Possible to defer clinical psych postdoc position?

[psychgrad18]

Hello! I'm wondering if it is possible to defer a clinical psych postdoc position for one year, after accepting the position. I would like to take leave for one academic year (for medical reasons) and then start the following academic year. In this way, I would still start the postdoc position as scheduled (i.e., in September), rather than pushing the start date to halfway through the training year, but it would be for the following year. This seems beneficial for both me and the program as I'll be on the same schedule as other fellows and can follow the training year as it was designed. I would rather accept a position and then defer, than need to apply during my year of leave. Has anyone done this, or have programs received this type of request? It would be helpful to hear about any applicant's experiences as well as from program's experiences with this. Thank you!

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[WisNeuro]

You can ask, and a program may or may not grant that request. If you do this after the interview period, it puts them in a serious bind, as they now have to interview again and the pool of applicants is greatly diminished in number and quality. If you are going to do this, I would do it as soon as possible to foster any good will that can come of it. The longer you wait, the more screwed that program is for that position.

 

[psychgrad18]

Definitely understand that point! I think I'm wondering more about the likelihood of the deferment request being granted.

 

[WisNeuro]

I imagine likelihood chances will vary greatly between the individual programs and their specific situations that year. Though, I think the most likely outcome is that you renege the position and they ask you to reapply the next year.

 

[summerbabe]

I’m not directly involved with fellowship training so my direct experience is limited.

My hunch is the likelihood of a deferral would be lowish (but of course this is program dependent).

If I was a fellowship training director, I would shy away from this (as opposed to unavoidable situations such as somebody needing leave due to unanticipated life circumstances once they’ve already started a fellowship).

So many things can change in a year and from a program perspective, if you remained interested, applying again next year doesn’t seem unreasonable.

I think the odds would be even lower for a postdoc participating in the universal match day process since that’s their primary route for securing a fellow for that upcoming training year so if you accepted an offer and then asked for a deferral, I don’t think there would be a ton of goodwill since they are explicitly recruiting for the 23/24 cycle and will recruit again for 24/25 the following year.

I think prioritizing health is key and encourage that. What are your concerns about taking a year off and skipping this cycle for the next?

 

[silverway]

If deferment isn't an option, I would really recommend getting all your materials prepared this year and then just submitting them next year. Interviews themselves take time, for sure, but if you've already gotten everything else taken care of, it shouldn't be so bad.

 

[WisNeuro]

Wait, are you saying that you want to apply, and plan on asking for deferment after you get accepted? If this is the case, under no circumstances should you do this. This will royally piss people off. If you need to take the year off, just do so and apply the following year.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I agree; if it's something that comes up after applying/accepting, I'd ask as soon as possible and see what the options are, although they may still be limited on the site's end. If the plan is to go into the application process knowing you'd be trying to defer a year, I would strongly recommend against this.

I've not heard of this happening, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I have heard of postdoc sites pushing back start dates as far as 4-6 months if they were able to get approval from the funding source (e.g., within VA).

 

[psychgrad18]

Ok, thank you for the perspective - that's incredibly helpful. I'm worried about bias from TD's regarding taking a year leave in between internship and postdoc, and needing to justify that decision, if I skip a year and apply the next round. Thus, I was wondering if it was a better option to apply and then defer (if that was a possible/acceptable option like graduate school). I definitely hear your recommendations against that. If any of you are on application review committees, would you have any negative reactions to seeing an applicant who had a year gap in between internship and applying for postdoc? Would you question that or feel it puts the applicant at a disadvantage in any way?

 

[PsychPhDone]

Ok, thank you for the perspective - that's incredibly helpful. I'm worried about bias from TD's regarding taking a year leave in between internship and postdoc, and needing to justify that decision, if I skip a year and apply the next round. Thus, I was wondering if it was a better option to apply and then defer (if that was a possible/acceptable option like graduate school). I definitely hear your recommendations against that. If any of you are on application review committees, would you have any negative reactions to seeing an applicant who had a year gap in between internship and applying for postdoc? Would you question that or feel it puts the applicant at a disadvantage in any way?

