By Samantha Holdren (Clinical Liaison)

Hello all and welcome to my internship application journey during the year of COVID-19!

This is one strange, unpredictable year, and I have a feeling internship applications and interviews this year are going to reflect that. So I wanted to give you all a step-by-step discussion of my process as I apply and interview this year, with all the nitty-gritty details of what I do each week to prepare and how everything turns out. Since this blog is starting the first week of September and I have already done prep work over the summer, I will fill you in on that first. But thereafter, each week I will cover what I have done for the week and what my goals are for the next week. First, let me tell you a bit about my background, what my ultimate goal is regarding sites, and the specifications I am looking for during this process.

My background: I am in the clinical psychology program at Sam Houston State University, which is extremely forensic focused. I have done my practicums at the Psychological Services Center (PSC; community clinic), Walker County Probation Department, and Austin State Hospital (ASH). I have had the opportunity to do many competency and sanity evaluations through the clinic, and I have done several risk assessments through ASH. I have participated in two Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) evaluations, and I have done therapy primarily with legally involved individuals, many of whom had trauma histories and personality psychopathology. My research has focused on sex offender evaluations, particularly SVP evaluations, and how race effects evaluator decision-making.

What I want out of internship:

1. Sex offender treatment/assessment: Although much of my research has centered around sex offender assessment, I have had very little opportunity to work directly with sex offenders, neither for treatment nor evaluation. This is one of my top priorities during my internship year, as I hope to incorporate sex offender treatment and assessment into my career long-term. Ideally, I would be able to do SVP evaluations on internship, or at least be involved in that process.
2. Risk assessments: Though I have some risk assessment experience, I would like the opportunity to fine-tune my skills in that area. Therefore, the opportunity to complete risk assessments, of both sexual and non-sexual offending, is also a top priority.
3. Neuropsychology experience: While working at ASH, my supervisor has allowed me to do some neuropsychological testing (not full batteries, but enough to peak my interest), and I was able to take a neuropsych testing elective course that exposed me to a wide range of instruments (and required testing checks with a TA). I would love to be placed at an internship site that had a neuropsychology minor rotation or allowed for completion of full neuropsychology batteries.
4. ABFP Experience Waiver: One of my long-term goals is to become board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). To achieve this, one needs to have “accumulated 1000 hours of qualifying experience in forensic psychology over a minimum of a five-year period after the date of their doctoral degree in psychology.” However, this requirement can be waived if one successfully completes one of the postdoctoral fellowship programs that have been determined by ABFP to meet specific training standards. The list of accepted postdoc programs can be found here: https://abpp.org/BlankSite/media/Forensic-Psychology-Documents/03_Postdoc-Programs-Accepted-for-ABFP-Experience-Waiver-rev-1-1-2020.pdf. My goal is to complete one of these postdoc programs after internship so that I do not have to wait 5 years before becoming board certified. Ideally, the internship site I match with would also have a qualified postdoc (so I do not have to move, again). However, I am also fine with an internship nearby a qualified postdoc site that I can apply to (within driving distance).

There are a few other criteria that are not quite as important, but they will still factor into my decision-making. Ideally, I would be located somewhere on the West coast (my parents live in Arizona and I grew up in California, so I would love to be closer to that general region). I would prefer to be in a more liberal state than Texas, with progressive ideals and legislature. And of course, money talks. The higher the stipend, the better. Having health insurance provided by the site would be a great bonus, as I have not been able to afford health insurance for many years (thank goodness for my school clinic). Finally, I would prefer to not be required to do a rotation on an adolescent unit.

What I have done thus far:

