PhD/PsyD Forgoing Post-Doc (PA/NJ/MD) & Future Reciprocity in other States

[acpsych]

Hi there! I am in the midst of my pre-doctoral internship and am currently weighing whether or not to pursue an informal post-doc. The states that I would most likely want to live/practice in would be PA, NJ, and MD -- all of which no longer require a post-doc for licensure. I recognize that foregoing the post-doc will prevent me from seeking board licensure and could make it more challenging for me to get licensed in states that require the additional training year for licensure.

Though, I am wondering if anyone has any insight into the process of seeking licensure in a state that still requires the PD? For example, if I wanted to move to Nevada (or somewhere that required the PD) later in life and I did not complete the training year here, does that automatically bar me from seeking licensure in that state? Or is there a process of seeking licensure through reciprocity, etc.? Is this process universal amongst all states? Any insight into this question would be greatly appreciated!

Finally, does anyone have any recommendations for what benchmarks I should seek to accomplish in an informal post-doc? My state no longer has the PD requirement and I cannot utilize the state licensing board requirements as a reference in developing an informal PD.

TIA! 🙂

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[psycho1391]

prevent me from seeking board licensure

This is not true for all board categories. Not having a formal postdocwill just make it take longer.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Licensure is addressed at the state level, so each state licensing board will likely have slightly different requirements. I wouldn’t risk skipping post-doc bc you don’t know where you may end up in 3-5 yrs. You can ask the boards if you would qualify to apply by endorsement (usually it requires at least 5yrs of being licensed, but YMMV).

 

[MiniLop]

I'm kind of curious about this. If someone was licensed in a state that doesn't require a postdoc, in 10 years could they apply for a license through reciprocity in a state that does require postdocs?

 

[Sanman]

I'm kind of curious about this. If someone was licensed in a state that doesn't require a postdoc, in 10 years could they apply for a license through reciprocity in a state that does require postdocs?

It would depend on the state and licensing board. Easier to get licensed in a non post-doc state and just pay a colleague for supervision if you know you want a license in a post-doc state. I know several people who have done this.

 

[acpsych]

It would depend on the state and licensing board. Easier to get licensed in a non post-doc state and just pay a colleague for supervision if you know you want a license in a post-doc state. I know several people who have done this.

Can you say more about this? Are individuals getting licensed in a non-PD state, receiving supervision for a year in their respective state, then using this licensed post-doc supervised experience toward licensure in PD states?

 

[Sanman]

Can you say more about this? Are individuals getting licensed in a non-PD state, receiving supervision for a year in their respective state, then using this licensed post-doc supervised experience toward licensure in PD states?

Pretty much.