Low hours due to COVID

[Psychologistinprogress]

Hi all, does anyone know how the internships are handling low hours because of covid? A lot of sites want 400-500 hours which is high considering a lot of us lost out on patient hours, especially assessment, because of COVID. Can you still apply to sites if you don’t have the minimum hours that they list? What is the recommended thing to do? Defer for a year?

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[WisNeuro]

Hi all, does anyone know how the internships are handling low hours because of covid? A lot of sites want 400-500 hours which is high considering a lot of us lost out on patient hours, especially assessment, because of COVID. Can you still apply to sites if you don’t have the minimum hours that they list? What is the recommended thing to do? Defer for a year?

Depends on the situation, some training sites pivoted quickly and students still got a good amount of hours. It will depend on the field at large. 500 combined hours is still going to be the bare minimum at many sites, as we expect trainees to be well beyond that through the course of their training. It depends on how low you are. If you are near the cutoffs, I'd say apply anyway, if you are substantially below, may be worth deferring a year.

 

[beantownpsych]

Hi all, does anyone know how the internships are handling low hours because of covid? A lot of sites want 400-500 hours which is high considering a lot of us lost out on patient hours, especially assessment, because of COVID. Can you still apply to sites if you don’t have the minimum hours that they list? What is the recommended thing to do? Defer for a year?

My knowledge is only of AMCs/VAs so things may be different at other types of sites. While internship sites are trying to be flexible, I think that most would be hard-pressed to consider someone with less than 400 hours (assessment + intervention). It *may* make a difference is the number of anticipated hours is solid, but still if you are very low it makes sense to defer. Even the most research heavy sites are still requiring at least 500 hours -- this is less than typical -- and I know of no sites that would honestly consider an applicant with less than 400 especially with the number of applicants relative to interview slots.

 

[Spydra]

I'm a current intern and the majority of sites (regardless of setting) last year suspended their hour minimums. What I'm hearing for this year is that some sites have suspended minimums, others have reduced their minimums, and others are back to the traditional expectation. Before deciding to defer a year, talk with your DCT and/or reach out to the contact person for sites that you're interested in to inquire about their flexibility on the hours minimum. You may find there are enough options for you to match with what you have.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I'm a current intern and the majority of sites (regardless of setting) last year suspended their hour minimums. What I'm hearing for this year is that some sites have suspended minimums, others have reduced their minimums, and others are back to the traditional expectation. Before deciding to defer a year, talk with your DCT and/or reach out to the contact person for sites that you're interested in to inquire about their flexibility on the hours minimum. You may find there are enough options for you to match with what you have.

This. Certainly start by talking with your DCT and, if you have an idea of sites to which you'd like to apply, reach out to their training directors. As Spydra has said, things are pretty variable in terms of sites' ongoing adjustments of hours requirements. I do suspect more sites will return to "business as usual" this and next cycle as graduate programs have more time to adjust their training and provide additional clinical opportunities that weren't there at the start of the pandemic. Even with COVID-19, there's still a need to ensure trainees have an adequate number of clinical hours to be prepared for internship and, afterward, independent practice.