VA Internships- how much does accreditation matter?

[ClinPsychEnthus]

I apologize if this question seems redundant, but I would like to hear others' opinions on this matter~

How much does it matter if one matches to a non-accredited VA for internship?


Background:

For Phase I, I applied to and was interviewed exclusively at APA-accredited VA's.
I did not match

For Phase II, I decided due to fit to add 2 non accredited VA's to my list of applications, and have had a few interviews at a mix of accredited and non-accredited VA's.

However- my favorite interview was with a non-accredited VA. The staff appeared warm, friendly, engaging and invested.

I believe that it is important to complete an APA-accredited internship, and would like to work in a VA for post-doc and beyond. Therefore, I am wondering whether it would be advisable to only rank accredited VA's, rank all of the VA's, or wait a year and re-apply.

Thank you for your opinions!

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[bmedclinic]

I interviewed at 6 VA's in round 1 and what I kept hearing (2 of them were going through accreditation and new) was that it didnt matter- you'd be fine. The interns at those sites stated they had success in the postdoc game and it hadnt hindered them so far.

Good luck. I'm jealous that I didnt get to match at a VA.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

The VA of course requires completion of an accredited internship in order to be considered for a VA postdoc and/or career; HOWEVER, the one exception is for unaccredited VAs that are on track to become accredited. Assuming that training program is in good standing with the VA, and is making progress toward accreditation, you should be likely fine.

 

[PHD12]

I apologize if this question seems redundant, but I would like to hear others' opinions on this matter~

How much does it matter if one matches to a non-accredited VA for internship?


Background:

For Phase I, I applied to and was interviewed exclusively at APA-accredited VA's.
I did not match

For Phase II, I decided due to fit to add 2 non accredited VA's to my list of applications, and have had a few interviews at a mix of accredited and non-accredited VA's.

However- my favorite interview was with a non-accredited VA. The staff appeared warm, friendly, engaging and invested.

I believe that it is important to complete an APA-accredited internship, and would like to work in a VA for post-doc and beyond. Therefore, I am wondering whether it would be advisable to only rank accredited VA's, rank all of the VA's, or wait a year and re-apply.

Thank you for your opinions!

Keep in mind that if you want to do a postdoc outside the VA, you are going to need an APA Accredited internship for any competitive position. You never know where your career will take you and whether you will land a VA position. VA post-docs are also incredibly competitive so I would imagine that would prioritize APA VA internships over non-accredited ones, even if the internship was at a VA hospital. I would still rank the accredited ones over the unaccredited positions.

 

[erg923]

so I would imagine that would prioritize APA VA internships over non-accredited ones, even if the internship was at a VA hospital.

I do not think that is true.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I do not think that is true.

I'd be inclined to agree with erg on this one. VANeuroDoc and/or someone else involved in postdoc selection could likely speak more to this, but I get the feeling that if the internship was completed at a VA, it'll generally be viewed the same as any other VA internship. What might come more into play would be the people with whom you trained and the rotations you completed while there, and how that might mesh with the postdoc/job in question.

The parts about non-VA postdocs and jobs (particularly those at places like AMCs) certainly ring true, though.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I have not heard of a VA pursuing APA-acred. and not receiving it, though YMMV with these kind of things. A friend went through this at her VA and she had no problem getting licensed and staying in the VA system...for what an N=1 is worth. As for competitiveness for post-doc...I don't think it matters within the VA setting. Outside of the VA you will definitely have an uphill battle if the site isn't awarded APA-acred. status during your intern year.

*edited to clarify*

 

[VAneurodoc]

I'd be inclined to agree with erg on this one. VANeuroDoc and/or someone else involved in postdoc selection could likely speak more to this, but I get the feeling that if the internship was completed at a VA, it'll generally be viewed the same as any other VA internship. What might come more into play would be the people with whom you trained and the rotations you completed while there, and how that might mesh with the postdoc/job in question.

The parts about non-VA postdocs and jobs (particularly those at places like AMCs) certainly ring true, though.

I believe you are correct on this. The internship is likely in the process of becoming accredited so in the long run it will not matter. It should not affect, at all, competitiveness for VA postdoc or a VA staff position.

 

[ClinPsychEnthus]

I have not heard of a VA pursuing APA-acred. and not receiving it, though YMMV with these kind of things. A friend went through this at her VA and she had no problem getting licensed and staying in the VA system...for what an N=1 is worth. As for competitiveness for post-doc...I don't think it matters within the VA setting. Outside of the VA you will definitely have an uphill battle if the site isn't awarded APA-acred. status during your intern year.

Great to hear. The site I'm talking about is submitting their self-study now/soon, so I feel hopeful that they will gain accreditation during my internship year... just wanted to get a feel for the importance of their status, should they not become accredited. I'm happy about the answers that I'm hearing, though, because I LOVED this site more than any of my other VA interviews...

 

[ClinPsychEnthus]

I believe you are correct on this. The internship is likely in the process of becoming accredited so in the long run it will not matter. It should not affect, at all, competitiveness for VA postdoc or a VA staff position.

It is in the process of becoming accredited- thanks! I am really glad that I'm getting good news from those of you within the VA system!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I have not heard of a VA pursuing APA-acred. and not receiving it, though YMMV with these kind of things. A friend went through this at her VA and she had no problem getting licensed and staying in the VA system...for what an N=1 is worth. As for competitiveness for post-doc...I don't think it matters within the VA setting. Outside of the VA you will definitely have an uphill battle if the site isn't awarded APA-acred. status during your intern year.

*edited to clarify*

Neither have I...likely in part because, I believe, if a VA site doesn't obtain accreditation, it's discontinued.

I don't remember if internship sites need to graduate a class or two before they can become accredited, though. So to the OP--if they haven't done so yet, you may want to check into the APA's rules on this, as the site automatically may not be eligible until after you finish.

That being said, if you're strictly interested in VA postdocs and careers, you'll be fine.

 

[HomeworkHelper]

The VA of course requires completion of an accredited internship in order to be considered for a VA postdoc and/or career; HOWEVER, the one exception is for unaccredited VAs that are on track to become accredited. Assuming that training program is in good standing with the VA, and is making progress toward accreditation, you should be likely fine.

I understand this to be true as well. For proof, I know two interns at a VA that is in the process of seeking accreditation that recently got great APA-accredited VA postdocs.

 

[ClinPsychEnthus]

Neither have I...likely in part because, I believe, if a VA site doesn't obtain accreditation, it's discontinued.

I don't remember if internship sites need to graduate a class or two before they can become accredited, though. So to the OP--if they haven't done so yet, you may want to check into the APA's rules on this, as the site automatically may not be eligible until after you finish.

That being said, if you're strictly interested in VA postdocs and careers, you'll be fine.

From what I have been told (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) an internship program must complete one entire year through to graduation before starting the accreditation process.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

From what I have been told (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) an internship program must complete one entire year through to graduation before starting the accreditation process.

Yes.*

*I know some have wanted to change this as part of the stream-lining of the acred. process, but I'm not sure where that is at. The change would make it more fair to students, as the first class wouldn't get left in the gap between non-Acred and APA-acred.