Internship Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Internship Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Nova Southeastern University NOTE: Below are frequently asked questions about applying for internships, filling out the forms, requesting letters of recommendations, and sending out materials. Please review these questions and answers carefully before completing and submitting your applications. Also, when you do have questions, kindly look here first, as they may have already been answered. Following each question is a brief description of the question. If you are unsure of whether your question has already been answered, do a search for a key word or two relating to your question. 1. Differences between APA-Accredited and APPIC Member Programs Question: I would appreciate knowing what the difference between APA approved and APPIC listed internship programs might be for our future licensing, employment, etc. Reply: The full answer to your question is a rather complex one. Let me, however, provide this introduction. APPIC membership and APA accreditation are independent standards of an internship's training adequacy. In terms of their meaning for interns, however, they are often viewed hierarchically, with APA accreditation regarded as more significant. In point of fact, any internship can meet one standard without meeting the other. In terms of licensure, staff privileges, managed health care panel membership, or other credentials, APA accreditation makes applying easier, but is generally not essential. If you have a doctoral degree from an APA-accredited academic program (as is the case for anyone graduating from NSU), having completed an APPIC member internship that is not APA-accredited is generally not a significant hindrance. Only for students seeking full-time employment as faculty in doctoral degree granting institutions is having an APA-accredited internship functionally essential. This is true because the market for these jobs is so tight. For almost all other jobs, this credential is important but not necessary. 10/30/08 FAQ Internships Questions 2. Work Samples, including Length and Tips Question: Many sites require work samples such as psychological, case summaries, reports or treatment plans. How long should these be? Any tips on what to or not to include? Reply: Yes, work samples are a common requirement for internship application. Requests typically are for testing reports of some type (e.g., intake report including diagnostic impressions and treatment recommendations, a report on an adult, a report on a child, or a specialized (e.g., neuropsychological) evaluation). Length is dictated more by necessity and convention than other factors. Specifically, most psychological reports are no more than 3-4 pages in length. The value of any report comes from the convincing and parsimonious summary of data, conclusions and bases for them, and recommendations for treatment or other disposition. Clear exposition is important as well. In sending copies of testing reports to selection committees, bear in mind that YOU HAVE A PRIMARY OBLIGATION to ensure the confidentiality of the person(s) tested, including place of testing and any distinguishing personal or familial circumstances. 3. Practitioner Informed by Science Model Question: In reference to the [program model], I'm concerned that the "Practitioner Informed by Science" classification will hinder students who are applying to the more competitive sites that typically prefer Ph.D. students. Is this classification mandatory? I've done two full, independent research studies and am interested in the sites that have some research as a component. Additionally, I feel I follow more of the Scientist Practitioner model in my thinking. Based on my experiences and philosophy can I use that classification or must everyone use the same? Reply: The practitioner informed by science model is applicable to all Psy.D. candidates. What you should keep in mind, however, is that your cover letter, vita, AAPI (especially answers to some of the essay questions), and your letters of recommendation will do much more in defining your training and career objectives than any model name. Highlighting your research experiences will certainly help focus selection committee members' attention on your own interpretation of a model name. There have been, by the way, a number of Psy.D. graduates who have gone on to careers in academic, medical, or other research oriented settings. 2 FAQ Internships Questions 3 4. Register Individually With The National Matching Service As was the case last year, each of you must register individually with the National Matching Service for the computerized internship match scheduled for Early next year. I recommend completing this step early, as the number of other applicants seeking to register will grow by mid-September. No one gets closed out of reservation, but the wait does get a little longer. You can register on line for the match. NMS will send you descriptive materials, instructions, and the forms you need. The direct web address for registration is as follows: http://www.natmatch.com/psychint/reglink.htm You can also find this web site via the APPIC web site's link for Matching Service. 5. School Phone Number And School Fax Number requested on the AAPI Question: There is a question on the AAPI application that asks about the school phone number and school fax number. Which numbers should we place in these blanks? Reply: Phone: (954) 262-5749 Fax: (954) 262-3848 6. How to Count Masters Program Hours Question: I have a question regarding the APPIC application. I received a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Miami, and was wondering whether I can include my Master's practicum hours in Section 3 (doctoral practicum documentation) of the APPIC uniform application. Reply: Yes, you can count any practicum hours that were part of a GRADUATE program of study in psychology, and which meet the criteria for any or all of Items 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Section 3 of the AAPI. NOTE: In order to be counted in Section 3 of the AAPI, these hours (1) MUST have been supervised by a licensed psychologist, AND (2) must have been provided as part of curricular requirements of a Master's or doctoral program in which you were enrolled. FAQ Internships Questions 4 We do need you to complete one of the Program Sanctioned Activity forms for EACH experience you wish to claim in Section 3. I also need signed letters from the licensed psychologist supervisors to verify the hours. Please ask that these letters be sent to me by mail on letterhead stationery. 