good training site to launch a good career from. And only so many interns can go there anyway, that the large majority will miss out simply for lack of spots.

Myself and others have brought up important issues that go beyond minutiae. Many people live in less than ideal locations for short periods of time, whether for college, grad school, internship, or post-doc, and suffer for it because of issues rooted in much larger, systemic factors. We are fully grown adults helping each other out and giving each other more things to think about. Apps are already submitted for almost everyone, so the locations we have to choose from are already locked in. Your comments come off as dismissive.
Click to expand...

Take the comments however you choose to do so, just as you can take the advice however you choose to do so. Que sera, sera.
 
ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me. It comes down to general safety moving around where I live, doing day-to-day things. There’s great training in many places, especially if you don’t have interests that are too niche. I don’t believe I’ve missed out on some one of a kind training experience by making this a priority.
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Don’t be so hard on @WisNeuro; they have a bad tendency of displaying a supercilious attitude on these forums :yawn:
 
Spydra said:
Are applicants with other minority identities and different specialties welcome to attend this? If so I would appreciate the registration details.
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Would love to know this as well, @babkelneuro!


WisNeuro said:
Take the comments however you choose to do so, just as you can take the advice however you choose to do so. Que sera, sera.
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An odd way to respond. I will stop commenting on this and contributing further to the derailment.



I’d like to see this thread get back to its purpose—a space for applicants to bond as we go through this journey together 🙂
 
ccpsych16 said:
Would love to know this as well, @babkelneuro!



An odd way to respond. I will stop commenting on this and contributing further to the derailment.



I’d like to see this thread get back to its purpose—a space for applicants to bond as we go through this journey together 🙂
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Below is the email about internship interviews to help prepare minority trainees 🙂

Dear all,

ANST in collaboration with the Society for Black Neuropsychology (SBN) are hosting a free webinar to help prepare minority trainees with internship interviews this Monday, November 16th at 5pm EST | 2PM PST.

Please register today at bit.ly/intern-prep. Those who register will be emailed the meeting link prior to the event. This webinar will be recorded and made available for those who cannot attend.

For more information, please see the attached flyer or email us at [email protected].
 
ccpsych16 said:
I’d like to see this thread get back to its purpose—a space for applicants to bond as we go through this journey together 🙂
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The board is open, applicants like to ask those reviewing their applications questions. It's ok, you can take the advice you want and ignore the advice you don't want.
 
SubCorNeuroGal said:
Below is the email about internship interviews to help prepare minority trainees 🙂

Dear all,

ANST in collaboration with the Society for Black Neuropsychology (SBN) are hosting a free webinar to help prepare minority trainees with internship interviews this Monday, November 16th at 5pm EST | 2PM PST.

Please register today at bit.ly/intern-prep. Those who register will be emailed the meeting link prior to the event. This webinar will be recorded and made available for those who cannot attend.

For more information, please see the attached flyer or email us at [email protected].
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Amazing! Thank you!
 
I appreciate learning from everyone's insight/input and I think it's just overall a stressful time

For myself, I found it interesting to note that some sites don't weigh interviews very heavily given the feedback I've been given from TDs I know, but that just goes to show how everyone has such divergent opinions

We'll all get through this! I haven't heard from anyone yet so it's cool to see others' interviews rolling in
 
I'm quite surprised, too, to hear that interviews aren't weighed heavily. What is? Hours?
 
suzypep said:
I'm quite surprised, too, to hear that interviews aren't weighed heavily. What is? Hours?
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Variable depending on the site. IME for neuro, quality of practica, letters, and quality of research activity were by far the main factors (assuming decent fit with site).
 
suzypep said:
I'm quite surprised, too, to hear that interviews aren't weighed heavily. What is? Hours?
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If I had to guess, I would say:

~1. Cover letter and CV (e.g., clinical AND research experience/match)
~2. Hours and quality of practica
3. Letters of rec
4. Essays and interviews
5. Transcripts

WisNeuro said:
Variable depending on the site. IME for neuro, quality of practica, letters, and quality of research activity were by far the main factors (assuming decent fit with site).
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I think the continued importance of research match for internship is something that's not talked about enough within doctoral programs, even more research intensive programs.
 
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acclivity said:
I think the continued importance of research match for internship is something is that not talked about enough within doctoral programs, even more research intensive programs.
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I would definitely agree. I've always worked/supervised at sites with active research components, so that had to be a factor. Also, neuro is a specialty which definitely requires a good research foundation to know what you are doing and to properly evaluate new and existing measures. If you don't have some meaningful research activity, you were not even considered at our sites.
 
So we just received another email with programs extending their deadlines. I’m curious, is it pretty typical for sites to do this or is this specifically related to the pandemic? I believe this is the 3rd round of extension emails we’ve gotten now.
 
mzspsych said:
So we just received another email with programs extending their deadlines. I’m curious, is it pretty typical for sites to do this or is this specifically related to the pandemic? I believe this is the 3rd round of extension emails we’ve gotten now.
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This certainly happens, but there do seem to be a larger than average number of programs extending deadlines. From the updates I’ve seen, the programs are indicating a reduction in hours required for assessment or intervention due to the pandemic.
 
