Issues related to postdoctoral education and training in professional psychology: Results of an opinion survey.

Is professional psychology assuming adequate responsibility for advanced training in the profession? Although professional psychology has taken enormous strides in articulating standards for doctoral and internship training, postdoctoral education and training (PDET) have received much less attention, resulting in a lack of clear guidelines for managing the transition from training to independent practice. Professional psychology's practitioners, educators, and trainees were asked to provide their opinions on a number of PDET-related issues. Data are presented that include broad support for maintaining the postdoctoral training year. Implications address steps to assist advanced students in maximizing their postdoctoral training experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

License portability: Do we want it?

This study surveyed interns, postdoctoral residents, directors of training, and psychologists in independent practice to assess their support for the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Board's efforts to facilitate license portability across state or provincial boundaries. Results indicate strong support at all career levels and are discussed in terms of psychology remaining competitive in a constantly changing workplace. Additional research to clarify motives for this strong support and to identify possible drawbacks to license portability is also suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology Training Directors' Views of Number of Practicum Hours Necessary Prior to Internship Application.

A national survey of training directors of academic programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships was conducted to explore what constitutes an adequate number of practicum hours necessary to apply for internship. Training directors agreed that minimum standard hours should be set but differed on what those hours should be, with academic training directors endorsing fewer hours than directors of predoctoral internships and postdoctoral fellowships. The results raise questions about what is a practicum hour and suggest a need to obtain consensus about minimum standards and the possibility of a competency-based approach rather than emphasizing hours of practicum experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training child clinical predoctoral interns and postdoctoral fellows in ethics and professional issues: An experiential model.

The purpose of this article is to outline an experiential professional issues and ethics seminar program developed for predoctoral psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows in the child psychology training program at Stanford University Medical School. It is imperative that trainees develop a comprehensive and practical understanding of both ethical principles and professional issues before completing their academic and clinical training in psychology. A review of this seminar program may help other internship and postdoctoral training programs develop or fine-tune their methods of educating trainees in both professional issues and ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trends in postdoctoral education: Requirements for licensure and training opportunities.

The authors examined the way postdoctoral requirements for psychology licensure have changed over the last 10 years. In 1995, 46 states required postdoctoral experience compared with only 28 states in 1985. For 1995, there was wide variability in how many hours constituted a training year, in the amount of clinical experience required, and in the frequency and type of supervision required. Examination of the current amounts and kinds of postdoctoral training opportunities revealed at least 480 sites offering 1,107 full-time and 107 part-time slots. Implications of the results for the current training system are discussed and recommendations for postdoctoral trainees are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ten strategies for psychology trainees and practicing psychologists interested in avoiding ethical and legal perils.

Litigation against psychologists has increased in recent years, resulting in high malpractice premiums, negative publicity, and defensive approaches to professional practice. While many practicing psychologists have become keenly aware of the need to be up-to-date on legal and ethical issues in professional practice, it is unclear if this attention has filtered down to the training of graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral trainees. While trainees are generally fairly well versed in the Ethics Code (APA, 1992) they tend to have little practical understanding of strategies to minimize both ethical and legal troubles. The purpose of this article is to outline 10 practical strategies to minimize the chances of ethical and legal problems for both psychology trainees and practicing psychologists. While this is not an exhaustive list, it highlights some of the major issues trainees and psychologists should be aware of and offers direction for minimizing potential problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship opportunities in clinical neuropsychology emphasizing recent INS training guidelines.

Surveyed the directors of 230 predoctoral internship programs in clinical and counseling psychology about the nature of clinical neuropsychological experiences provided at the internship site, training in neuropsychological batteries, information about providers, and availability of formal postdoctoral training. Of the 170 programs responding, 117 indicated that they offered some form of training in clinical neuropsychology. The most common format for this training was the seminar. Findings show that while there is continued demand for clinical neuropsychology training opportunities, the programs' present structure and limited training opportunities are not likely to produce competent practitioners. Although formal postdoctoral experiences were a major recommendation of the International Neuropsychological Association (INS) training guidelines, positions were limited. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

State psychological association creates a postdoctoral residency and internship training program.