1. 1). Narrowing down my list of sites: Let me just say, this task is DAUNTING. I have decided to go through every one of the 146 sites listed in the American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Student Committee forensic clinical internship database (https://www.apls-students.org/clinical-internship-database.html). I have created a spreadsheet with the following information: Site name, location, application due date, interview invite deadline, tentative interview dates, program start date, stipend, whether risk assessments are a part of the site experience, if sex offender treatment/assessment can be done, the types of rotations, if neuropsych is a component available, if training with adolescents in required, if the site offers a post-doc, if the post-doc (if applicable) qualifies for the ABFP waiver, if there is a nearby postdoc site that does qualify for the ABFP waiver, if health insurance is offered, and any other benefits offered. As I go through the 146 sites, if a site seems to meet many of my requirements, I have added it to my spreadsheet. My ultimate goal is to narrow down this list to approximately 15 sites.
2. Beginning my essays: I have been brainstorming the “story” I would like to tell when writing my essays. I have spoken with peers and supervisors about the information I would like to convey in my essays. This past week, I wrote a first draft of my autobiographical statement.
3. Letters of recommendation: At the beginning of September, I wrote my letter writers to ask if they would feel comfortable writing a STRONG letter of recommendation. But first, I had to narrow down who I would be asking to write those letters. My first writer was obvious—my dissertation co-chair has been a mentor to me in this program from day one. I completed the two SVP evaluations with him, and he has been my therapy supervisor for one year. My second letter writer was my supervisor while I was at Walker County Probation, so she supervised me for one year doing therapy and psychodiagnostic and/or substance abuse evaluations. I have also done several competency evaluations with her through the PSC. Finally, due to COVID-19, I will be at Austin State Hospital for two years instead of one, though I will have had a different supervisor each year. So I asked both supervisors to co-write a letter of recommendation, with my supervisor from the full year (as the second one will still be supervising me as I’m applying, so only for 4 months by that point) writing the bulk of the letter. I informed my letter writers I will be providing them with “cheat sheets” by September 15th to help them write their letters. This will include information about our work together and anything I want them to highlight in the letter, along with the sites I will be applying to. I gave a due date of November 1st, as several sites I will be applying to have application deadlines for that day.
4. AAPI Applications: I have created my login for the AAPI internship applications: https://aapicas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login. This is free to do, and they only charge you when you submit your applications to your sites ($50.00 for the first application submitted, $32 for applications 2-15; $60 for each additional application above 15.  Total for 15 = $498). I completed all the “Personal Information” section, along with the “Academic History” section. As part of the personal information, you will need to provide your Applicant Match Number, which you obtain through the National Matching Services website.
5. Register for the match: I registered through the National Matching Services at https://appic.matchprogram.org/auth/register. This costs $130 and provides you with a match number, which is your identification number throughout the process on the AAPI website and when ranking your sites through the matching service.

Goals for the week:

1. Complete my initial list of sites from the 147 listed on the forensic clinical internship database, and then narrow them down to approximately 15.
2. Create a list of required documents for each site (e.g., deidentified reports/writing samples, additional essays, etc.) Begin thinking about what reports I might want to submit, from which practicum experience.
3. Develop my “cheat sheets” for my letter writers over the next week so they will be ready to send on the 15th.
4. Write my theoretical orientation and multicultural essay first drafts.
5. Arrange to have transcripts sent to the application service, either electronically or by mail.

It is almost October, and while our friends are enjoying the return of comfortable sweaters and pumpkin spiced everything, many of us in clinical programs are becoming increasingly aware of internship deadlines.  Our newest blog features internship advice from a very special guest contributor. Dr. Sharon Kelley, JD, PhD matched to her first choice of the Univ of Mass Medical School/Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital for the 2013-2014 internship year.  She then went on to complete a post-doctoral position at the University of Virginia's Institute for Psychiatry, Public Policy, and Law; and is currently a Research Associate in Law and Forensic Psychology at IPPL. ​

​Happy Internship Season!
 
I was in your shoes three year ago, and am now attempting to pull together some useful advice for those of you in the middle of the process.  Disclaimer: My experience might not map on perfectly to your experience.  I think that’s ok.  There are a lot of ways to be successful in applying for/matching at fantastic internship sites.   That’s a long way of saying that if you don’t like my advice, you simply need not take it, and you will likely find success nonetheless. 
 
Point 1: Get excited!
I began this post with Happy Internship Season deliberately.  I mean these words genuinely (well, 85% genuinely—this is a stressful time and we all need to acknowledge that): You are preparing to take a substantial step in your careers, and you will handle the hard work, travel logistics, and frustration of waiting that comes over the next several months if you can muster up some excitement! You are almost a doctor, for crying out loud.

• Take time (particularly when writing/editing your autobiographical essay and cover letters) to reflect on why you wanted to be a psychologist in the first place – rediscover some of that passion and it will show in your application materials and in your interviews.
• Apply to sites that excite you.  (This is another way of thinking about your match with the site).  I love people with serious mental illness, working in psychiatric hospitals, and forensic evaluations, so I applied to sites that had some combination of those opportunities.  The sites varied, but basically fell into one of three categories: academic medical centers, psychiatric hospitals, and Federal Bureau of Prison facilities.   Put another way, there were some prestigious/otherwise amazing sites I did not apply to because I wasn’t personally excited about their training opportunities.
• A corollary of getting excited is getting confident.  Reflect on the skills you’ve mastered over the course of your graduate education and the skills you want to develop and hone during internship. 
• Finally, I think that great application materials reflect a blend of enthusiasm, confidence, and humility. You want to convey that you are excited, ready to work, bring a unique skill set, but are ready to soak up everything the site has to offer.

