Neuropsych Training in a Non-Neuropsych Program

[bcliff]

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Any recommendations for students looking for neuropsych experience and training in a non-neuropsych program?

 

[WisNeuro]

If you're near a decent-sized VA, see if they accept prac students for npsych assessments. Ditto is there are any academic medical centers with a good sized npsych department. In a pinch, you could try to find a community provider who may be willing to supervise.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Sometimes you can contact AMCs near you. It obviously is hit and miss, but it does happen. I get a few inquiries a year from interested doctoral students.

 

[Pragma]

You'll have to rely on practicum experiences and that sort of networking, or as others mentioned, cold calling if you just want to get some research experience. But it can be done!

 

[pinky&thebrain]

I'm a bit late to respond, but in case it still helps you or others searching the forum, I thought I'd add my thoughts... I went to a grad program without a neuropsych track or any specific training. I was lucky to have randomly gotten assigned a neuropsych practicum during my 2nd year and I sought one out myself for my 5th year. Definitely try to get neuropsych practicums, but in addition, I think it's important to seek neuropsych course work/educational experiences and not just limit yourself to clinical experiences. See if you can audit a neuropsych or neuroanatomy course at a local university. If one isn't available (it was for me), look for online courses. I took a 15-week neuroanatomy online course from the National Academy of Neuropsychology. In addition, I attended a 3-day workshop on neuroanatomical dissection at Marquette University. Both of these were excellent. They will cost you quite a bit of money from your own pocket but I have no doubt that I learned quite a bit from these experiences and they helped me match to a great internship site. It helps to show training directors that you've done everything you can to supplement your CV with neuropsych training.

 

[mskarensteward]

Hello, my name is Karen Steward and I am currently a psychology major at the University of Phoenix. I am getting my bachelors of science degree in the psychology field. After I graduate from Phoenix, I will be attending UT Southwestern to either receive my Ph.D. or Psy.D as a Clinical Neuropsychologist. I want to specialize in Pediatric Oncology and work with children who have survived brain tumors. In a couple of months I wanted to start shadowing a Neuropsychologist in order to get a feel for what I will be doing after I graduate. If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it because I really want get a lot of hands on experience in this field of study.

 

[WisNeuro]

Unless one is a practicum student (i.e., already a graduate student in a clinical practicum) or working as a psychometrist, it's not very feasible to shadow in this kind of clinical work. So many issues (confidentiality, third party observer effects, etc). Best you can probably do right now is to help out with a neuro research study so that you can start to familiarize yourself with test administration and procedures.

 

[PsyDr]

It is extraordinarily unlikely that UT Southwestern is going to admit an online school graduate into their Ph.D. program. They also don't have a Psy.D. program.

 

[WisNeuro]

It is extraordinarily unlikely that UT Southwestern is going to admit an online school graduate into their Ph.D. program. They also don't have a Psy.D. program.

True, UTSW has about a 10% acceptance rate. Maybe the poster knocked the GRE out of the park and has significant outside research experience complete with authorship and national poster presentations. 🙂

 

[Ollie123]

Post made it sound as though they had already been accepted, but definitely agreed - it is going to be difficult enough getting accepted to ANY respected/accredited doctoral program coming out of U Phoenix so I would be very careful about making any assumptions about a specific one. Its difficult enough to gain admission applying to 15 schools. Until an acceptance is in hand, I wouldn't make any such assumptions.

That said - pediatric oncology is definitely a fascinating and noble path. Best of luck with it.

 

[psych.meout]

Is it possible to meet the criteria in the Houston Conference guidelines and for eventually passing the boards for clinical neuropsychology while not being in a neuropsych program and not working in a neuropsych lab or with a neuropsych POI/mentor? Are the aforementioned practicum experiences (VA, AMC, online courses, workshops, etc.) sufficient to meet them? Would one still be competitive for neuropsych-related internships and post-docs?

 

[WisNeuro]

Is it possible to meet the criteria in the Houston Conference guidelines and for eventually passing the boards for clinical neuropsychology while not being in a neuropsych program and not working in a neuropsych lab or with a neuropsych POI/mentor? Are the aforementioned practicum experiences (VA, AMC, online courses, workshops, etc.) sufficient to meet them? Would one still be competitive for neuropsych-related internships and post-docs?

It's possible. I would just be trying my darndest to get the neuro stuff documented. Make sure you're getting a decent amount of prac time doing neuro assessments. Also, if you can, try to get your dissertation to involve neuro research if you can. If you can't get those things, it'll be an uphill battle to be competitive for solid internships/postdocs in the neuro world.

 

[psych.meout]

It's possible. I would just be trying my darndest to get the neuro stuff documented. Make sure you're getting a decent amount of prac time doing neuro assessments. Also, if you can, try to get your dissertation to involve neuro research if you can. If you can't get those things, it'll be an uphill battle to be competitive for solid internships/postdocs in the neuro world.

So, I would need good documentation for both the didactic stuff through workshops, audited classes, online courses, etc. AND the assessment practicums?

