The internship crisis: An uncommon urgency to build a common solution.

The internship imbalance is a problem of grave individual and professional concern. As the imbalance continues and deepens, many concerted efforts have been directed toward mitigating the imbalance by addressing factors associated with increased demand and insufficient supply of internship positions. These efforts have required the collaboration of groups and organizations that in the past pursued different aims and agendas. Hatcher (this issue, pp. 126–140) moves these efforts forward greatly, by conceptualizing the internship imbalance as a specific example of a scarce resource shared by a large community (a Common Pool Resource) and by providing a framework for development of a governance structure to manage this common resource. This commentary expands on Hatcher (this issue) by highlighting important structural and attitudinal issues underlying the imbalance problem that are evoked by attempts to address the imbalance, and which must be considered when formulating a comprehensive and integrated solution, particularly one that includes an additional governance structure dependent on interorganizational collaboration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

An exploratory survey on empirically supported treatments: Implications for internship training.

Is training in empirically supported treatments (ESTs) necessary for internship? Are all internship sites embracing EST training equally? An exploratory survey reports training practices and attitudes toward use of ESTs in internship sites accredited by the American Psychological Association. Training practices during an internship year varied across type of setting, but only 28% reported offering more than 15 hr of training. Lack of managed care demands, flexibility in session limits, and perceived mismatch between client needs and treatment options were reasons endorsed for not doing more training and supervision with ESTs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of inclusion and exclusion criteria in the predoctoral internship selection process.

A number of studies have examined factors that influence an individual being accepted into a predoctoral internship position such as practicum experience, the interview, the type of doctoral program attended, and letters of recommendation. Rodolfa et al. (1999), for example, detailed 36 inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the internship selection process. The current study revisits this research in order to identify changes in these criteria from the time of the original study. While a number of traditional factors remained influential to the selection process, such as the fit between applicant goals and site opportunities and supervised clinical experience, a greater emphasis on personality characteristics of the applicant was found in the current study. The top three inclusion criteria found in the present study were fit between applicant goals and site opportunities, the interview, and professional demeanor of applicant. Interview, fit, and letters of recommendation were the top exclusion criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A photographic internship in India

Psychotic symptoms among patients receiving hemolytic dialysis (HD) are quite common, while studies showing pharmacokinetics and clearances of neuroleptics in such patients are few. In such instances, previous studies recommended a single administration of neuroleptics with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the normal dose for patients without renal failure. We made a study of 4 cases of delirious patients receiving HD and investigated the relationship between a daily dose of haloperidol (HP), its blood concentration and changes of delirium symptoms before and after HD. Oral or intravenous doses of HP (12-24 mg) were required for the improvement of delirium. Blood concentration increased in proportion to the HP dosage in all patients, and its average was significantly higher than that of the control group. Approximately 25% of clearance was found before and after HD. These studies suggest that the HP dosage for HD patients needs to be larger than previously assumed. Changes in the pharmacokinetics of HP in HD patients seemed to be influenced by a variety of factors such as binding rate with blood serum albumin and HP, metabolic pathway of HP, and sensitivity of HP in the brain.     

Problem drinking and the workplace: An individualized approach to prevention.

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a brief, individualized, alcohol abuse prevention program designed to reduce problem drinking within the workplace environment. One hundred fifty-five randomly selected employees of a medium-sized company in the food and retail service% sector participated in a 6-month controlled worksite prevention trial. Female problem drinkers who received the intervention were more likely than those in the no-treatment control group to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences at follow-up. In addition, there was a significant multivariate treatment effect, suggesting that participants who received the intervention were significantly more likely to reduce drinking frequency at follow-up. Evaluation of attrition rates and reports of participant satisfaction suggest that the intervention was effective in engaging participants at all levels of alcohol consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perspectives on an internship: The passages of training directors during the internship year.

Proposes a model to explain the transitions experienced by training directors during an internship year. Six transitions are identified, including courting, bonding, rapprochement, mentoring, launching, and reunion, and the particular behaviors and events that signal each passage are described. These transitions are contrasted with those often experienced by interns. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association of psychology postdoctoral and internship centers' guidelines and the internship selection process: A survey of applicants and academic and internship training directors.

Although the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) established guidelines for internship offers and acceptances, the internship selection process has been viewed as stressful by many of its participants. The present study explored participants' experiences with the selection process to understand how certain behaviors may contribute to selection difficulties. Surveys were mailed to internship applicants, academic training directors, and internship training directors who participated in the 1994–1995 selection process. Results revealed some significant differences among these respondents with respect to their perceptions of potential internship selection behaviors. In addition, 40% of the internship applicants perceived that violations of the APPIC guidelines had occurred during the selection process. Recommendations for addressing internship selection issues are presented. (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 psychology internship marketplace today.