After submitting many of my applications, I realized I used 1.5 spacing instead of single spacing for my essays and cover letters...will this significantly impact how my applications are reviewed? I'm so frustrated with myself for overlooking this 🙁
 
foreverstudent13 said:
After submitting many of my applications, I realized I used 1.5 spacing instead of single spacing for my essays and cover letters...will this significantly impact how my applications are reviewed? I'm so frustrated with myself for overlooking this 🙁
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Not likely [emoji846]. We care about your interests, goals, experiences, and how well suited you are to the training program. Give yourself a break. If that is the worst thing you overlooked, I think you’re going to be just fine. Hang in there.
 
foreverstudent13 said:
After submitting many of my applications, I realized I used 1.5 spacing instead of single spacing for my essays and cover letters...will this significantly impact how my applications are reviewed? I'm so frustrated with myself for overlooking this 🙁
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I truly can't imagine why this would be a problem. You got this!!
 
foreverstudent13 said:
After submitting many of my applications, I realized I used 1.5 spacing instead of single spacing for my essays and cover letters...will this significantly impact how my applications are reviewed? I'm so frustrated with myself for overlooking this 🙁
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This probably forced you to sell yourself more concisely, which doesn't seem like a bad thing given how many applications sites go through. Any site that dings you for something this petty does not deserve you.
 
How is everyone holding up? I am feeling pretty nervous for Canada's interview notification day, but trying to keep busy and pretend it's not happening. Sending love and well wishes.
 
suzypep said:
How is everyone holding up? I am feeling pretty nervous for Canada's interview notification day, but trying to keep busy and pretend it's not happening. Sending love and well wishes.
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I'm def nervous, but I'm trying to pace my anxiety since I know this experience won't be over until Feb at the earliest. I know my programs have historically sent out emails in early December rather than in November, but that hasn't stopped me from shaking my email like a piñata. I'm trying to focus on other things like my classes, but I'm generally not the most patient person so this has been a challenge. This forum certainly helps though. It's nice knowing you're not alone in your post application jitters.
 
suzypep said:
How is everyone holding up? I am feeling pretty nervous for Canada's interview notification day, but trying to keep busy and pretend it's not happening. Sending love and well wishes.
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It may be an unpopular view, but I think it would be great if the US had a single interview notification day as well. Otherwise I'm keeping busy with dissertation, other research projects, clients, classes, cooking from the freezer/pantry, and packing.
 
Spydra said:
It may be an unpopular view, but I think it would be great if the US had a single interview notification day as well. Otherwise I'm keeping busy with dissertation, other research projects, clients, classes, cooking from the freezer/pantry, and packing.
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I would agree with this as long as it was in the first half of November 🙂 maybe deadlines could be shifted a couple of weeks earlier too.
 
suzypep said:
How is everyone holding up? I am feeling pretty nervous for Canada's interview notification day, but trying to keep busy and pretend it's not happening. Sending love and well wishes.
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I've been spending much more time exploring new outdoor spots for hiking/swimming, because the further I can get with my dog into nature and away from electronics the less I can obsessively check my email hahaha Avoidance maybe? But it works for me 🙂 And I recently got into HBO's The Undoing if anyone likes a good drama/mystery! Good luck to all of you 🙂 We'll get through it one way or another!
 
ccpsych16 said:
As someone who belongs to multiple minority groups, location (including COL) was the #1 criterion for me.
Click to expand...

babkelneuro said:
The Society for Black Neuropsychology is actually hosting a webinar for minority students approaching interviews and internship considerations in general on Monday if you're interested!
Click to expand...
Location was also very important to me during internship/postdoc. The National Latinx Psychological Association hosts something similar to SBN's webinar and put together a spreadsheet of sites which answered our inquires about training/practice/supervision opportunities in Spanish - see attached. This might be less helpful now that applications are in and it might help folks narrow down options later in the process.
 

Attachments

Has anyone within neuropsychology received interview offers from internship sites yet? The waiting game is tough!
 
Noor0183 said:
Has anyone within neuropsychology received interview offers from internship sites yet? The waiting game is tough!
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You should check out the APPIC Interview Invitation Thread. There seem to be a fair bit of neuro psych people on there. I hear you about the nervous waiting. I'm counting the days until we hit December.
 
missplum said:
You should check out the APPIC Interview Invitation Thread. There seem to be a fair bit of neuro psych people on there. I hear you about the nervous waiting. I'm counting the days until we hit December.
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Thank you! I will be sure to check that thread out. Is December usually the time we get offers for interviews?
 
Noor0183 said:
Thank you! I will be sure to check that thread out. Is December usually the time we get offers for interviews?
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It depends on the sites you applied to, but I think most people hear in December or late Nov. If you go to either the APPIC profile of your site or their website, if should give you information about their individual notification date for interviews. You can ctrl + F "Interview notification date" in the appic listing and your site should have posted it there. It's under the subheading "Interview Application Process" My sites vary in the dates they listed, but generally fall under the first two weeks of Dec.
 
So I know we're all going to do our best to impress our interviewers... but what are some of the strategies y'all are going to use to vet sites for ranking time? What are some of the dos and don'ts to look for during interviews/open houses/time with current interns? I want to make sure that I don't let my enthusiasm for a site blind me to any red or yellow flags 😛
 
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