State psychological associations can respond to supply and demand problems for postdoctoral residencies and internships by creating statewide training programs. A state psychological association training model is presented. The Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) created a nonprofit subsidiary corporation- the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium-to increase the number of high-quality training opportunities in Arizona. The structure and operation of the program are described. The training model emphasizes cultural diversity, psychotherapy, and independent practice. Members of the practice community in Arizona serve as supervisors, trainers, and mentors. From 2001 through 2006, 19 postdoctoral residents and 51 interns completed the program. AzPA has benefited from increased student involvement. Many residents and interns later became association members. Arizona can serve as a model for other states that wish to help their professionals in training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating the clinical supervisee: A survey of practices in graduate training programs.

Surveyed 71 directors of clinical training regarding practices for providing evaluation and feedback to clinical supervisees. Results indicate that routinely scheduled evaluations of trainee progress are a widespread practice. Although the majority of programs create records of evaluations, only about two-thirds provide written feedback to trainees. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postdoctoral education-training for specialty practice: Long anticipated, finally realized.

Recommendations for broad and generic predoctoral education and training and postdoctoral specialization for practice have been made by psychology education and training conference groups since 1949. The number of postdoctoral education and training offerings has grown steadily over the succeeding decades. Selected data on postdoctoral education and training are presented in this article for a sample of 388 current postdoctoral education and training sites. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in adolescent treatment: Where is psychology?

Determined the extent to which doctoral and postdoctoral/internship training programs (TPs) focus on working with adolescents. A questionnaire was mailed to all American Psychological Association approved clinical and counseling psychology doctoral TPs and all postdoctoral and internship TPs listed with the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. Data were obtained from 299 program directors, 146 of whom were postdoctoral/internship respondents. The majority of doctoral level TPs do not offer specific training in working with adolescents. Only 25% of TPs were identified as offering any course work in adolescent psychopathology and in all cases adolescents were lumped together with children. In the category of postdoctoral/internship TPs, only 27% offer courses in the treatment of adolescents and only 21% offer practicums. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training for independent practice: A survey of graduate programs in clinical psychology.

Administered a questionnaire to 112 directors of clinical training programs to investigate the types of training opportunities relative to independent practice that doctoral programs in clinical psychology are offering students. Findings indicate that 87% of PsyD programs and 35% of PhD programs offered some training. Results indicate that private practice as a professional activity for psychologists has become more accepted, that increased training is being offered, but that negative attitudes toward private practice still remain in a small sector of academia. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practical pitfalls of "Postdoctoral education for professional practice."

Comments on an article by S. R. Graham and R. E. Fox (see record 1992-06970-001) regarding their idea for a network of centers of excellence to provide postdoctoral training. The authors find 2 problems with the proposed model: Part-time training and adequate salaries will not help those based in underserved areas, and trainees would stay too long in a student role. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of cardiology training programs in Canada and the United States

To compare the composition of cardiology training programs in Canada and the USA, we surveyed the directors of all Canadian and American training programs. We found that Canadian trainees performed significantly fewer procedures than USA trainees and that the chief determinants of numbers of procedures performed are duration of time spent in a rotation and the type of hospital where the program is based.     

A postdoctoral residency program in clinical psychology.

Describes "1 training center's approach to postdoctoral training for the professional aspects of clinical psychology, as seen through the eyes of 1 of its faculty members. 1 or 2 yr. of postdoctoral residency training prepare the young clinical psychologist to engage in professional practice in 2 areas," as a psychodiagnostician-clinician-consultant and as a psychotherapist. These 2 roles are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy in the Remediation of Psychology Trainees: Exploratory Interviews With Training Directors.