The most recent comprehensive information about internships in professional psychology was based on data from the 1979–1980 training year. To update this information, we collected data about internships from the 371 members of the Association of Psychology Internship Centers for the 1984–1985 training year. We examined the number of internship positions, current stipend levels, types and breadth of major supervised training experiences, types of academic programs from which applicants would be considered, number of staff, number of intern applications, and sources of internship funding. We found differences by APA approval status, geographical region, and type of internship setting. It appears that the marketplace for interns has expanded and that APA approval of both academic programs and internship sites continues to play a significant role in the process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Demise of the 3rd-year internship: The changing role of the internship in graduate training.

Current training in PhD clinical psychology stems from the 1949 Boulder conference on graduate education in clinical psychology. Among the detailed recommendations made by that committee were specific guidelines and goals for a clinical internship that was deeply embedded within the graduate training experience. Since that time, the academic and practical training of PhD clinical psychologists has become increasingly separated, to the point at which the clinical internship year almost universally occurs after the completion of graduate training. In this article the development of the current-day internship and the probable factors involved in the demise of the original 3rd-year model are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biofeedback training opportunities in clinical internship facilities: An extension of the Feuerstein and Schwartz survey.

Surveyed 227 American Psychological Association (APA)-approved and non-APA-approved clinical internship agencies and found that most respondents were interested in training interns in the clinical application of biofeedback. This supports findings of M. Feuerstein and G. E. Schwartz (see record 1978-08510-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public health education integrated in hospital. An internship proposal, "Medical information and pharmacology"

1. Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes expressed in a human cell line were used to elucidate their involvement in the metabolism of haloperidol (HAL). 2. It was found that CYP3A4 catalyzes the metabolism of HAL to HAL 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (HTP). HTP is further metabolized to HAL pyridinium (HP+) by both CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. 3. CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 are also responsible for the N-dealkylation of HAL. The N-dealkylation of reduced HAL (RH) was observed, which is catalyzed by CYP3A4. In addition, CYP3A4 also catalyzes the oxidation of RH back to HAL. 4. These results are discussed in terms of the metabolic interactions of HAL with other drugs and how this knowledge may be used to reduce the movement disorders induced by HAL.     

A collaborative internship program for premedical students

A 44-year-old man with splenectomised refractory autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP) of 10 years' duration underwent an autologous, T cell-depleted marrow transplant following conditioning with thiotepa and CY. There was no response to the transplant procedure. This is the fourth case in the literature to show failure following autologous stem cell transplantation, although complete, steroid-independent remissions were obtained in the first two patients for over 1 year.     

The integration of HIV training into internship curricula: An exploration and comparison of two models.

Psychologists are becoming increasingly involved in HIV disease prevention and intervention. Developing the competencies to work effectively with this population requires dedicated educational commitment. It can be challenging to get HIV experience during graduate school, and few programs have faculty devoted to HIV endeavors. The authors propose the internship year as a reasonable time to develop HIV competencies within a broader internship curriculum. To explore this idea further, the authors examined two internships that offer specialized HIV training. To increase psychology's capacity to provide HIV training, recommendations are proposed for the application of these models to other internship sites. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research productivity in APA-approved internship programs.

Presents the results of a survey of the research productivity in 1965 of 52 American Psychological Association (APA)-approved clinical psychology internship agencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A case for the nonrotational internship.

Discusses the need for an alternative to the traditional rotational internship, outlines advantages of a nonrotational internship, and presents some of the problems and possible solutions that are unique to the nontraditional internship experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Program disparities in unmatched internship applicants.

Predoctoral internship represents an important capstone in the training of clinical and counseling psychologists. However, in the past decade there has been growing concern over the number of applicants to internship who have not been matched to an internship site. We investigated the scope of the internship match problem by assessing program-level contributions to the number of unmatched internship applicants. Results from analysis of the 2000–2006 internship match report indicated that 15 programs (less than 4% of the total number of programs under analysis) contributed over 30% of the unmatched applicants for that same time period. Suggestions are made for implementing new policies aimed at limiting future internship site supply–demand disparities and ensuring quality internship placements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol treatment training in psychology internship programs.

This investigation was designed to study alcohol treatment training by focusing on the components of training provided in psychology internship programs approved by the American Psychological Association. Data from 137 training sites revealed that two content areas—group psychotherapy and relapse prevention—were rated as most relevant to alcohol treatment training. Six other domains (aftercare, Alcoholics Anonymous, marital/family therapy, stress management/relaxation procedures, social skills training, and cognitive therapy) were rated as at least quite relevant. The extent to which interns were exposed to these content areas was variable. These findings are discussed in the context of issues surrounding alcohol treatment training among psychology interns and the provision of clinical services to alcohol-abusing patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health consultation and psychology internship training.

Psychology interns trained in American Psychological Association-approved internship programs are expected to demonstrate an intermediate to advanced level of skill in mental health consultation. Where do students learn the skills to consult with colleagues, other professionals, or the public? This article describes a 1-year, 2-phase training experience in consultation at a university mental health service. The program is theory based, sequential, and builds over the course of the internship. Discussion underscores the positive impact of the training and reviews potential problems that may emerge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)