How to Get a Science-Oriented Clinical Internship

Bethany Teachman
Former Member Science Student Council, Clinical Psychology Representative
Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry

(This article was first published in the Winter 2002 issue of the APAGS Newsletter.)

Applying for internship is inevitably a daunting prospect. There are so many options to choose from and so many variables to consider. Where do you want to live, what kind of clinical setting would you prefer, what patient populations do you want to work with? Tossed into this mix is the question of how to find a position that is science-oriented; in other words, an internship site that tries to promote the scientist-practitioner model, integrating research and practice to provide the best care based on the state of psychological science in the field. Finding a science-oriented clinical internship does not mean that clinical work is not the priority (after all, that is the purpose of the training year), but it means that the practice of psychology is approached from a scientific perspective.

There are a number of strategies you can use, both in advance of applying to sites and during the interview process, to increase your chances of finding and then matching with a science-oriented site:

• Think in advance about your goals. A science-oriented site is the right place for you if you want to develop your skills in using empirically validated treatment approaches (i.e., treatments that have been well-researched and shown effective). In addition, many science-oriented internships are designed so that the interns can incorporate research activities into their year. This may also include the potential for a post-doctoral year that is primarily focused on research, while still allowing you to complete the clinical hours you need for licensure requirements.
  
  
• Do your homework early to save yourself the hassle of filling out applications to sites that will not ultimately meet your career or personal goals. Take advantage of the knowledge of people who have been through this process already - get advice from other students, and your advisors. Additionally, look at the Web sites for the internship sites you are considering (a large list of these sites and their url links is listed at www.appic.org). Read their materials to see if they not only mention adherence to the scientist-practitioner model (many will say this), but also show evidence that they follow this approach (e.g., do they discuss research as part of the training experience). Doing this work can save you time by narrowing your list so that you apply to a reasonable number of sites, rather than spreading yourself too thin.
  
  
• Come prepared to interviews. If you know your schedule of interviews in advance, do a quick literature search on the people you will be meeting with (focus on their most recent work) so that you can think in advance about research questions to ask them.
  
  
• During the interview, you can ask about protected time for research if this is important to you. Do not worry about appearing uninterested in clinical work by asking this question. Of course, you should also have a clear idea of the clinical populations you want to see and your practice goals for the year, so you can address these questions. However, the idea is to make the right match, both for the internship site and for you. If you pretend to have interests that do not really excite you, or behave as though a site will meet your goals when you do not think it will, then you will be unhappy during the year.
  
  
• If you visit the site, pay attention to the information they give and ask from you. For example, note whether they ask you questions about research and your dissertation, or only ask about your clinical work. In addition, look in their handouts to see if they use empirically validated or evidence-based treatments and ask questions about this during your interviews.
  
  
• It can also be helpful to ask questions about what happens after internship. For instance, find out what most interns do following internship (do they go into full-time clinical work, academia, etc.), and see whether this matches your own goals. Also, if research is meaningful to you, find out about post-doctoral opportunities because much of the research happens during a post-doc year.
  

Perhaps the best advice I offer is to take a deep breath! The process of finding an internship is incredibly intimidating to most people, but keep in mind that over 80% of students find a match each year. The odds are definitely in your favor and the better prepared you are, the better chance you have of making a match that is right for you.