7. Division 40 and Board Certification Requirements in Neuropsychology From Dr. Golden: Dr. Katell has asked that I provide a note regarding Division 40 and Board Certification requirements in neuropsychology for interested students. It should be emphasized that at present there is no single "route" one takes to get into practice in neuropsychology, nor are there any statutory requirements that neuropsychologists be trained in a specific way (except in Louisiana which has a neuropsychology certification beyond the license to practice). Division 40/INS requirements were set up to guide students as to which internships provided the best training in neuropsychology. Of interest here is that such training should be of a duration of at least 6 months full time (1000 hours plus) and should be under the direction of a board certified neuropsychologist (or at least someone likely to become one.) Those programs which meet the requirements will almost tell you that they do so there is no need for heavy sleuthing. However, attending such a program or ANY neuropsychology internship is not required for board certification, which is currently the only formal way to be recognized by your peers as a neuropsychologist (except, of course, in Louisiana). The board requires approximately 3000 hours of training (although these standards are always under review), but they may be entirely in post-doctoral settings. Internship hours are counted in whatever number they occur. The emphasis is on training from a board certified practitioner. Requirements are flexible, however, and someone can be trained in non-traditional ways and still be board certified if they can show they have the knowledge and supervised experience. To sit for the oral examination, one must pass a multiple choice test which is heavy in such areas as neuroanatomy, neuropathology, assessment, neurochemistry, neurobiology, and similar fields which are the foundation of clinical neuropsychology. (Preparatory courses for the exam are also issued.) If you are interested in neuropsychology, the general recommendations are: 1) Get as many basic neuropsychology courses as you can, whether here at Nova or the many CE opportunities offered across the country. FAQ Internships Questions 5 2) Improve your chances for neuropsychology internships by making sure you take a neuropsychology practicum and get as involved as you can in neuropsychological research (even if you are not the primary person on the study.) Letters of reference from a recognized neuropsychologist are very valuable. 3) Get into the best internship with the most neuropsychology, but apply even to internships without neuropsychology. Neuropsychology internships which meet division 40 requirements are rare and should not be counted on. Students with extensive academic, practicum, and research experience will generally get more attention, but each internship weights these in a unique way. However, since many of the internships which meet division 40 requirements are often in a medical school or other academic setting, there may be a stronger research emphasis in such programs than in settings which are more clinically oriented. 4) Plan on doing at least one year and possibly two years of post-doctoral training, primarily in neuropsychology. These may be formal post-doctoral programs or ones which are arranged more informally. The key is getting program and personal supervision from a board certified neuropsychologist. Training offered by non-board certified individuals may or may not be recognized. Please feel free to come in and discuss these issues with me. Dr. Charles Golden 8. What are Program-Sanctioned Hours Question: I am wondering if the following type of clinical hours may be considered "practicum" or "externship" hours and recorded in Section 3 of the APPIC application: a paid, supervised position conducting therapy and assessments in a specialty clinic of NSU's CMHC. The position developed out of a pre-practicum placement, the specialty clinic trains practicum students as well, and weekly supervision was provided. Reply: This is a very important question, and one that came up many times last year. The answer is that APPIC allows the counting of ONLY "program-sanctioned" hours in Items 1-4 of Section 3. Program-sanctioned hours are those that are needed to meet curricular requirements, that supplement curricular requirements (e.g., voluntary and supervised clinical hours in one of the NSU CMHC clinics), and that were not paid. Program-sanctioned activities therefore include clinical practica, research practica that involved activities that fit into Items #1-4 of Section 3, and FAQ Internships Questions Directed Study, Major Paper, or dissertation activities that fit into Items #1-4. Paid activities, including those associated with NSU CMHC clinics, are counted under Item #8 of Section 3. Bear in mind that you will need to complete one Program-sanctioned Activities forms for EACH category of clinical hours not documented elsewhere. Specifically, without any additional documentation, everyone will get credit for 1200 total hours for the combination of Clinical Practicum 1&2 and 3&4. If you completed more than 480 hours in first year practicum or more than 720 hours in second year practicum, the additional hours need to have been documented on your final practicum evaluation form OR otherwise verified in writing by the supervisor(s). ALL OTHER program-sanctioned activities that include hours countable in Items #1-4 of Section 3 need to be supported by written verification from the supervisor(s). THE FORMS DISTRIBUTED FOR THIS PURPOSE WILL HAVE SIGNATURE LINES TO VERIFY AUTHENTICITY. Clinical hours for which you