Speak with interns who are currently at the site you will be attending. Get as much information as possible about the site (e.g., rotations, working hours, politics, or anything you want to know).

Complete as much of your dissertation before starting the internship. The internship experience is very demanding and it is often difficult to find time or motivation to devote to the dissertation. Additionally, being dissertation-free can make for a more relaxed, enjoyable, and productive internship year.

Get to know the other interns around you. They can be a great support during the year as well as wonderful professional contacts in the future.

Do not be afraid to ask for help while on internship. At times, one may feel that s/he should know everything. In reality, you are still learning and it is important to ask questions, as needed.

If you come across useful information or references, consider sharing them with your colleagues. Often, one of the nice aspects of having interns at a site is the energy and the fresh perspective they bring to the site.

Take advantage of professional development opportunities available to you during the internship year. These can be great learning opportunities as well as a good way to meet other professionals in the field.

Maintain detailed records of all your internship activities and hours. This documentation is helpful for internal documentation (i.e., some sites require monthly statistics of the number of clients seen, reports written, consultations, new referrals, etc.) as well as external documentation (i.e., for licensure).

Keep organized files. You will receive a lot of new information during the internship year that will be useful in your future career. A good filing system will help in accessing this information quickly.

Revise your vita on a regular basis. Start thinking of potential job opportunities early in the year and begin planning the application process.

If you have a position that involves carrying many heavy materials around, consider using small luggage with wheels. This can help with potential strain to your back, shoulders, etc.

Remain involved with professional organizations during your internship year. Consider joining local professional organizations, in addition to those at the national level, in order to remain connected with professional happenings and relevant literature.

Take advantage of recreational, cultural, or other fun activities available in your city or region. All work and no play makes for a dull year. So, enjoy your surroundings.

Take advantage of student discounts while you still can (i.e., books, professional associations, and journals). In addition, consider asking about student discounts for other things such as movies, art events, and travel.

Think of ways that you might be able to help future students who will attend your particular internship site. For example, create a list of helpful tips/survival hints for interns at your site, encourage creation and/or revisions of intern handbooks, communicate with incoming interns to help facilitate their transition to your internship, etc.

Explore ways of communicating information with others about the internship process (i.e., publications in professional newsletters or journals, presentations at conferences, research on internships).

Take time to reflect on some of your experiences as an intern. For instance, occasionally jot down your thoughts and emotions. This is an important year in your professional development and it may be interesting to capture, in writing, some of the experiences that influence your development as a psychologist.

It is very important that you be aware that what you do now as an intern may reflect on others after you (i.e. you may be leaving impressions about your particular discipline within psychology, university program, or geographical region).

Maintain empathy for students now and throughout your career. Think of ways in which you can help other students now and in the future. For instance, you could serve as a contact for applicants to your site, help with transportation and/or housing during interviews, or provide tours of internship facilities. In the future, if you're ever in a position to select interns, think of ways to make this process less stressful and expensive for applicants. For example, you may be able to encourage local businesses to provide discounts on hotel rooms, shuttles to the internship site, etc. You could also provide information about the surrounding area (city) for applicants. Additionally, it would also be useful to consider ways in which you could expand the supply of APA internships (i.e., help to develop or finance new internship sites, collaborate with other agencies in forming consortia, etc.).

We hope that these tips will be useful in making your predoctoral internship year a success.

This article first appeared in the Summer 1999 Edition of the APAGS Newsletter, Vol. 11(3)