 
Point 2: Get realistic
Alright, now that you’re an excited and passionate internship applicant, it’s time to get real.  This means different things for different people.  It may mean that you have some geographic limitations, it might mean that feeling excited and passionate led you to identify 35 internship sites—and that’s just too many.  It also means that you’re going to set aside some money for the next few months of your life.  Here are some getting real tips:

• Internship matches are all about, well, the match.  This technically means there really aren’t any “safety” internship sites the same way that there were “safety” colleges.   However, there are sites (often in remote places) to which fewer people apply (APPIC usually provides number of applicants per site for the last 3 years).  If you are in a position to move to some of these remote places – consider applying, the odds shall be ever in your favor.
• As I mentioned above, 35 internship sites is probably too many.  Where you draw that line is personal.  Of course, be mindful of the research indicating where most reach the point of diminishing returns and balance that with your own comfort level.  I applied to 16 (more than was recommended), but felt comfortable with that number.  I think my original number may have been near 20.  I cut some sites towards the end of the application process due, in part, to application fatigue.  The ones I ended up cutting were ones where I felt the “match” was tenuous anyways.   
• If you have geographic limitations, try to operationally define what that means – do you need to be in one place 7 days per week, or can you live in one area and commute home for the weekends?  How far is a reasonable commute for you?  Geographic limitations can be tough, but not insurmountable.  Reconnecting with your passion for psychology may open your eyes to sites you would not have otherwise considered.  Reconnecting with your passion for your family (i.e., the cause of your geographic limitations) may help maintain your excitement about the process.
• Applying for internship is expensive – no way around it.  There might be algorithms for estimating travel expenses based on number of sites, where they’re located, your preferred means of transportation, etc.  I don’t know what those algorithms are, so I’ll just tell you what I spent: I had 13 interviews spread across the country and spent approximately $3,500.  Sometimes I flew, sometimes I drove.  Sometimes I stayed with friends, sometimes I stayed in a hotel.  I tried to be frugal without driving myself absolutely crazy.  After internship season, I tightened up the budget and paid off the credit card bill.   No harm done. 

 
Point 3: Get to Work
You’re good at this part!  Put down those lab projects, manuscripts, and dissertations (temporarily) and write your essays and cover letters!  Here are some tips for this part of the process:

• It will probably be helpful to get some feedback on your essays and cover letters, but there is a point of diminishing returns.  I had two people (my graduate mentor and a senior colleague) review my essays with carte blanche to use Wolverine ClawsTM.  I had two others do more of proofread/idiot check.  You may receive contradictory advice, particularly with the autobiographical essay.  Ultimately, you need to submit essays with which you are comfortable and best reflect you as an applicant.    
• Know yourself and how you work.  If you value lots of opinions on your writing – do that.  If you are a last-minute writer, well, expect to do some last-minute writing.  I like to blend doing work ahead of time and cramming some things in at the end.  So, I spent LOTS of time on my essays, and spent comparatively less time on my cover letters (I’m not advocating this approach, simply recognizing it).  Honestly, I wrote about 10 cover letters in one weekend, and another 6 the following weekend.  I know people who spent one day on each cover letter.  We all matched. 
• You are (or were, when I was applying) free to write different versions of your essays for different sites.  I did not elect this option, and instead tried to write one great version of each essay – I was worried that writing multiple versions might lead to “watered down” versions of my original essays—but that’s just me.  I think this strategy worked well for me because of the specific types of sites to which I was applying.  If you are applying to a broader range, you might consider this option more seriously.

 
Point 4: Don’t forget to have fun
Remember, this is an opportunity for you to find a great internship match for your training needs.  And, not matching is not the end of the world.  It’s simply an opportunity to take a step back, reflect on the process, and take another year to make your application even stronger –you’ll still be doing good work in the field that you chose.  So, have fun with the process: you’ll be meeting other internship applicants, clinicians, and scholars outside of your graduate institution.  Talking with these folks can be revitalizing.  Get out of your head and enjoy yourself.