were paid can certainly strengthen your applications. In addition to documenting them in Item #8, you can mention them in your cover letter, refer to them in your essay questions, and have relevant letter writers refer to them. 9. Verification of Clinical Hours Question: Please can you clear up a concern about counting clinical hours? At the end of my practicums in the 2nd and 3rd year, my respective supervisors signed off on evaluation forms which included the total number of hours I completed. The clinical training office received these evaluations. Are these signed evaluations (which include the total number of hours completed for that particular site) sufficient for providing proof that the student has completed more than the minimum number of hours that you assume all students have done? In other words, if you have a copy of my practicum evaluation with a reported total number of hours as 900 hours do I still have to approach my supervisor for further signed proof of completing an additional 180 hours. Reply: The answer is simple. If we have your completed and signed practicum evaluation forms, and the number of hours is specified on them, then you do not need to submit anything else to substantiate those hours. You can check with Wendy or one of the student assistants to verify that we have your completed forms. 6 FAQ Internships Questions Other program-sanctioned activities that involved hours that fit under Items #1-4 of AAPI Section 3 DO REQUIRE substantiation. Use the Program-sanctioned Hours forms to do this. 10. What to Include in Autobiographical Statement Dr. Kaslow, APPIC chair, writes: Many of you have been asking about the autobiographical statement. As a real proponent of the autobiographical statement, let me try to articulate what I am looking for in response to this question. Simply put, I want to know, who are you? You are correct, it is not about your academic or professional accomplishments, but about you as a person. As educators and supervisors, we spend lots of time with our interns. We therefore want to know who are the people we are going to be teaching, guiding, and learning from. What makes you tick? What are your passions? How did you get where you are today? You have heard lots of comments about goodness of fit between the applicant and the site. A lot of that has to do with fit at a very human level. I think the challenge for applicants is how to reveal enough about themselves so that who they are as unique individuals is communicated without sharing "too much." We all appreciate that sometimes this feels like a fine line to walk, so I would encourage each of you applying to find your own line that feels comfortable and ask a trusted colleague to take a look at your autobiographical statement and help you be sure you really let the internship sites know something meaningful and genuine about you as a person without being over self-disclosive. I hope this helps. 11. Web Links for Gathering Internship Information As a component of gathering internship information, you can check out many internship programs via links to their web sites. These links are on the APPIC home page, but can be found directly at the following URL: http://www.appic.org/w05doctweb.html While some of these web sites are more complete than others, they are worth a look. 12. How to Get Letters of Recomnendation from Psychologists Outside of Nova Question: What do you suggest would be the best way for students to get letters of recommendation when the letter writers are not at Nova. The reason I ask this is because one of my off-site supervisors believed he could write one general letter (i.e. "To whom it may concern,") that I could then 7 FAQ Internships Questions 8 duplicate and distribute. While I informed him I did not believe this was currently the accepted way for DOT's to receive letters, the question then arose in how to organize an personalized, yet mass-produced letter. (Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a proficient WP department)! As I am sure this situation has occurred before, I wondered if you have any advice or suggestions about how to ensure that those students approaching off-site supervisors will be able to secure their much-needed letters of recommendation. Reply: This issue has come up in previous years. Regrettably, our Word Processing staff does not have the resources to handle letters that do not go out on CPS letterhead. Nevertheless, the matter is clearly important. One idea that has worked for some students in past years has been to ask off-site supervisors to compose a letter, give them the file and the needed amount of agency/program stationery, and he/she then puts the needed inside addresses into the letters and prints them. The printed letters can be returned to the writer for signature and then mailed. 13. Sending Application Materials in one Packet Question: Several sites request that materials be sent together in one packet. Does that typically mean letters of recommendation and transcripts should not be sent separately? Reply: Yes, if an internship program requests that ALL materials be sent in a single envelope (easier for them), then you should do this. This means that all envelopes (transcripts, my letter of eligibility, my completed Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness form, and letters of recommendation) should be sealed with the writer's signature across the closed flap before being put into your single, larger mailing envelope. Re transcripts: When you are ready to request transcripts from the Registrar's Office, FIRST request mailing labels from Word Processing for the programs to which you are applying, and take them to the transcript department in the Administration Building. Transcripts requested in bulk (e.g., 10 or more at a time) are less expensive, but you do need to allow them a day or so to prepare them. If you have the address labels, the sealed transcripts can be returned to you (if everything needs to go in one large envelope), or they can be mailed directly by the transcript department. FAQ Internships Questions 14. More About Sending Materials Together or Separately Question: If sites DO NOT SPECIFY how materials should be sent, should we send letters and transcripts separately? Reply: If by the term "sent separately" you mean mailed individually rather than in a single, large envelope, the answer is yes. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO SEND ALL MATERIALS IN A SINGLE ENVELOPE FOR ALL INTERNSHIPS! Read your application materials carefully to determine which ones ask specifically that these steps be taken. 15. Diversity Section of AAPI Question: I recall your mentioning that the diversity section of the AAPI includes each member of groups that were led in a practicum. Does this section also include the ethnic background, etc. of those clients who were seen for evaluation/assessment only, rather than therapy? I ask because one of my practica consisted only of testing and I would like to include these clients in the diversity section. Reply: Yes. The purpose of the diversity questions is to get a measure of your total clinical exposure to a broad range of diverse populations. Hence, assessment and therapy are comparable on this score. 16. More About Letters of Recommendation 9 Question 1: Could you clarify how to go about getting letters of recommendation from Nova faculty organized with Word Processing? For example: How long before a letter is due should the Word Processing staff be provided with addresses? Reply: The letter writing and Word Processing steps are somewhat independent. Using the disks provided and format specified in the internship packets, give WP your addresses as soon as you have them. Although you can add more addresses later, try to bring in your addresses in one or two clusters. For instance, all the letters due by November 1 should be turned in no later than the first week of October. E SURE TO ALLOW AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS WITH EARLY DEADLINES. FAQ Internships Questions Question 2: Can addresses be added to the disk (as many applications arrive late) after giving the original list of Directors/program addresses to Word Processing staff? Reply: Yes, but try to avoid bringing in additional addresses one or two at a time, particularly if the deadlines are not immediate. Question 3: How do we identify which recommendation letters are going to which program? For example, some programs request 4 letters of recommendation vs. 3 letters, some request all clinical supervisors or request a research supervisor provide a letter. Do we inform the faculty or the Word Processing staff of which programs each faculty's letter is being sent to? Reply: Coordinate this process with your letter writers. Question 4: How should programs requesting that letters be enclosed in one packet be treated differently than those which need to be sent separately? More specifically, do letters being sent by the students (all materials together), need to be identified as "different" for Word Processing as they don't need to have an addressed envelope? 10 Reply: WP will provide you with address labels for every letter, no matter how it is to be sent. Tell your letter writers which letters are to be mailed by them, and which have to be mailed by YOU in one large envelope. Then coordinate with each one as to how he/she would like this process to be handled. NOTE: EVEN LETTERS TO BE SENT BY YOU IN A SINGLE ENVELOPE WILL NEED INDIVIDUAL ENVELOPES -- GENERALLY SEALED WITH THE WRITER'S SIGNATURE ACROSS THE FLAP. 17. Counting Members of Therapy Groups on the AAPI Question Question: In reference to counting members of a group for the purpose of totaling members of diverse populations (section 3, item 6, part (e) ) can I assume that we could count members of a family the same way? For example, if I saw 4 members of a Hispanic family, they would count as 1 family unit in (section 3, item 1, part d), but under item 7 (diverse populations) they would count as 4 Hispanics? FAQ Internships Questions Reply: I think the answer would be yes. Interestingly, I recently read a message on one of the APPIC training list serves suggesting that even if the AAPI doesn't change, it will likely be several years before understanding how to complete it becomes truly "uniform." 18. Treatment Settings on the AAPI In the section (treatment setting), what would be an example of a Dept. Clinic? What would LaBonte's Children Institute fall under? Should we list NSU CMHC under CMHC or Dept. Clinic? 11 Reply: A "departmental clinic" is typically a small faculty-supervised clinic that operates within a department or school of psychology, but provides treatment to a limited number of clients, and is typically much smaller in scale than the NSU CMHC. La Bonte Institute initially fell under Departmental Clinic, as it was an outpatient training clinic that was linked to a university program. Since it has moved off campus and become independent of the university, it would now be considered a CMHC. NSU CMHC would fall under CMHC as well. 19. Documenting Practicum Hours for Non-CPS (i.e., Community) Placements Question Question: Both of my practica have been off-campus. I also had supervision on-campus at Nova for this. Do I need to fill out a form to attest to this? Reply: Assuming you are referring to practicum hours, either supervisor's signature/documentation will do. The on-site supervisor may feel that (s)he was in a better position to know your hours. If you are referring to supervision time, I will assume that everyone had approximately 48 hours of individual supervision per practicum year; there may have been some hours of group supervision as well. 20. Counting Group Supervision Hours for Practica Question: For these supervision hours at Nova, some of the time was spent in a small group of 2-3 students. Does this count as group supervision (3B of the AAPI), or peer supervision/consultation (3C of AAPI). In other words, do I need to separate out the amount of time that the group supervision was actually spent processing cases that I was working on, as opposed to cases that those other students were working on? FAQ Internships Questions Reply Good question. Whether your supervision (on-site or on campus) took place individually or in small groups, let's use the guideline that one hour per week was INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION time. If your faculty and/or on-site supervision took place in small groups, count the DIFFERENCE between total group meeting time and your individual supervision time within the group as GROUP SUPERVISION. Peer supervision is that provided by interns or other students, but without a faculty or other licensed supervisor. 