Counseling psychology perspectives on the predoctoral internship supply-demand imbalance: Strategies for problem definition and resolution.

The authors discuss the internship supply demand situation from the perspectives of counseling psychology (CP) training programs by incorporating the viewpoints of CP training directors (TDs), garnered through an online survey. Survey results indicated relatively lower match rates for the preceding year (2007), increased stress among students, and TD concerns about decreased emphases on science training. The authors offer strategies regarding the resolution of this difficult situation, including increased mentoring and individualized practicum planning (program level), the development of captive internship sites and slots, particularly in underserved areas (subspecialty level), and data collection and sharing techniques (field level). (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)     

Geropsychology training in Canada: A survey of doctoral and internship programs.

The Canadian Psychological Association emphasises the importance of diversity training for doctoral and internship programs, and age is an important aspect of diversity. Yet, little is known about training capacity in clinical geropsychology in Canada. To address this issue, the authors surveyed directors of clinical training in all accredited clinical and counselling psychology doctoral and internship programs in Canada. Responses from 92% (n = 43) of these programs indicated that there are no doctoral programs in Canada with a formal concentration in geropsychology; however, 40% of internships offer a major rotation in geropsychology and a further 48% offer a minor rotation. Training activities are largely focused on the diagnosis and assessment of mental health problems, with relatively less attention to therapeutic interventions. Data are presented on the availability of geropsychology resources (e.g., faculty/clinical supervisors, courses, practicum, research opportunities) and the perceived need for geropsychology training. Recommendations for enhancing geropsychology training capacity in Canada are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rotational Versus Nonrotational Internships: Let's Look at Reality.

Comments on the original article by Robert Langston that focuses on the value of a nonrotational clinical psychology internship (see record 1987-98336-047). The current authors suggest that, while making the case for a nonrotational internship, Langston has presented an inaccurate picture of the current state of internship training, and they seek to point out three fallacies inherent in Langston's view of the current training. As they do so, they assert that the many issues regarding professional training in psychology are hardly settled. They do suggest, though, that it is essential to relate their own ideas to existing criteria and evidence of current training practice, in order to effectively make decisions regarding necessary changes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship hours revisited: Further evidence for a national standard.

Inconsistent training requirements across predoctoral internships have problematic implications for psychologists seeking licensure and for the profession as a whole. This investigation is an 11-year follow-up to a previous study (Bartle & Rodolfa, 1999) that explored the variation in hours accrued across predoctoral internship programs. The current study examined the total number of supervised training hours provided by internships and the methods utilized by training directors to calculate these hours. The total number of supervised hours reported by training directors ranged from 1,840 to 2,080, with 58.2% calculating hours by approximation, rounding off, or estimation. As training directors reported more total hours, they were increasingly likely to include holiday, vacation, and sick leave. Recommendations for state licensing boards and internship training programs are provided, including a national licensure requirement of 1,800 hours accrued during internship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship Training: Do Models Really Matter?

During the past 50 years, a number of models of training (scientist-practitioner, practitioner-scholar, clinical scientist) have been developed. This study examined how these models are conceptualized and implemented at internship and postdoctoral training programs. Surveying 248 internship programs (42% response rate), the authors found that the model name (i.e., scientist-practitioner) was not related to how programs were conceptualized or how their training was implemented, raising questions about accreditation requirements. Implications for training sites and the American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation are explored. (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)     

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)     

"Does the model matter? The relationship between science-practice emphasis in clinical psychology programs and the internship match": Correction to Neimeyer, Rice, and Keilin (2007).

Reports an error in "Does the model matter? The relationship between science-practice emphasis in clinical psychology programs and the internship match" by Greg J. Neimeyer, Kenneth G. Rice and W. Gregory Keilin (Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 2007[Aug], Vol 1[3], 153-162). 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. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-12635-001.) 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)     

Forests, grazing areas, water supplies, and the internship imbalance problem: Redefining the paradigm to implement effective change.

