Doctoral internship training opportunities in clinical geropsychology.

What types of internship training opportunities are there for psychology graduate students interested in working with older adults? The authors summarize characteristics of 65 doctoral psychology internships self-identified as offering training opportunities in clinical geropsychology. The internships appear to have the resources, staff, training placements, and training experiences that are at least adequate, and in most programs, much more than adequate, for generalist training in aging. Internship programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs compose a major resource in clinical geropsychology training. Practical suggestions are offered to graduate students interested in obtaining geropsychology training during internship and to internship program directors who may want to offer such training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The internship marketplace: The new depression?

Conducted a survey to provide data on past and future estimates of supply and demand in the internship marketplace and on current and anticipated financial support for clinical psychology graduate students and interns. A questionnaire sent to training directors of the 149 listed clinical psychology graduate programs and 242 listed predoctoral clinical internship facilities, yielded returns of 67% and 81% respectively. Results show a greater increase in demand than in supply of internship positions for the past 5 yrs, with a 14% nonplacement rate predicted within 3 yrs. Financial support data predict shifting of sources of funding from current levels such that a nonsupport rate of 12% for graduate students and 9% for interns is expected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From the ground up: Building a psychology of women internship track.

Where can a graduate student interested in a specialty track in the psychology of women apply for internship? Until recently, there was no American Psychological Association (APA)-approved internship site in the United States offering such an experience. In addition to the generalist training that typifies APA internships, the internship year also presents an opportunity for specialization. If internship sites are to produce psychologists well equipped to address women's unique mental health needs, then it is vital to create opportunities for trainees to specialize in the psychology of women while on internship. This article describes the development of a Psychology of Women Track as part of a predoctoral internship program, including the context of the track, the specific training experiences included in the track, and a conceptual model of psychology of women training that can be used at other internship sites. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in medical psychology: A survey of graduate and internship training programs.

Surveyed American Psychological Association-approved doctoral and internship programs in clinical and counseling psychology regarding training opportunities in medical psychology. 42 graduate and 65 internship programs responded. Results indicate that the majority of both types of programs offered didactic and experiential training, including diagnostic and therapeutic activities with a wide variety of medical/surgical patients. There appears to be a sufficient number of faculty psychologists with special interest and/or expertise in this area to adequately prepare new psychologists for employment in medical centers and other types of medical settings. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology training related to AIDS: Survey of doctoral graduate programs and predoctoral internship programs.

Surveyed all APA-approved graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology and predoctoral internship programs to assess the extent of student training in areas related to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The survey found that 75% of graduate programs do not cover AIDS at any point in their curricula and that less than half train students in human sexuality. Other foundation topics pertinent to AIDS prevention and clinical service provision receive little attention in most graduate and internship programs. The authors discuss reasons why greatly increased prevalence of AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) conditions will require more substantial training and research among psychologists, and they outline some possible mechanisms to provide this training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology training: A history of ideas and practices prior to 1946.

Focuses on the field of clinical psychology and specifically on early developments in the training of clinical psychologists from the period of 1896–1946. The author discusses graduate school curriculum and the 1st university training and internship in clinical psychology. Eight universities that provided graduate training in clinical psychology prior to 1946 are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Predoctoral Internship: Is Current Training Anachronistic?

The historical context of the predoctoral internship system is contrasted with the current state of graduate training. The internship system emerged because psychology students often acquired insufficient clinical experience during graduate training in the mid-20th century. However, modern graduate training typically involves extensive supervised clinical contact prior to internship. Moreover, traditional internships exact significant financial, psychological, and personal costs from students. The authors conclude with a discussion of recent progress in the internship process, promising alternatives to traditional internship training (i.e., elective internship training, distributed clinical training, and the affiliated internship model), and implications for the profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The quality and process of the internship experience.

60 present or former psychology interns completed a survey to assess the intern's work activities, concerns, and expectations and to provide ratings of internship quality and previous training. A comprehensive profile on each internship site was developed to provide feedback regarding the S's prior academic preparation and to facilitate the application process of prospective interns. Although this study focuses on Georgia State University's clinical/academic program, it is hoped that this effort will be used as a model for evaluating the academic and internship training of psychologists at other institutions. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in geropsychology: A survey of graduate and internship training programs.

Results of a survey of 76 doctoral training and 97 internship programs in clinical psychology approved by the American Psychological Association indicate that there is little in the way of formal training in geropsychology. Only one program offered it as a subspecialty; no internship programs offered it as a main area of specialization, in contrast with the number of programs that specialized in the mental health needs of children. Results document the growth of training in the psychology of aging on many campuses, but clinical programs remain largely uninvolved. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training of scientist–practitioner-oriented clinical psychologists: Where we can improve.

To improve psychology graduate programs, the training provided by scientist- or practitioner-oriented graduate programs in clinical psychology is evaluated from the perspective of a director of clinical training in an American Psychological Association-approved internship. Areas in which graduate training may be improved are divided into knowledge, supervision, research, and professional development. Specific training deficits are enumerated, and suggestions for their remediation are offered. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identifying, obtaining, and completing a predoctoral psychology internship: Research considerations.