21. Recording Research Hours with Human Subjects on the AAPI Question: I did a one semester research practicum with Dr. X. Do I need to fill out a form for this, since I did not see a record of those hours in Wendy's file on me? Do I need to contact Dr. X? Reply: If any of that research practicum time would fit under the definitions for AAPI Section 3, Items 1-4, then you can count it. Yes, we would need a program-sanctioned hours form signed by Dr. X to document the hours. The Clinical Training office only routinely collects hours associated with clinical practica. 22. How to Count Weekly Case Conference Meeting Time on the AAPI Question: In both of my practica, there was a weekly case conference meeting in which cases were discussed, didactic experiences were provided, and issues pertinent to psychology were discussed. In reviewing the AAPI, I am not quite sure where to record these meetings. Do I need to separate out the amount of time spent discussing cases (e.g. for group supervision? consultation?) Reply: Only those hours spent in discussing cases (whether yours or others') can be counted toward GROUP SUPERVISION hours. The balance would likely be considered didactic training, and would not be recorded on the AAPI. It is regarded as comparable to time spend in classes, whether the materials was skills oriented or not. Consultation hours are those you spent in PROVIDING consultation to staff, case managers, etc. 23. Counting Group Members Question: During one of my practica, I co-led a family support group for the 12 FAQ Internships Questions clientele. This group had a high turnover with many new members each week. As far as recording for the second column (Section 3, Item 1D, column 2 of the AAPI), should I record a new group for every week that the group was run if it was primarily composed of different members? Reply: The level of detail called for by the AAPI makes responding to questions like this cumbersome. Nevertheless, if the group had a consistent focus or series of foci, and if it met at a regular time, I would regard it as a single group, even with the rotating membership. 24. Counting Hours from NSU Masters in Mental Health Counseling Question: I completed a masters in mental health counseling from Nova prior to working on my doctorate. Therefore, I completed a practicum placement through that curriculum. My question is, where do I place my practicum experience hours. It would seem appropriate to include those hours, since they were supervised by a licensed psychologist at the practicum site and I obtained indirect supervision/class from Dr. Thompson, a Nova professor in Section 3. The concern that I have is that if I include those in Section 3 hours, the heading for that section is entitled Doctoral Practicum Documentation....therefore, do I need to create a separate category for the masters practicum placement or can I modify the title and include in Section 3? Reply: If you completed NSU's M.S. program in Mental Health Counseling in 1991 or later, then you were required to have completed either two or three semesters of 150 practicum hours each. I would suggest that you use the following schedule for incorporating the additional hours into Section 3 of the AAPI: 13 Additional hours under Section 3, Item 1: 75 per semester (based on a 50% calculation) Additional hours under Section 3, split between Items 2 and 3: 75 per semester (based on how your time was spent) Additional hours under Section 3, Item 3: 45 hours per semester of group supervision and 15 hours per semester of individual supervision If you wish to claim more hours than these, you will need to provide documentation from your practicum instructor, to whom you likely submitted a set of weekly practicum logs. Also, be sure to complete a "program-sanctioned hours form" for these hours. 25. Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness Form Question: Is the Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness form on the FAQ Internships Questions AAPI the same form that would be used if a site asks for "three letters of recommendation (one of which is from your program director indicating readiness for internship)"? Reply: No, I do ALSO send a letter on NSU stationery for EACH student attesting to his/her eligibility and readiness. 26. Transcripts Question: I got my bachelor's degree from the University of WHATCHAMACALLIT. The office of the Registrar confirmed that an official transcript from their office will include the 30 credits that I transferred toward my degree during my freshman year. In this instance should I still request a transcript from the school where I took these 30 credits for the sites that request undergrad transcripts? Reply: The answer may vary from site to site, but I think that there would generally be no need for the original school's transcripts. If the U of W accepted these credits, then they are official on the U of W transcript. The purpose of asking for undergraduate transcripts is most often to verify that you did graduate from an (regionally, not APA) accredited college or university. 