I would have no negative reaction to a year gap. I probably wouldn't care what the reason was either tbh. Now that I'm several years out, I'm pro- time off.

I would be concerned for the applicant about any state rules about licensure and time-frames in which hours must be accrued but that wouldn't affect me as supervisor.

I would be very concerned about an applicant who reneged on an accepted offer without a very good reason though.

 

[WisNeuro]

It is exponentially easier to explain a gap year, than to explain why you applied and accepted a position knowing you would be deferring a year.

 

[psychgrad18]

Thank you for the insight. Sometimes life decisions are not clear cut (i.e., around health, personal circumstances), and there is a lot of thought and planning and weighing options that happens. I do not know for sure that I will need to wait a year for postdoc, but it is something I am very strongly considering. It is very difficult to plan life 9-10 months in advance when postdoc applications are typically due, relative to when positions typically start. I am asking this question so I can gain perspective and information that will hopefully allow me to make the best, most professional decision I can.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I don't think a gap year would be viewed significantly negatively or that it would be very difficult to explain. Especially with non-neuro postdocs, which it seems are having more and more trouble filling spots. I definitely think this is the more palatable alternative to applying knowing you're going to need to defer. Like PsychPhDone mentioned above, the bigger concern might just be on your end in terms of time frames regarding accrual of any needed postdoctoral hours, although I think in most if not all states, you'd still be fine.

And yes, it can be very difficult to plan ahead 9-10 months at some points, depending on life circumstances. The best we can do is what it seems you're doing--ask questions and establish viable options based on what seems like the most likely set of circumstances we'll be dealing with.

 

[summerbabe]

If any of you are on application review committees, would you have any negative reactions to seeing an applicant who had a year gap in between internship and applying for postdoc? Would you question that or feel it puts the applicant at a disadvantage in any way?

I personally would not. If you go thus route, I would second the advice of getting ducks in a row with letter writers and such before internship ends.

i do not know for sure that I will need to wait a year for postdoc, but it is something I am very strongly considering. It is very difficult to plan life 9-10 months in advance when postdoc applications are typically due, relative to when positions typically start.

It sounds like you haven't made a decision so it's perfectly reasonable to continue with the application process while considering options prior to receiving an offer.

if you do accept an offer, it should be with intention of attending. If you ultimately decide you will absolutely take time off, I would encourage transparency and ask for options such as deferring (and declining if a suitable solution can’t be found).

Some people end up needing to take significant leave during postdoc (both for known issues and totally anticipated ones) and the norm is for sites to be understanding. Some are able to still finish once they return while others may not (likely due to admin/bureaucratic reasons) but that would be worked out with your program.

Postdocs that participate in the universal notification day system and postdoc that work on their own timelines will likely view this situation differently since they have different timelines and recruitment strategies, with it being more challenging for notification day programs to secure a postdoc if their chosen applicant ends up reneging.

Good luck and make sure to take care of yourself through this process. Yes, there are professional considerations and timelines but you likely have a long working career ahead of you so getting started right is key. And if you need a year off to do so, that’s a-ok.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Wait, are you saying that you want to apply, and plan on asking for deferment after you get accepted? If this is the case, under no circumstances should you do this. This will royally piss people off. If you need to take the year off, just do so and apply the following year.

100% this. Having a gap year between internship and post-doc is pretty common (e.g. defending dissertation, need to take care of a family member, medical treatment), but applying knowing you are going to defer is NOT something that would be viewed as anything but a negative/poor judgment.

Funding for post-doc positions is usually a year to year (or every 2 yrs for multi-year spots), so deferring only screws the program bc then they are scrambling and likely will not have the same quality applicant compared to a typical year.

 

[Meteora]

I have a colleague who took a gap year after internship. She did not have difficulties with employment following that and did not need to elaborate on the gap. She is a great teacher and researcher though.