SDN meet up at APA convention??

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ClinPsychEnthus

Psy.D. candidate, VA intern
10+ Year Member
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Hey all...

I know that one of the major benefits of SDN is anonymity... but I am wondering if anyone is attending the APA convention who may want to get together, even for a cup of coffee or an evening dessert? Many of us appear to value the exchanges that occur here on SDN, and so I started thinking that a meet up/ meet & greet could be fun.


Anyone thinking similarly, or interested if we were to set up an event? 😎
 
I feel terrible about being a downer but I really appreciate the anonymity SDN brings...
 
Perhaps it'd be possible to have a meet-up without having to reveal screennames? That could preserve at least some/most of the anonymity.

I just want someone to go to Disneyworld with me. :laugh:
 
I would love to meet up with you all if I was going.
 
I'm unfortunately not planning on going to APA this year, but have a great time to those who do.

And I also agree re: anonymity. Sometimes (e.g., comments sections of news stories) it can lead to hateful and hurtful rhetoric, but here, most of the time, it just seems to facilitate open and (perhaps sometimes overly) honest communication, with the occasional venting session thrown in.
 
You guys could all create new screen names and communicate with those ones to plan a meeting. 🙂
 
I've revealed myself to those who attend my program in the past and a few select others. However, I actually think that I'm going to have to stop doing this as absolutely no one (save the most recent person who has been accepted) still attends my program. They've all left; I don't think this bodes well for me. :scared:
 
I have met a few SDNer's and they were surprisingly normal. While these findings are promising, there are some major limitations to my data including a limited sample size, lack of power, and I did not control for a variety of possible moderating factors. Therefore, these data should be viewed conservatively, and more studies should be done to further explore the normality of SDN posters before more definitive statements can be made. :meanie:
 
I have identified 2 people I know based on their posts here. I got a kick out of sending one of them creepy PMs.
 
I have identified 2 people I know based on their posts here. I got a kick out of sending one of them creepy PMs.

Someone I met while on interviews PMed me after identifying me based on one of my posts...and now we're e-mailing back and forth. Which I think is great! But it definitely reminded me that NOTHING on this forum is truly anonymous. :meanie:
 
Someone I met while on interviews PMed me after identifying me based on one of my posts...and now we're e-mailing back and forth. Which I think is great! But it definitely reminded me that NOTHING on this forum is truly anonymous. :meanie:

Well in the future, if I am talking to someone in person about SDN, I'll just pretend I'm 4410 😀
 
Someone I met while on interviews PMed me after identifying me based on one of my posts...and now we're e-mailing back and forth. Which I think is great! But it definitely reminded me that NOTHING on this forum is truly anonymous. :meanie:

There were two of us who interviewed at the same program and we were able to figure out one another once we got there. Thankfully, we were both accepted. :laugh: (She's still a great friend even though she left the program after her master's.) There was another individual who was sort of, um, quirky & demanding who we figured out while there, but she sort of kept her distance. I think she may still be around somewhere.


Well in the future, if I am talking to someone in person about SDN, I'll just pretend I'm 4410 😀

Yeeah, I don't think you can pull that one off. I know where he's located and attending internship. 😉
 
I'm sure a lot of people know who I really am. Ohh well. 🙂 I don't really say anything here that I wouldn't say IRL.
 
I'm sure a lot of people know who I really am. Ohh well. 🙂 I don't really say anything here that I wouldn't say IRL.

Well, obviously! You're that doctor dude from that animated series. 🙄
 
I've been both "busted" my folks in my program when sharing similar stories to them and on here, and have openly shared my identity with a few others (some of whom I now collaborate with!).

Anonymity is nice, but there isn't much I say on here that I wouldn't say in real life - aside from perhaps being slightly less PC about my feelings towards professional schools online than I would be in a face-to-face discussion.
 
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Well, obviously! You're that doctor dude from that animated series. 🙄

I wish we had the amazing founder of the clip-clop technique among us!

I know at least two SDNers/past SDNers IRL, one in my program and one I met on an interview weekend., and a couple others I was able to recognize as people I know pretty conclusively. I think that if you knew me IRL, you could probably figure out who I am, but like cara, I pretty much post things I would--and do--say in other settings, so... (Yes, I'm pretty sarcastic IRL, too!).
 
I've been both "busted" my folks in my program when sharing similar stories to them and on here, and have openly shared my identity with a few others (some of whom I now collaborate with!).

Anonymity is nice, but there isn't much I say on here that I wouldn't say in real life - aside from perhaps being slightly less PC about my feelings towards professional schools than I would be in a face-to-face discussion.

I find it a little strange you would be more PC in a relatively anonymous forum (on any subject) rather than face to face - not that I notice many people being "PC" about professional schools here.

My rabid libertarian politics and opinionated nature are frequently pretty ubridled online, while I tend to generally be very easy-going and accomodating with people of different persuasions and viewpoints in real life.
 
Well in the future, if I am talking to someone in person about SDN, I'll just pretend I'm 4410 😀

I think you'd have to drool a bit perhaps to complete the picture.
 
I've been both "busted" my folks in my program when sharing similar stories to them and on here, and have openly shared my identity with a few others (some of whom I now collaborate with!).

Anonymity is nice, but there isn't much I say on here that I wouldn't say in real life - aside from perhaps being slightly less PC about my feelings towards professional schools than I would be in a face-to-face discussion.

I find it a little strange you would be more PC in a relatively anonymous forum (on any subject) rather than face to face - not that I notice many people being "PC" about professional schools here.

My rabid libertarian politics and opinionated nature are frequently pretty ubridled online, while I tend to generally be very easy-going and accomodating with people of different persuasions and viewpoints in real life.

I read that as he is less PC online than in real life (although I admittedly read it the other way the first time as well)?
 
Sorry for any confusion, missed a word when typing - I definitely meant if anything I'm slightly less restrained here (though not by much). Edited it for clarity.
 
I find it a little strange you would be more PC in a relatively anonymous forum (on any subject) rather than face to face - not that I notice many people being "PC" about professional schools here.

My rabid libertarian politics and opinionated nature are frequently pretty ubridled online, while I tend to generally be very easy-going and accomodating with people of different persuasions and viewpoints in real life.

Agreed. I don't generally share my negative opinions IRL without being more tactful than I am on here.

The other reason for preferring anonymity I think is that, if I perhaps take a controversial stance about some issue that is not relevant to my actual work (such as your libertarian politics, for example), I'd prefer it not to color other professionals' opinions of me. Chances are, some things discussed on this forum would likely never be discussed IRL, so why make everything public?

FTR, I have never discussed or heard anyone discuss SDN throughout my entire graduate training/internship/postdoc IRL.
 
Sorry for any confusion, missed a word when typing - I definitely meant if anything I'm slightly less restrained here (though not by much). Edited it for clarity.

Awww, but now we can't have warm, fuzzy feelings that you're more cantankerous and confrontational in real life. 🙁
 
Sorry for any confusion, missed a word when typing - I definitely meant if anything I'm slightly less restrained here (though not by much). Edited it for clarity.

Ah, makes sense. Got it.
 
I mean, I just joined and pretty much only participate in/read threads related to internship (since that's the reason I joined)... I'm sure if people met up with me, they still wouldn't know who I am. 🙂.

Though, if people do know me in real life, I'm assuming they'd be able to figure out who I am. Not that I'm too concerned about that happening. If I do know you... 'ello!
 
I'd like to live in a world where people don't hate other people/get angry at them for their political stances. That is probably a fantasy. I know I'm weird in that I enjoy arguing and don't get bothered by discussions most people would call heated.. In fact I always take slight satisfaction if someone is reduced to hurling invectives my way.

Though I'm sure I do feel out someone's opinions before I crap on FSPS in RL. I still talk a fair amount of s*** on them. And I aim for my s*** talk to be backed up by facts and citations.
 
Agreed. I don't generally share my negative opinions IRL without being more tactful than I am on here.

The other reason for preferring anonymity I think is that, if I perhaps take a controversial stance about some issue that is not relevant to my actual work (such as your libertarian politics, for example), I'd prefer it not to color other professionals' opinions of me. Chances are, some things discussed on this forum would likely never be discussed IRL, so why make everything public?

FTR, I have never discussed or heard anyone discuss SDN throughout my entire graduate training/internship/postdoc IRL.

What's "IRL"? Forgive me, I'm the oldest young person there is. :laugh:
 
What's "IRL"? Forgive me, I'm the oldest young person there is. :laugh:

In Real Life 🙂

Edit: Also, I don't at all blame you for asking. There's always the Google option, but I've found that anytime I try to look up chat-type acronyms, I'll usually have one site that gives the correct response, and a dozen others that provide an entertainingly vast array of inappropriate content.
 
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I'd like to live in a world where people don't hate other people/get angry at them for their political stances. That is probably a fantasy. I know I'm weird in that I enjoy arguing and don't get bothered by discussions most people would call heated.. In fact I always take slight satisfaction if someone is reduced to hurling invectives my way.

Oh totally. That's why I like the forum.

It's not that I won't argue with people IRL (in real life) or won't discuss anything controversial. But I have seen/heard some pretty harsh comments regarding "the type of person" who would believe/do certain things from supervisors.

For example, I listened to a long rant from my postdoc boss about idiots who get tattoos. Little did they know that I HAVE a tattoo. It didn't seem worth sharing that fact with them after that conversation - or at least not until I was almost done with the job.

If something that small may impact how someone views you professionally, then I'd rather avoid publicly arguing about things like, say, that I believe that you can't be pro-life and pro-death penalty (or pro-choice and anti-death penalty) without being an idiot. Shouldn't really matter to potential collaborators or employers anyways.
 
Oh totally. That's why I like the forum.

It's not that I won't argue with people IRL (in real life) or won't discuss anything controversial. But I have seen/heard some pretty harsh comments regarding "the type of person" who would believe/do certain things from supervisors.

For example, I listened to a long rant from my postdoc boss about idiots who get tattoos. Little did they know that I HAVE a tattoo. It didn't seem worth sharing that fact with them after that conversation - or at least not until I was almost done with the job.

They do realize that tatoos have an important and meaningful tradition in many cultures...not to mention the US military. I take it this wasnt a person with much VA or military experience?

Does he also tell the kids to get off his lawn on a regular basis and grumble about "the kids and their damn facespace." I love these types of old, inflexible farts....😉

Serioulsy though, with so much of our work depending on social norms..its a wonder some of these people seem so inflexible to change/progression.
 
They do realize that tatoos have an important and meaningful tradition in many cultures...not to mention the US military. I take it this wasnt a person with much VA or military experience?

Pragma can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe his postdoc is/was at an AMC, which is the setting where I've most-frequently heard similar sentiments (although even then, in my experience, it hasn't been the majority of clinicians).

I agree, though--if you have a problem with tattoos, then working at the VA isn't going to be in your deck of career cards.
 
They do realize that tatoos have an important and meaningful tradition in many cultures...not to mention the US military. I take it this wasnt a person with much VA or military experience?

I have heard it from at least 3 different supervisors, and I think it is ridiculous. Within academia I understand that some folks are just a little more old school. But in clinical settings I think it's hogwash. No it wasn't a VA person but we saw plenty of veterans there.

Now that I got a TT gig I plan to get a sleeve 😎 ...or wait...maybe I'd better wait until I get tenure 😳
 
Does he also tell the kids to get off his lawn on a regular basis and grumble about "the kids and their damn facespace." I love these types of old, inflexible farts....😉

The ironic part here is that I purposefully left it gender neutral - but it was a female supervisor.
 
In my experience, neurpsychology tends to get filled with people who often look down on "commoners" or working class folks with some degree of suspicion with regards to their intelligence, class, and/or or mental health. Its pretty sad. What really sad is that everybody else sees it and most of them seem oblvious to it.
 
In my experience, neurpsychology tends to get filled with people who often look down on "commoners" or working class folks with some degree of suspicion with regards to their intelligence, class, and/or or mental health. Its pretty sad. What really sad is that everybody else sees it and most of them seem oblvious to it.

Yep! It takes a special type. Hopefully change can happen from within - it's actually a goal of mine to challenge some of these trends within academia and hopefully, down the road, within this subspecialty. But you can't really stir things up with your supervisors much as a student/trainee...so it takes time.