27. Question: Address Labels Question: Do we HAVE to turn in our address labels to the registrar, or can we ask them to return the sealed, unaddressed transcripts directly to us? Reply: My understanding is that they will ask for the address labels, but you can ask if they will do otherwise. Remember that if programs to which you are applying do not ask that all materials be sent in a single envelope, you do not need to send them this way. 28. Separate Personal Statement Question: Is it not redundant when a site asks for BOTH the AAPI (which includes an autobiographical statement) and a separate "personal statement"? I seem to remember a recent year's applicant saying that we should never write on a an application "see uniform application" or "see resume" to 14 FAQ Internships Questions answer one of their questions. Reply: If a site asks for a separate biographical statement, it may be asking for specific additional information, and/or it may want to see what you say in the absence of the 500 word limit. Look closely at the application instructions for more cues on this. The recent suggestion you heard is worth adhering to. 29. Letter of Recommendation from the Clinical Director 15 Question: When we ask a faculty member to write the LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION REQUESTED BY SITES FROM THE CLINICAL TRAINING DIRECTOR, and inform word processing to please insert the “DEFERMENT PARAGRAPH,” do we need to ask the faculty member to write a new letter, or can we use a letter of recommendation they have already written for us? Reply: The same letter will be just fine. The purpose of the “deferment” paragraph inserted into my letter of eligibility is to ask the selection committee to read the other faculty members' letters in lieu of my own because they are more familiar with your work. 30. Outcome Assessment Hours on the AAPI Question: On the AAPI, Section 3, item 1i, it asks about hours for Outcome Assessment. Could you explain in more detail what this means? Reply: This category is for work done in program evaluation or other systematic assessment of intervention efficacy. It is not applicable to evaluation of individual, family, or group treatment on a case by case basis. Rather, it is for evaluation of the efficacy of a particular program (e.g., F.I.U. Student Counseling Center). 31. Teaching or Work Experience on the AAPI Question: Where would one put teaching experience or work as a teaching assistant on the AAPI? Reply: FAQ Internships Questions According to APPIC, the only hours that can be counted on the AAPI are actual classroom teaching hours. Hence, grading papers and tests, preparing lectures or other presentations, and other aspects of the work that go into teaching or being a T.A. regrettably cannot be counted on the AAPI. Actual classroom teaching hours go in Section 3, Item 7. 32. Materials to be Sent “Under a Separate Cover” Question: One site requests that a number of the materials be sent "under a Different cover." Does this mean to send them separately? These materials include transcript, letters of recommendation, and letter of readiness. Or does this mean that they should be sent directly from Nova? Reply: Sending materials under separate cover means, in this case, having them sent by the originator (e.g., letter writer, university transcript office). This would typically mean that they should be sent directly from Nova on NSU stationery. When you see instructions like these, you are being asked NOT to send all your materials in a single, large envelope. 33. Special Paper for Application Materials 16 Question: Should application materials (including test reports, vitas, etc.) be printed on any special paper? Reply: No, plain white paper is fine. Let your application materials rather than expensive stationery speak for you. ALSO, BE SURE that any potentially identifying information is deleted from any sample testing or intake reports you send. 33. Cover Letters Necessary? Question: At the risk of asking a DUMB question, just how necessary are these cover letters? Do you recommend they be sent to all sites? Reply: They serve a simple but important function. In 2 or 3 brief paragraphs (so that your signature appears on the same page as your salutation), you provide a snapshot of the skills, experiences, and goals that make you a good fit for the internship program. The letter in essence is an abstract of your full application. FAQ Internships Questions Yes, I think it is worthwhile to send one as part of each application. Just as may well be the case with your essays, you may have multiple versions of the cover letter. 34. Diverse Populations 17 Question: If you had a family in therapy consisting of a White father who with an axis I diagnosis, an Asian mother who is deaf, three daughters, one of whom is lesbian, another with a learning disability, would you categorize them as 1 family (section 3, item 1 (d)), 1 White, 1 Asian, 3 biracial, 1 with a serious mental illness, 1 deaf, 1 lesbian, 1 male and 4 females (section 3, item 6 (e)). Reply: Exactly! You may include a single client/ patient in several categories. 35. Managed Care Providers on the AAPI Question: How do we know if we have had experience with Managed Care Providers? For example, if we did a practicum at NSU CMHC and saw Medicaid clients, does that count? Also, if we were at another setting where the clients had managed care providers, does that count? Reply: Neither of the examples you gave would fit under the heading of managed health care experience. In general, you must typically be on a managed care panel to see clients with HMO or PPO coverage. I would imagine that very few, if any of you have managed care experience, particularly through practicum. 36. Number of clients seen on the AAPI Question: On #6-e (other information about practicum experiences), if we did testing with any of these clients, would that fall under this category? In other words, what does it mean when they state "the number of clients/patients SEEN for each of the following diverse populations? Reply: As above, the answer is a bit cumbersome. Each client "seen" as an individual, partner in a couple, family or group member, or as someone whom you tested, counts as one member of one of the groupings. So, all members of a group can be counted for this one. You can count the same individual under multiple categories. FAQ Internships Questions 37. Signing Across Envelope Flaps 18 Question: Is it necessary for you to sign the back of the envelopes for the letter of eligibility, and on the verification for readiness of hours on the APPIC? Reply: Re the APPIC verification form: Once you verify your program-sanctioned hours with Wendy, you print as many completed verification forms as you need, and bring them in for me to sign. You then take them, put them into envelopes, seal the envelopes, and return the envelopes for my stamped signature across the seal. This double signature method is required by APPIC. Re my letters of eligibility (on NSU letterhead): ONLY if the site specifically requests my signature across the flap OR if all materials are to be sent by YOU in a single envelope is my signature required across the flap. In all other instances, no signature is required across the seal. Re letters of recommendation: ONLY letters that YOU send in a single envelope or those requested by the sites need to be signed across the flap. If the letters are mailed from Nova (that is, "under separate cover"), no signature is needed. Read each site's instructions carefully on this point. 