Child and Adolescent Board Certification Question

[chris3]

Hello,

I am wondering, how important is it to be board certified in child and adolescent psychology (in the state of CA) if almost all of my practicum and internship experiences has been with children and families? I ask because I am currently applying to postdocs and all I need is just a child focused postdoc to fulfill the requirements to be certified, but there is one postdoc that I am really interested in that is not child/adolescent focused but offers great specialized training in working with refugees and immigrant populations, which has been a great interest of mine that I have not been able to really pursue yet. I worry about forfeiting my chances to be certified if it is really important for later on, but I also worry about missing this specialized training opportunity that I am not sure I will have a chance for later on.... I am not sure what to do. Any thoughts and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks,

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[ClinicalABA]

I’ve been a psychologist working with children for over a decade, and worked with children in a clinical context for at least a decade before licensure (mainly in New England, but worked a year for a CA based company). In that time-and in graduate training- I’ve worked with dozens of psychologists who work with children and adolescents (I’m currently one of six such psychologist at my current agency. In all honesty, I can’t remember a single psychologist who was board certified in child and adolescent. I don’t know if my experience is typical or not, or if the board certification gets you anything in terms of increased prospects or salary (or higher reimbursement rates). Based on my experience, I’d say get the trading experience rather than worry about the board certification.

 

[erg923]

Hello,

I am wondering, how important is it to be board certified in child and adolescent psychology (in the state of CA) if almost all of my practicum and internship experiences has been with children and families? I ask because I am currently applying to postdocs and all I need is just a child focused postdoc to fulfill the requirements to be certified, but there is one postdoc that I am really interested in that is not child/adolescent focused but offers great specialized training in working with refugees and immigrant populations, which has been a great interest of mine that I have not been able to really pursue yet. I worry about forfeiting my chances to be certified if it is really important for later on, but I also worry about missing this specialized training opportunity that I am not sure I will have a chance for later on.... I am not sure what to do. Any thoughts and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks,

I am not really clear how this would be useful to you in the current job market or how is would be a "specialized training opportunity?"

You do all the work yourself and then submit it for "approval" and take (yet another) test, no? I had enough of that in grad school, and unless there is significant ROI or some profound training/mentorship experience beyond what you actually do everyday for your post-doc/job duties, I would not be inclined to do it.

 

[WisNeuro]

I am not really clear how this would be useful to you in the current job market or how is would be a "specialized training opportunity?"

You do all the work yourself and then submit it for "approval" and take (yet another) test, no? I had enough of that in grad school, and unless there is significant ROI or some profound training/mentorship experience beyond what you actually do everyday for your post-doc/job duties, I would not be inclined to do it.

Depends on the specialty. For neuropsych, many jobs will not hire those who are board ineligible or not working towards board cert. My hospital system (largest in the state) among them.

 

[deleted343839]

Hello,

I am wondering, how important is it to be board certified in child and adolescent psychology (in the state of CA) if almost all of my practicum and internship experiences has been with children and families? I ask because I am currently applying to postdocs and all I need is just a child focused postdoc to fulfill the requirements to be certified, but there is one postdoc that I am really interested in that is not child/adolescent focused but offers great specialized training in working with refugees and immigrant populations, which has been a great interest of mine that I have not been able to really pursue yet. I worry about forfeiting my chances to be certified if it is really important for later on, but I also worry about missing this specialized training opportunity that I am not sure I will have a chance for later on.... I am not sure what to do. Any thoughts and feedback are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks,

Why would you pursue board certification in child and adolescent psychology if your clinical interests are broader, as your post would imply?

Generally speaking, board certification is not going to be a huge barrier to entry in the child and adolescent field. I don't know the situation in California specifically, but I'd suggest you look around at the people you've encountered who have the kind of jobs you'd like, and count how many have "ABPP" after their names. Even in the institutions that encourage or require board certification (eg, Mayo Clinic), junior faculty are still given a grace period to complete the process. There is an alternative option (albeit not as efficient) for board certification for folks who don't do a formal postdoc in their specialty, so you would not rule out the option if you opted for a different postdoc.

That said, you should be thinking of postdoc as an opportunity to hone specific skills and knowledge that you need to prepare for your first job as a licensed psychologist. Your postdoc is also an important opportunity to form relationships with people who can help you network and find a good position. The focus of your postdoc should line up strongly with the kind of job you are hoping to get after you complete your training. If your aim is to work with refugees and immigrants, then by all means get this training if you can. However, if it is a more tangential, "nice to have" interest, then weigh your options carefully and consider whether it makes more sense to pursue these interests post-licensure (eg, through continuing education and consultation).

 

[CoreConcept]

As I understand it, there a couple of was ways to qualify for certification: 1 year, formal child-focused postdoc OR 3 years of postdoctoral work focused on child/adolescent treatment.

So, if you did a non-child postdoc you could eventually get certified as long as the other prerequisites are met, it would just require more time and patience.

To an earlier point, if your focus is on children/adolescents and your goal to specialize in the population, it doesn't make much sense to me to do non-child focused work this late in your training.

Right now board certification doesn't matter much, but there is a trend in that direction, especially in hospital systems where psychology/behavioral health is trying to get more parity with other health professionals who do have board certifications.

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