Applying to internships

[psydstudent2020]

I am currently a PsyD student and am preparing to apply for internships. My goal is to obtain an APA accredited internship, of course. I know that internships look for fit, but I'm wondering what pieces are involved in this. For instance, is the experience I'm obtaining from my practicums making me competitive enough? Does it make you less competitive to not have any published research? I have presented at a conference, and am an investigator on a project. But by the time the internship cycle comes around, it looks like I will have 0-1 publications. Should I simply apply to internships that do not have an emphasis on research? I am interested in both clinical and research experience as a psychologist, but the goal is to receive an internship first an foremost. I am interested in working with cluster B and a possibility of forensics. What I'm basically asking is what do internships look for to determine fit? So if I had two practicums with SMI, and one practicum that was more of a broad population, would that be a good fit for solely SMI-focused internships? Or are they going to look for elective practicums, research, teaching, etc. I just feel like my program focuses on coursework and practicum, and I do seek out research experiences, but I do not feel like I am doing enough. I don't want internship apps to come and have an empty CV. I hope my question makes sense. 🙂

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[Justanothergrad]

It all depends. There is no secret meeting (that I am allowed to mention) in which internship sites come together to coordinate and define "fit". Sites may want previous experience in that context (e.g., practicums and coursework in forensics or SMI are frequently desirable for internship sites doing that type of work like the BOP or state hospitals). I'm not sure how seriously some would take someone who had never done work in that area given how intensive and specialized it can be. This match to previous work was explicitly a stated desire for several sites that I interviewed at. Others look for training philosophy fit (e.g., generalist training desire for a generalist training emphasis at the site) and how their offers match what you may want/be missing/etc. This is the case with the VA I am at now. So, again, it all depends.

As for your question about research- research heavy sites will not consider a poster a sufficient amount of evidence to demonstrate research-focused fit. Those sites will want to know that you can be part of projects that result in publications. Having not published research makes you unlikely to be seriously considered at those sites. Folks I know who went to research intensive sites or who interviewed at them(including myself) had numerous publications, and frequently several first authors.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

As for your question about research- research heavy sites will not consider a poster a sufficient amount of evidence to demonstrate research-focused fit. Those sites will want to know that you can be part of projects that result in publications.

To be fair...there are a very small minority of sites that would identify as, "research heavy"; I can think of 6-8. Those that do are looking at folks with 6-12+ publications and a bunch of posters/abstracts.

There will be some AMC sites that will want to see some research productivity, but those sites should be evident by how they describe their site, rotations, and opportunities.

 

[psydstudent2020]

Thank you for your responses. I have a few more questions -
Are there internship sites that don't have an emphasis on research? If so, would these sites take someone with 0 pubs?
Also, what other experiences do internships want to see besides practicum and research?

 

[erg923]

Thank you for your responses. I have a few more questions -
Are there internship sites that don't have an emphasis on research? If so, would these sites take someone with 0 pubs?
Also, what other experiences do internships want to see besides practicum and research?

Most don't. It called a clinical internship for a reason.

I want to be assured that you are mature, flexible, open to learning, and relatively normal interpersonally.

 

[eremitestar]

Fit encompasses a lot of things, and to some extent will depend on your ability to sell the fact that you'll fit. The cover letter is where you explain what you've done, what your career goals are, and how they fit with what the site offers. What got you interested in Cluster B and forensics? Were you exposed to that work on your practicum placements? What exactly did you do (e.g., done anything DBT-related, conducted forensic assessments, done individual psychotherapy with said populations)? What gaps do you have that need to be addressed before you can function independently? How will the site's training opportunities fill those gaps? Keep in mind that, for the most part, internship is designed to make you a good all-around clinician. Even the specialty programs I'm familiar with require rotations outside the emphasis area. Postdoc is really where you specialize, so make sure you get the training you need on internship to get the postdoc you want. When it comes to research, some programs will emphasize it more than others, but the main purpose of internship is clinical training. Plenty of people match with zero pubs. That said, research competency is a requirement for APA accreditation, so even highly clinical sites will generally require some sort of program evaluation project. Again, postdoc is where the folks who want to focus more on research really branch off onto their own trajectory. Fit also includes general disposition, which is where interviews come in. If a site is really laid back and you present as very intense and competitive, then even if you're strong on paper you might not be ranked as high as someone whose style is more in line with the team's dynamic.

 

[deleted816397]

I really feel like, in my experience at least, that any site that takes mostly PhD won't consider a PsyD even if you have publications. I am a PsyD with 6 publications in peer reviewed journals (3 of which I am first author), and I have been rejected from 11 children's hospitals and my publications and Practicums are in pediatrics. I feel like sometimes they don't even check your CV or AAPI for publications. They see PsyD and we go in a rejection pile. That's just my theory.


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[deleted816397]

It all depends. There is no secret meeting (that I am allowed to mention) in which internship sites come together to coordinate and define "fit". Sites may want previous experience in that context (e.g., practicums and coursework in forensics or SMI are frequently desirable for internship sites doing that type of work like the BOP or state hospitals). I'm not sure how seriously some would take someone who had never done work in that area given how intensive and specialized it can be. This match to previous work was explicitly a stated desire for several sites that I interviewed at. Others look for training philosophy fit (e.g., generalist training desire for a generalist training emphasis at the site) and how their offers match what you may want/be missing/etc. This is the case with the VA I am at now. So, again, it all depends.

As for your question about research- research heavy sites will not consider a poster a sufficient amount of evidence to demonstrate research-focused fit. Those sites will want to know that you can be part of projects that result in publications. Having not published research makes you unlikely to be seriously considered at those sites. Folks I know who went to research intensive sites or who interviewed at them(including myself) had numerous publications, and frequently several first authors.

I am curious. Were the folks you know, including yourself, who went to or interviewed at research heavy sites all PhD? I am a PsyD with 6 publications in peer reviewed journals (3 of which I am first author), and I have been rejected at 11 children's hospitals. Feeling quite discouraged about wanting to specialize in pediatric psychology.


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[WisNeuro]

Depends on the quality of pubs, they are not equal, and depends on the program tbh.