38. Submitting Test Reports with your application materials Question: Regarding test reports that we need to submit, what would you recommend as being the best way that we block out the identifying info. If we have them on disk, can we put Mr. X or Ms. X for the name? And if we do that, will we be able to obtain the signatures from our supervisors. Reply: A key issue in sending sample test, intake, or other reports is to protect the identity of the examinee. If you do have copies on disk of such reports, and if the supervisor in question is willing to sign them with the word "SAMPLE" somewhere near the top of the document, then use that method. BE SURE THAT YOU ALSO MODIFY OR DELETE OTHER POTENTIALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CITY OF RESIDENCE, UNIQUE HISTORICAL ELEMENTS, AND THE LIKE. 40. Blacking Out the Name on sample test reports Question: If we don't have a disk that contains the report, is it alright to black out FAQ Internships Questions the name? Reply: Yes, but it is equally important to block out the other potentially identifying information. This includes the full name of the place of service as may appear on letterhead stationery. 19 DO NOT SEND THE COPIES ON WHICH YOU BLOCKED OUT THE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. THE BLACKOUT CAN FADE WITH TIME TO REVEAL THE INFORMATION YOU ARE COVERING UP. SEND COPIES OF THE BLACKED OUT VERSIONS INSTEAD. 41. Sending Copies of Reports with Signatures of Supervisors Question: Can we make copies of our reports with the original signature or do we have to have the supervisor sign the copy of each report? Reply: Copies of signatures are fine. 42. What Constitutes a “Recent” Report Question: When the application calls for a "recent" report, how early can we really go? Reply: If you can send sample reports from your most recent practicum, then the work may be more sophisticated than what you did earlier. On the other hand, there are many reasons to choose a report from both practicum years (e.g., one testing of a child and one testing of an adult). I would not use reports from any clinical experiences prior to your doctoral training. 43. Test Reports and Signatures Question: Must test reports have a signature by the supervisor? Isn't this an example of our skills? What would the purpose be? Reply: Yes, sample psychological evaluations are requested as evidence of your testing, writing, and conceptualization skills. There appears to be concern FAQ Internships Questions among some selection committees, however, that the work samples need to be established as genuine, and a supervisor's signature may be the most readily available proof of this. Check the application instructions as to whether supervisors' signatures are needed. Alternatively, if you wish, you could either E-mail or call the DOT to get his/her preference on this. 44. Whether to Type or Handwrite Sites Non-AAPI Forms Question: Some sites have their own forms that they want completed. Is it alright to hand write on these forms or, should I try to find a typewriter? Reply: When this issue came up last year (and probably every year before that), the answer was typically to ask if the site would accept a reasonable facsimile that you could create and complete on your word processor. In so doing, you could even match the paper color if other than white. The next best alternative would be to actually use a typewriter. These were once the stock and trade of doctoral students... 45. Web Sites Forms Ok to Use? Question: Also, along the same lines, some sites have forms that I have printed off of Their web site. The form is not the type that you can download onto a word processor. Is it alright to write on these forms? Is there some way to get them in to a word processor so they can be typed? 20 Reply: Actually, most web browsers (e.g., MS Internet Explorer) allow you to highlight a section of text, and then copy and paste it into your word processing program. You may have to adjust the formatting a bit, but this can generally be done. You could then write what you wish without having to resort to a typewriter. I suspect that many of the folks in the Computer Lab would be happy to give you a demonstration of how to do this. 46. Where Can I Find A Typewriter? Question: By the way, does anybody out there still have access to a typewriter? Reply: There may be some scattered around our building that are used for typing labels, envelopes, and the like. I'm not sure where, though. 47. Mailing Labels for Transcripts FAQ Internships Questions 21 Question: The internship packet instructions state that we should type mailing labels for each of the transcripts that we request. Do we need to type labels for those transcripts that we will be sending directly to the sites with the other application materials? Or should we only type labels for those sites which require the transcripts be sent directly from the Registrar? Reply: The answer to this question may be fairly simple. All official transcripts are sealed by the Registrar's Office. It would be easy, then, to put a mailing label on each one, no matter how it is to be sent, because you will get three more sets of labels from Word Processing than you need for just your letters. One of these sets could be used for the transcripts. 