Neuropsychology Post-Doc Questions

[NeuroJaguar]

I am on a >50%-time-dedicated-to-neuropsychology internship, I have completed two years of neuropsychology practica, my dissertation is neuropsychology-related, and I am very teachable, non-defensive, and easy to get along with. I'm from a university-based APA-accredited program, and am in an APA-accredited internship.

Some questions:
Do you think I'm going to have a difficult time matching for neuro post-doc? Are the post-docs as competitive as neuropsych internships? What are the interviews like? How can I determine based on the site's materials whether they have a strong research bent (this is not my main area of interest) -- just % of time dedicated to research? Thanks for your time.

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[WisNeuro]

Based on limited info, it does not sound like you will have much of a problem at all. As for research activities, programs should talk about their scholarly activity in that area, what lines of research they are doing, how much time you get set aside, etc. If not, a quick e-mail to the TD with any questions you might have is fine.

As for competitiveness, hard to say. Also, I have no idea what the national postdoc scene is with the pandemic. As of now, I don't have any of my personal friends and colleagues that I personally know pulling their postdocs due to funding, but I'm sure it's possible.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Agree with what WisNeuro has said above. I would not expect you to have a significant difficulty matching based on the information provided, particularly if you apply to a fair number of sites. Regarding research, as was suggested, look at % dedicated time, what specific research productivity requirements they have, and if needed, email the TD. I would venture to say that most/all research-intensive site TDs will want applicants to know they're a research-focused site. The location/affiliation of the fellowship (e.g., if it's a MIRECC site, for example) can also provide information.

It's tough to speak to competitiveness, because while we have match rates for neuropsych postdocs (at least those participating in the match), we don't have that information specifically for neuropsych-oriented internships. I would tentatively say fellowships may be somewhat more competitive, particularly when also considering that a neuro trainee could technically apply to and match at a non-neuro internship site. However, if you also consider informal fellowships, this may not be the case.

 

[NeuroJaguar]

Thank you @AcronymAllergy and @WisNeuro - always appreciate your insights on threads and this is really helpful. Would you say that NP post-doc interviews tend to focus on assessing fit and personality factors?

 

[WisNeuro]

Fit, definitely. Also, you're moving into a smaller pond, relatively speaking, so there's a better chance we know your letter writers in some capacity, so that likely comes into play more than internship. Aside from that, I still value background and CV the most.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Thank you @AcronymAllergy and @WisNeuro - always appreciate your insights on threads and this is really helpful. Would you say that NP post-doc interviews tend to focus on assessing fit and personality factors?

As WisNeuro said, definitely so RE: fit. I also enjoyed postdoc interviews more than I did internship interviews, although I generally enjoyed the latter as well. In addition to the focus on fit, it was more of an actual two-way discussion, in that the sites spent at much time selling themselves to me as I did myself to them. They're probably interviewing fewer people than are internships, and it's for a two-year spot rather than one, so they're able to focus more energy on getting to know you and your goals, and how those might (or might not) fit with their site.

Not sure how it'll be with virtual interviews, but I also enjoyed that a few sites bought me lunch/dinner. I almost felt like a grown-up.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Interviews for fellowship were a faaaaar better experience for me, as compared to internship interviews. They felt more collegial and about mutual fit, than trying to sell yourself to get an internship. I went through this at the height of the internship imbalance, so YMMV. I want to highlight what AA mentioned about fit being a two-way discussion. For some fellowships, they are looking to hold onto their fellows, while others are not looking to fill openings from within, but they still care about where their fellows land. Fit is such a focus because it can be rough for all involved if a fellow isn't a good fit because it makes the 2 years feel like forever.

 

[CatLover&PsychEnthusiast]

In my experience getting the neuro internship was the hurdle, after that getting a postdoc was much easier. You sound like you’re in good shape. I personally was disappointed with the lack of research involvement in the neuropsych postdocs I saw. Depends on if you’re more geographically mobile.