The quality of clinical training is a critical factor to consider when selecting a psychology predoctoral internship placement. Yet, research activities are also an integral part of a scientist-practitioner training model. Pursuit of ongoing research training during an internship can impact an individual's professional development and productivity, both during the internship year and beyond. Although many published resources have outlined the steps to obtaining a predoctoral internship, few sources have offered adequate consideration of research goals and training. To address this gap in the existing literature, the present article offers a discussion of research issues relevant to the process of identifying, securing, and completing a predoctoral internship in applied psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does the model matter? The relationship between science-practice emphasis in clinical psychology programs and the internship match.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 1(4) of Training and Education in Professional Psychology (see record 2007-18975-009). The biography for the third author was incorrect. It should read as follows: GREGORY KEILIN is an Assistant Director at the Counseling and Mental Health Center at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Chair of APPIC. He received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. His current research interests include supply and demand issues in professional psychology.] Academic training programs in clinical psychology vary in the emphasis that they place on science and practice, and this paper examines whether these differential emphases are linked to distinctive internship outcomes. In a study of 2,130 internship applicants from clinical psychology programs, differences were noted among practice-oriented programs, balanced science-practice programs, and science-oriented programs. Against a backdrop of some similarities, a differential emphasis on science and practice within academic training programs was related to significantly different internship match rates, as well as to successful matching in qualitatively different internship settings. Results provided qualified support for future work that might further address the relationship between academic training programs and outcomes in the field of clinical psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Geography and internship match rates: Quantifying competitiveness and discussing implications for the internship imbalance.

In response to the internship supply/demand imbalance, the field of psychology recognized a crisis and proposed solutions. With each passing year, however, graduate students face the real possibility that they may not match. Using four years worth of site match rates, competitiveness is quantified and analyzed with respect to implications for the field, APPIC, internship sites, graduate programs, and prospective interns. Results suggest geographic differences in match rates are less meaningful for applicant strategies than monitoring competitiveness using site match rates and submitting 10 to 15 applications. Discussion includes implications for students and how they may use match rate data to improve their site selection strategies and chances for a successful match. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The current state of brief therapy training in American Psychological Association-accredited graduate and internship programs.

Did your graduate education include training in the types of therapy most in demand today? The present study surveyed training directors at graduate and internship sites accredited by the American Psychological Association to ascertain if their programs offered training in brief therapy. With response rates of 87% and 78%, respectively, the authors found that almost all internship sites and a simple majority of graduate schools provide some brief therapy training. The brief therapy teachers and supervisors in these settings were also surveyed with regard to course content, educational methods, amount of supervision, and problematic training issues. It is the authors' position that given the nature of the emerging marketplace, clinical training programs should include brief therapy as part of their curricula. Specific recommendations for increasing trainees' and professionals' knowledge base in this area are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing for internship: Tips for the prospective applicant.

This article's major objective is to effectively prepare the graduate student in psychology for the internship application process by providing critical and relevant information. Preparation begins early on in one's graduate career and usually involves the following steps: (a) establishing mentoring relationships, (b) preparing an application portfolio, (c) collecting information, (d) applying, (e) interviewing, (f ) ranking the selected agencies, and (g) responding on selection day. Information is also provided on how to use the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral Internship Centers (APPIC) Clearinghouse. Finally, a brief section is devoted to the process of choosing a non-APPIC site. Advance preparation can make this entire process easier and increase a student's chance of finding a suitable predoctoral internship in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Getting a foot in the door: The written internship application.

The predoctoral internship is one of the final clinical training requirements that graduate students must fulfill before obtaining their degree. The written portion of the application can be crucial in determining whether an individual will be viewed as a desirable intern candidate. This article offers guidelines for developing a written application that accurately and thoroughly conveys who the applicant is in a manner that is more likely to capture the attention of prospective internship sites. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey of behavior modification training opportunities in APA-approved internship facilities.

Administered a questionnaire to 103 American Psychological Association approved internship training facility directors to assess behavior modification training opportunities. Results are presented in a tabular format indicating program name, number of psychology staff, their orientations, number of behavioral psychologists, didactic training availability, practice opportunities, and supervision opportunities. Results indicate that opportunities do exist for clinical training in behavior modification at the internship level. Behavior modification is generally perceived as only one aspect of the training necessary for the well-rounded clinician. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Salaries of clinical psychologists employed in APA-approved internship settings: 1979.

Updates data and provides information on present salaries of clinical psychologists working in internship-training centers. Salary schedules from 80 training centers approved for predoctoral internship training in clinical or counseling psychology indicate that federally-funded training centers provide the highest salaries for psychologists, and charity-supported agencies and those located in the Northeast provide the lowest salaries. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Process of Selecting Predoctoral Internship Training Sites.

The authors believe that their present approach to internship center placement is beneficial to both clinical psychology graduate students and internship centers. The students have become actively involved and are a very important part of the process. This approach minimizes the effort of the graduate students in selecting an excellent internship and reduces the amount of work, time, and energy devoted to the process in both the psychology department and the internship center. The authors hope this approach will be of value to other psychology departments in the selection and processing of their graduate students for internship centers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transition from graduate school to internship: A potential crisis.

Notes that the transition from graduate school to a professional internship provokes considerable unexpected turmoil in the lives of psychology graduate students. Some individuals may display symptoms often associated with an emotional crisis. The clinical, institutional, and personal stressors created by this transition are discussed. Personal stressors involving the loss of meaningful relationships and difficulties in mourning are perceived to be of paramount importance. Because of the instability experienced in this transition, new interns may not function at their best, and supervisors should be wary of establishing base rates of competency for interns. Recommendations are presented on how graduate programs and professional internships can help students deal with the turmoil of this period. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)