Would having this somewhat less traditional/typical fulfillment of the requirements make me less competitive for the solid internships and post-docs or are they less important than the other criteria, e.g. research output, grad school performance, etc.?

 

[WisNeuro]

I can say that in reviewing internship apps and postdoc apps for neuro tracks and postdocs, I am specifically looking to see that they had a good background in neuro at a foundational level. That means they better have a good neuro practicum if they are an intern app. Usually a minimum of a few hundred (>200, minimum) assessment hours. If their dissertation has nothing to do with neuropsychology, usually knocks them down a rung in the rankings.

 

[psych.meout]

I was looking at the handbooks for various clinical programs, trying to see if they provided sufficient training for neuropsych in addition to potential POIs working in neuropsych and then comparing them with what I could find about the Houston Conference Guidelines.

None of them seem to have much in the way of specialized didactic coursework in some of the more neuro-focused topics, e.g. basic neurosciences, functional neuroanatomy, neuropathology, clinical neurology, etc.

Is this typical for programs that eventually lead to one specializing in clinical neuropsychology or are these specific ones I've looked at lacking in this regard to neuropsych? Where do students typically get this more specialized didactic work if not through courses in their programs?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I was looking at the handbooks for various clinical programs, trying to see if they provided sufficient training for neuropsych in addition to potential POIs working in neuropsych and then comparing them with what I could find about the Houston Conference Guidelines.

None of them seem to have much in the way of specialized didactic coursework in some of the more neuro-focused topics, e.g. basic neurosciences, functional neuroanatomy, neuropathology, clinical neurology, etc.

Is this typical for programs that eventually lead to one specializing in clinical neuropsychology or are these specific ones I've looked at lacking in this regard to neuropsych? Where do students typically get this more specialized didactic work if not through courses in their programs?

My advisor was a neuropsychologist, although our program didn't have any tracks. Both for myself and the "average" application I've reviewed, I'd say it's atypical to not have any formal neuropsych coursework.

However, when the classes are offered and what they're called can vary substantially. The topics listed in the Houston Conference guidelines are generally just content areas, which might be covered in a variety of specific courses.

 

[psych.meout]

My advisor was a neuropsychologist, although our program didn't have any tracks. Both for myself and the "average" application I've reviewed, I'd say it's atypical to not have any formal neuropsych coursework.

However, when the classes are offered and what they're called can vary substantially. The topics listed in the Houston Conference guidelines are generally just content areas, which might be covered in a variety of specific courses.

Would it be a good idea to ask how the didactic coursework and practica experiences conform to the Houston Conference guidelines and prepare one for boarding if they were to get an interview at one of these programs? Would it also be looked upon favorably as a sign one is well-informed and knows what they are getting into by focusing in neuropsych?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Would it be a good idea to ask how the didactic coursework and practica experiences conform to the Houston Conference guidelines and prepare one for boarding if they were to get an interview at one of these programs? Would it also be looked upon favorably as a sign one is well-informed and knows what they are getting into by focusing in neuropsych?

Those are certainly valid and fair questions, and I'd imagine many neuropsych folks would be happy to have a grad school applicant asking them (e.g., shows knowledge of the field and training guidelines, and a desire to ultimately pursue boarding, which is generally a plus).

 

[psych.meout]

Those are certainly valid and fair questions, and I'd imagine many neuropsych folks would be happy to have a grad school applicant asking them (e.g., shows knowledge of the field and training guidelines, and a desire to ultimately pursue boarding, which is generally a plus).

Are there any questions you think I should ask them that I'm missing or that I haven't thought of that would be helpful to know about a program's neuropsych training?

 

[bcliff]

I was looking at the handbooks for various clinical programs, trying to see if they provided sufficient training for neuropsych in addition to potential POIs working in neuropsych and then comparing them with what I could find about the Houston Conference Guidelines.

None of them seem to have much in the way of specialized didactic coursework in some of the more neuro-focused topics, e.g. basic neurosciences, functional neuroanatomy, neuropathology, clinical neurology, etc.

Is this typical for programs that eventually lead to one specializing in clinical neuropsychology or are these specific ones I've looked at lacking in this regard to neuropsych? Where do students typically get this more specialized didactic work if not through courses in their programs?

I started this thread a year ago while interviewing and waiting to hear back from programs, and FWIW, here's an update.

I ended up in a non-neuro program but working with a neuropsychologist with very similar interests to my own. I feel like this is actually a much better fit for me than other programs where I interviewed that had dedicated neuro tracks but faculty with more general neuro interests or interests not directly related to my own. Now, about half way through first year, my thesis and other projects that I'm working on are very neuro focused and related to my interests, and I'm planning to start doing work with kids neuropsych assessment (in addition to adult therapy/intervention) this summer on internal prac, and then adult neuro work on external prac in years 3 & 4.

I feel *much* less anxious/self-conscious about not attending a specific neuro program than I did a year ago, but YMMV. My program offers multiple courses in neuroscience and neuropsych assessment and we have multiple VAMCs in the area and medical schools that offer neuropsych externships. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions!