Supervision dilemma

[NPchi]

I received advanced neuro externship offers from sites A & B. Site A has very positive name recognition but serves a population that I already have extensive experience with. Site B is also a good placement, without the national name recognition, but with a more general population. Both sites have a legendary supervisor as the head of the program whose stamp of approval would do wonders for a career. I respectfully turned down site A for site B based upon the population of interest, level of responsibility/activities, and "vibe" from the interview, with the understanding that I would be able to work closely with the aforementioned supervisors at either site. On receiving my clinic schedule, it turns out that I have been placed on the one day that said supervisor is not on staff, and I will instead be working with other early-career neuropsychologists (one ABPP-CN & one not).

Here is my dilemma: had I known that I wouldn't be able to work with this certain dr, I would have chosen the other site regardless of the other factors, as there really wasn't a huge disparity in the pro/con list for either. I'm now faced with an upcoming practicum experience that I'm sure will be adequate (I know that I will still learn from these supervisors), but that will almost certainly be inferior to the placement I turned down. I already asked to switch days for an unrelated scheduling conflict and that request was not granted, as the schedule seems to be locked in already.

Any suggestions on how to facilitate a relationship with this dr outside of the normal supervisory relationship? Obviously I will try to speak up and be active in didactics, and will give the normal clinic my all with no trace of an attitude. I'll also try to cover for other externs on said dr.'s clinic day so the dr has some direct exposure to my work. Any chance I'll get that coveted letter for internship or even a "nudging" email before interviews without being on the dr.'s regular clinic day?

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[Kadhir]

That's unfortunate you can't have direct access to that supervisor, but remember that all that is old is not gold. I've learned heaps from early career neuropsychologists on top of their game. More senior authorities may not have the time (or personality) to invest in training. A similar argument can be made for the name recognition factor. If there wasn't a huge disparity in the pro/con list, I'm not sure you can be certain that the placement you chose will be inferior to the one you turned down...

Hyperfocusing on one population is not a great idea at the graduate level, so I think ultimately you did make a choice based on personal training needs; this is good. If you make a good impression on the supervisors with whom you've been placed, you could probably ask to have a case or two supervised by the senior clinician. I would also investigate any potential opportunities for research with this person as well.

 

[WisNeuro]

Not all legendary names carry the weight they once did. There are 2 huge names that I get internship app letters from that are generally useless, if anything it drags their application down. I agree with Kadhir, getting more expansive experience will be good. you're still getting a letter from a board certified person. Do good work, get a good letter, and you'll be fine.