Obviously not all neuropsychologists are like this, but I notice a higher proportion of them compared to other psychologists I know make comments like this.
 
In my experience, neurpsychology tends to get filled with people who often look down on "commoners" or working class folks with some degree of suspicion with regards to their intelligence, class, and/or or mental health. Its pretty sad. What really sad is that everybody else sees it and most of them seem oblvious to it.

My supervisor was (fortunately) not at all like this, which was nice, as the majority of our patients were working-class and/or disabled (physically or intellectually). That might be a big part of why he chose to fill contracts with the agencies he did, though.

I had limited exposure to other neuropsychologists while in grad school (even those I met through my advisor at conferences seemed down-to-earth and normal, although most were his former students), though, so up until this past year, that's just how I thought everyone was. I've since come to realize this isn't the case, although I've lucked out again in that the majority of the supervisors at my internship (across all tracks) are pretty awesome.
 
My supervisor was (fortunately) not at all like this, which was nice, as the majority of our patients were working-class and/or disabled (physically or intellectually). That might be a big part of why he chose to fill contracts with the agencies he did, though.

I had limited exposure to other neuropsychologists while in grad school (even those I met through my advisor at conferences seemed down-to-earth and normal, although most were his former students), though, so up until this past year, that's just how I thought everyone was. I've since come to realize this isn't the case, although I've lucked out again in that the majority of the supervisors at my internship (across all tracks) are pretty awesome.

Hopefully that continues to trend. I know some great NPs but also some pretty rigid ones. There's enough younger folks in training now that perhaps some of these social judgment trends will attrit on their own.
 
Hopefully that continues to trend. I know some great NPs but also some pretty rigid ones. There's enough younger folks in training now that perhaps some of these social judgment trends will attrit on their own.

The supervisors at my upcoming postdoc all seem great (and very open-minded), so I'm hoping to keep this streak alive for at least another two years.
 
In my experience, neurpsychology tends to get filled with people who often look down on "commoners" or working class folks with some degree of suspicion with regards to their intelligence, class, and/or or mental health. Its pretty sad. What really sad is that everybody else sees it and most of them seem oblvious to it.

Tough crowd!

:laugh:

Certain types of work can make clinicians more jaded, but I think most of the negativity is focused on differences in training standards (of colleagues in NP, RP, and related areas), and not as much on the treating populations. I think most everyone I have met in the NP & RP (rehab psych) world are pretty down to earth, but turf issues and variability in training are definitely two areas that bring out some barbs. It may come off as, "back in my day we went up hill, both ways, in the snow." but I think many of the concerns are legitimate. If you like neuro assessment but Div 40 isn't your thing, check out Div 22...both have great folks.

Anonymity?

;-)

Exactly.

I most likely won't make it down to APA this year, but hopefully I'll see some of ya at INS, NAN, etc. 😀
 
Tough crowd!

:laugh:

Certain types of work can make clinicians more jaded, but I think most of the negativity is focused on differences in training standards (of colleagues in NP, RP, and related areas), and not as much on the treating populations. I think most everyone I have met in the NP & RP (rehab psych) world are pretty down to earth, but turf issues and variability in training are definitely two areas that bring out some barbs. It may come off as, "back in my day we went up hill, both ways, in the snow." but I think many of the concerns are legitimate. If you like neuro assessment but Div 40 isn't your thing, check out Div 22...both have great folks.



Exactly.

I most likely won't make it down to APA this year, but hopefully I'll see some of ya at INS, NAN, etc. 😀

I'm definitely planning on heading to at least one of those two. NAN is leading right now, since Hawaii--while awesome in theory--will be harder to swing without some kind of travel funding.
 
I'm definitely planning on heading to at least one of those two. NAN is leading right now, since Hawaii--while awesome in theory--will be harder to swing without some kind of travel funding.

I forgot INS is in Hawaii. Hmm...I prob. will skip this yr, as I can go to 2 (or more) conferences for the cost. NAN '12 & AACN '13 in CHI and Nashville respectively seem like better options.
 
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