Practicing psychotherapists and trainers of psychology doctoral students are often concerned about the role of personal psychotherapy for trainees, particularly when intended for remediation. The training directors for 14 doctoral programs were interviewed regarding the use of personal psychotherapy for remediation. The major theme in a qualitative analysis of these exploratory interviews was the challenge of balancing confidentiality of the trainee's personal therapy with training program accountability and quality assurance to protect the public. Program practices ranged from hands-off to active program involvement in aspects of the trainee's personal therapy. Recommendations for program decision making about psychotherapy as remediation for trainees are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Manitoba's Rural and Northern Community-Based Training Program for Psychology Interns and Residents.

This article describes a unique internship training experience developed by the Department of Clinical Health Psychology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Manitoba. Interns live in and provide services to remote northern communities for half of the internship year and receive supervision from a psychologist in the community, supplemented by telehealth. The department also offers a full-year, postdoctoral rural residency. Ten interns and 4 residents have been trained so far. The community-based generalist training model and responses to the challenges, for both supervisors and trainees, of working in small underserved communities are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The educational component of senior house officer posts: differences in the perceptions of consultants and junior doctors

The aims of this study were to elicit general practitioner (GP) trainee's perceptions of the educational structure of their hospital posts, to compare them with those of consultants who had GP trainees as senior house officers (SHOs) in their departments and to examine the use of educational objectives in the hospital component of vocational training for general practice. A confidential postal questionnaire was sent to all the GP trainees (165 doctors) in the hospital component of their vocational training schemes (VTS) for general practice in Trent Region and all the consultants (161 doctors) in Trent who had GP trainees in their SHO posts on that date. Responses were received from 136 trainees (82%) and 134 consultants (83%). Educational objectives were stated as existing in the SHO post by 31 trainees (23%) and by 62 consultants (46%). Of those doctors who said that objectives existed, 19 of the trainees (61%) and 40 of the consultants (65%) said that the objectives were useful. Only nine (29%) of the trainees who stated that educational objectives existed felt that they were being put into practice by senior staff, compared with 41 (66%) of consultants who had made that statement. Of all respondents, 113 trainees (87%) and 100 consultants (77%) agreed or strongly agreed that the use of educational objectives would be beneficial to the trainees. Only 10 (7%) of trainees said that they received no teaching in their current posts. Forty trainees (32%) and 88 consultants (67%) said that teaching took place in protected time. Both groups cited consultants as the member of staff giving the most teaching. Ninety-six consultants (73%) replied that it was possible for GP trainees to obtain study leave, but 102 trainees (75%) either had experienced difficulties in obtaining study leave or had not attempted to obtain study leave. Trainees and consultants differed appreciably in their perceptions of the amount of assessment and feedback which was provided for GP trainees. The use of educational objectives in the hospital component of vocational training was felt to be beneficial by both consultants and GP trainees. Consultants were more likely than trainees to report the use of educational objectives, protected teaching time, GP-orientated teaching, ability of trainees to attend VTS half-day release and the provision of assessment and feedback to trainees.     

A Predoctoral Field Placement in Primary Care: Keeping It Simple.

The supply of psychologists with clinical experience in primary care settings has not kept pace with the growing demand. Pre- and postdoctoral training opportunities in primary care are rare, in part, because of the administrative, cultural, and educational complexities associated with interdisciplinary training endeavors. The authors describe the development of a modest, half-day primary care placement that is offered as part of a predoctoral internship in child clinical psychology. They provide a model and recommendations for exposing trainees and other interested practitioners to the themes, culture, and clinical opportunities of primary care, while avoiding many of the logistical problems that can encumber such efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ten principles of success for psychology trainees embarking on their careers.

During this challenging and rapidly changing period in the mental health field, one often hears a great deal of concern and pessimism being expressed by psychologists and psychology trainees alike concerning the future of professional psychology. Concerns regarding the impact of managed health care, the availability of jobs, and diminishing career options and opportunities are on the lips of many. The purpose of this brief article is to offer 10 principles to consider for trainees about to embark on their professional careers following internship or postdoctoral training. Although it is a difficult and challenging time to be embarking on a new career in psychology, the rewards and satisfaction of the field can still be enormous. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)