We are frustrated with the internship imbalance. Twenty years ago, those of us involved in academic training programs prepared students in our doctoral programs for the internship application process by meeting with them for an hour and giving them a few pointers. Now, the focus on securing an internship seems to pervade all aspects of doctoral education. We listen to students worry that they don’t have sufficient hours, assessment experience, or diverse practicum placements. As the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Match approaches, we meet with students more frequently, helping them to prepare their applications and carefully construct their list of internship sites. We devote time helping students to complete the APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI), prepare for interviews, and rank sites. Those of us who are involved in internship training programs spend extensive hours reviewing hundreds of applications in Phase I and Phase II of the APPIC Match. We respond to applicant concerns, questions, and anxiety. And all of us try to provide support and consolation, as well as some understanding about “what went wrong” to those students who aren’t matched. When we have a moment, we look beyond the students in front of us and worry about the future of our profession. How is it possible that we’ve gotten ourselves into this mess? Hatcher’s (this issue, pp. 126 –140) article (a manifesto, if you will) has the potential to point us in a new direction. Our hope is that each of you, like us, will view Hatcher’s article as the beginning of a paradigm shift in terms of how we characterize this problem and its potential solutions. His innovative and bold view of how the professional training community can work collaboratively to reorganize has the potential to effectively impact the internship imbalance and the quality of the profession as a whole. By likening the internship imbalance to a resource management issue similar to what has been encountered in regard to other resources such as crops and forests, Hatcher provides us with an opportunity to rise above our own positions to draw upon existing, evidence-based approaches to cooperative solutions that can benefit all involved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practicum training hours: Fact and fantasy.

Over the past five years, practicum experience has received increased attention as an important element in the sequence of training. Questions have arisen about the number of hours being counted and the activities occurring in practicum. This study examined the number of practicum hours accrued by comparing the actual number of direct service hours and total hours to an estimated length of time to complete those hours. Based on self-reports, it was estimated that graduate students spend between 2 and 7 years to accrue their practicum hours with 37.5 to 69.6% of that time in direct service. Implications for the profession, faculty, and students are provided. (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)     

Applying for the predoctoral internship: Training program strategies to help students prepare.

The predoctoral internship signifies the culmination of applied training in professional psychology. With the increasing supply and demand gap, securing an internship has become competitive and has resulted in many students employing a wide variety of steps in an attempt to ensure a successful internship application. However, little is known about how academic training programs assist students in applying for an internship. The purpose of this study was to describe what activities training programs engage in to prepare their students for the internship application process, and to better understand students' perception of their preparedness to apply as well as to understand their experience applying. The results suggested that training programs prepared students well for general aspects of the process but did not adequately prepare them for the more specific tasks related to the application process. Results also suggested that while the students didn't find the application process confusing or difficult they found it stressful and anxiety provoking. Suggestions for programs to inform and assist their students in preparing for applying are presented as well as recommendations for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology Training Directors' Views of Trainees' Readiness to Practice Independently.

When are psychology trainees ready to practice independently? This question has been debated extensively during the past few years. To contribute to this debate, a national survey of training directors of academic programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships was conducted. The study explored training directors' views regarding the examinations and supervisory hours necessary to become an independent practitioner. The study found that training directors were divided in their opinions of when trainees are competent to practice independently. Academic training directors believed that trainees are ready for independent practice earlier in the training sequence than internship and postdoctoral training directors. The implications for conflicting views are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Graduate training...in Canada": Comment.

Comments on the original article by Dr. Park O. Davidson (see record 2007-02137-003) on "Graduate training and research funding for clinical psychology in Canada." Davidson has made some excellent recommendations regarding the nature of graduate training and research funding in psychology, and then has negated the effectiveness of such recommendations for social relevancy in community services by ignoring the spectrum of psychological services required and by restricting himself to a rather sterile Eysenckian model. Dr. Davidson's general recommendations regarding graduate training in clinical psychology are sensible and long overdue--less extreme specialization in Ph.D. programs, greater knowledge of problems of applied settings for research, more interdisciplinary training, broader methodology, more effective internship and practicum training, a community psychology program, and more effective bridging research. However when the needed spectrum of services for people is considered, there is an obvious need for psychologists who can share in the assessment and treatment of problems in human functioning beyond the technician level. Manpower needs will never be adequately met until service personnel and University personnel can share in the what, why and how of professional training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical and counseling psychology doctoral trainnees: How students perceive internships.

The authors examined applicants' perceptions of internship site types by specialty affiliation (clinical and counseling psychology). Multidimensional scaling analyses suggest that clinical psychology students focus their attention on internship site prestige, future job opportunities, opportunities for research, degree of client psychopathology and physical illness, and their overall comfort in working with the client population associated with the site type. Counseling students focus on fewer attributes, including site prestige, quality of supervision, degree of client physical illness, and comfort in working with the client population. Specialty affiliation also accounted for systematic differences in internship site preferences. Results are discussed with regard to internship supply-and-demand issues, and implications are offered for student applicants, academic training directors, and internship training directors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship year in clinical psychology training as a professional adolescence.

The internship year in clinical psychology training has been described as a "professional adolescence." During this time the trainee is involved in consolidating a professional identity through the integration of previous experiences and the application of knowledge to clinical work in a novel situation. Through presentation of personal experiences and observations of a clinical psychology intern, elements of the internship year are compared with the identity process of adolescence. Particular emphasis is placed on issues of competency as they arise throughout the internship year. Aspects of the internship experience that facilitate development of a professional identity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)