I lived in the PNW for almost a decade and loved it. I think people in the PNW tend to be very uncomfortable with confrontation and directness but generally speaking, are perhaps the nicest, most giving, and least judgmental group based on my frames of reference.
These generalizations can be fun to chat about and try to identify sources of difference, but in reality, you can find your people anywhere. I find it helpful to keep in mind that many of the "locals" are transplants too. Keeps away the mindset that I'm the only new/"other" person there.
Yes. You are noticing something AND subsequently making a broad generalization.
I think this is right and wouldn't argue against it. In the context of the OP's repetitive handwringing over postdoc, I think it to be unhelpful.
Learning where to direct mental energy is quite the useful skill. I like to use what I know about psychology to guide that process so I can be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Apparently, I might take a bit of guidance from ol' Ben Franklin too.
Hang in there - I know the feedback you've received from folks here has been varied. I think receiving feedback in general, can be a challenge at times, especially when it's coming from folks you frankly do not know, so I wanted to validate that. Alternatively, I think much of the feedback that's been presented is sound and very much useful. Know that you are not alone and that what you are experiencing now has been experienced by many others. Know that this too will pass and that sometimes, "growth" comes in different forms, even aside from integrating/applying formal feedback from others. I too struggle with this at times, but I'd like to think I tend to make new mistakes to learn from (for the most part), but it still can be challenging due to my own intrapersonal dynamics.
I don't mean this to be disrespectful or insensitive but in reading your posts and the last statement "I have had to settle for less many times" implies that you had an another opportunity you turned down, when it seems this is not the case as these are the portions where you got offers. And, this has implications for your future. I would ask myself "what am I doing in interviews and in my positions that is preventing me from achieving the positions I most want?" Are there competency or interpersonal (venting, maturity, or entitlement) issues that result in people not wanting to recommend or work with you?
Improving interview skills is what I would be focusing on for the next stage, rather than the woe is me. We're in a competitive field and knowing how to answer complex questions and think on our feet is part of the job - and does reflect on how we'd handle stressful situations and work with more challenging clients.
I agree. Practicing interview skills is almost always beneficial, even for people who interview well. You're potentially always going to be at least a little nervous about opportunities you're excited about, and going forward, you're also likely going to be applying primarily or solely for such opportunities. The interview questions may or may not get easier as you go along.
You sound like you're creating a self fulfilling prophecy of having a miserable year. This thread is like...whiplash. you seem to start internalizing more realistic/adaptive thoughts, and then...something maladaptive.
Eh...this is largely a fallacy. Besides, I'd be more concerned about those who are emphasizing this component of your application for a job. That's a red flag IMO. Not to knock "top-notch" institutions like Harvard, but places like Harvard are not the only ones pumping out highly competent practitioners. I can tell you from experience (no, I do not have 3 peer-reviewed references to support this), that having experiences that are meaningful, applicable, and useful in the positions you'd like to see yourself working in will be more far-more valuable to you as you venture into you early career. Again, as mentioned before, your internship and post-doc training by no means defines who you are or who you could/will be as a future psychologist. You absolutely have the capability in developing the relevant competencies you desire within an employment context that allows you to further your career wherever you'd like to see it. The APA ethics code and most state licensing boards tend to outline what you can do in order to gain certain competencies, and most emphasize options that do not necessarily require you to go and complete an endless string of post-docs over your lifetime.
The post-doc site is investing in your training and giving you an opportunity. You may not realize this but many of your responses seem ungrateful as well as emotionally immature, and entitled. The hard truth is you did not match anywhere else and it maybe yourself getting in the way based on the attitudes you've expressed here. Everyone here is advising you to learn from this experience as you did on internship. Professionalism is a competency - and what you said above does not meet the bare minimum for this standard.
Your postdoc supervisor will be writing letters of recommendation for you - for your first job, possibly for promotion, etc. Do you really want them to say lackluster things about you because you "use[d] as much leave as possible and [did] the bare minimum"? I would be more concerned about that feedback following me after postdoc more so than the prestige / name of my postdoc site.
A question to ask yourself might be ‘what is a quality life lived mean for me?’
I am an advocate of trainees using 100% of their leave and setting appropriate boundaries. But if intentionally sandbagging it during postdoc because you didn’t match where you thought you deserved is acceptable by your values and ethics, nobody here is gonna stop you. But I sure as hell wouldn’t want to hire somebody with that attitude.
From my experience, a good answer balances clinical knowledge with self-awareness/self-presentation (and strong verbal communication skills). If you have struggled and believe this may have contributed to not matching at more desired sites, this might be an area to introspect on and perhaps even get some honest feedback from a mentor.
As a person who spent the last 18 months moving across the country and getting sufficient documentation in my medical file, including an MRI, CT scan, 3 or 4 specialists, taking meds that my neurologist, who I waited 6 months to see in the first place, said probably won't work, to be able to get Botox for migraines covered by my insurance (my first appt. is actually today! wish me luck!) Expensive costs and lack of access are the nature of the world & healthcare right now. As a psychologist, I have to imagine you've got patients telling you they waited 6 months + to try to see you, so I'm surprised you're surprised by this. I very much doubt that moving is going to be better for you with this problem.
Honestly it feels like you made this decision before you started. How do you plan on getting another post-doc? To be blunt, the recurring theme here is not getting the prime positions (internship, postdoc) that you feel you like you deserve and then catastrophizing about the positions you match into and agreed to take. Perhaps it's your behavior/attitude that's holding you back and not some mysterious fluke of internship/postdoc matching. Even more blunt, based on what you've said in these posts, I don't think resigning will bring you the peace of mind you seek. Regardless of what you decide, I hope what you learn in the process helps in your endeavors going forward.
Without using diagnostic labels here, there are certain people that are never satisfied with what they get and are always angry and resentful about what they did get and will tell you they deserved better.
not if you want to get licensed. also you've said you don't want to do outpatient work.
The site did not put you in a terrible situation, you created a bad situation for yourself with your mindset. Please get some help.