48. Sending Raw Data with Test Reports Question: Just to make sure, sites that require testing reports are only asking for The written report, right? I just want to make sure that I'm not supposed to be including the raw test data as well. Reply: As a general rule, the answer is yes. I recall very few instances (actually maybe only one) in the past few years in which the site wanted copies of raw test data. In other words, DO NOT send anything more than a copy of the report unless they specifically ask otherwise. REMEMBER YOUR PRIMARY OBLIGATION TO ENSURE CONFIDENTIALITY. If you come across requests for raw data, check with Linda, your practicum supervisor if available, or me. 49. Dissertation Status and How to Answer if Psy.D. Candidate Question: On the APPIC Verification Form, there is a question regarding dissertation status and dates completed. This is followed by a question that reads, "If no dissertation required, list status of major project." Since I am a Psy.D. candidate, should I type N/A in the spaces for the dissertation questions and then describe the directed study status in the following question? Reply: There is really no need to type "N/A" for the "dissertation" question, since your response to the very next item makes clear that there was no dissertation requirement. FAQ Internships Questions As to describing the Directed Study, there may likewise be little need to explain, because in an earlier section of the AAPI itself, you checked a box that specified the nature of the requirement (e.g., critical literature review, data collection, etc.). If you wish, however, you could insert the appropriate paragraph(s) from the Handbook that describes the Directed Study. Also, if your Directed Study is completed, you could include with your general application materials -- not here -- the abstract from your Directed Study. A reference to what you examined in your Directed Study could certainly be worked into one of the essays as well. 50. University / School Program to be Checked on the AAPI Question: Which program category should I check on page 4 of the AAPI? Reply: The item in question is reproduced in part below: "University / School Program (put an "X" next to one choice):" Among the choices are Neuropsychology, Adult Clinical, Child Clinical, and Health. Regardless of your concentration, area(s) of focus, practica, or other factors, you MUST put your check mark next to CLINICAL. We do not publicly identify either the Psy.D. or Ph.D. program as other than clinical. There are many other areas of the application where you can detail your specialized training. 51. Length of Cover Letters Question: Approximately how long should our cover letters be? Is it important to keep them within one page? 22 Reply: Cover letters serve a simple but important function. In 2 or 3 brief paragraphs (so that your signature appears on the same page as your salutation), you provide a snapshot of the skills, experiences, and goals that make you a good fit for the internship program. The letter in essence is an abstract of your full application. As to whether it is "important" that cover letters be no more than one page long, the key issue is the likelihood of their being read and thereby getting the readers' attention. If they go onto a second page, they should go over by no more than several lines. Parsimonious expression is the goal. Also, I do think it is worthwhile to send one as part of each application. FAQ Internships Questions Just as may well be the case with your essays, you may have multiple versions of the cover letter. 52. Issues Related to Sample Reports Question: What qualifies as a diagnostic evaluation (some sites ask for this as a writing sample)? Reply: Typically, such a request is for a report of the results of a testing battery that was done to answer diagnostic, disposition, and/or treatment planning questions. Most intake reports that include results of not only an interview, but also some testing, for instance, would fit this description. A report on IQ and/or achievement testing on a child to determine gifted placement would not qualify. Question: Do the sample testing reports have to come from a practicum, or can we use work done in our testing courses? Does it have to be a full battery? Do we need a supervisor's signature on these reports? Reply: The test report need not have come from a practicum or work setting, but the report you send should be a good approximation to such a report. In other words, some of the 15-20 page reports that I hear students talking about for the Integrated Report class would not be appropriate. Professional test reports generally are no longer than 3 or 4 pages, and include diagnostic impressions and treatment or other disposition (e.g., referral) recommendations. The report need not be a "full battery," but it should describe results of more than one test, and possibly a clinical interview as well. As for supervisor signatures, this may very from site to site. If uncertain, you might call to get clarification. I think that an unsigned report would suffice in most instances. As I have noted before, if you absolutely need a signature but can't locate the supervisor, I can sign his/her name and then put my initials next to the signature. Question: Are we permitted to count testing that was done to fulfill our course requirements in the testing section of the AAPI? Reply: 23 FAQ Internships Questions Yes. 53. Providing Research Summaries Question: A few of the internship sites to which I'm applying request "research summaries" in addition to reports, as writing samples. Does this mean that they would like abstracts of our research papers (Major paper, Directed Study, publications, or poster presentations)? Reply: Examples of research studies you have written or co-written are indeed what they are looking for. Publications or papers prepared for presentation would be most suitable. A Major Paper or Directed Study, as submitted, would likely be too long. Alternatively, abstracts of either would be too short. If you have no research summaries other than abstracts, send those, but be certain you identify them as abstracts. 54. Providing A List of Internship Goals Question: One of my internship sites indicated that I need to develop a list of internship goals with the training director, and that this list needs to be signed by the training director and me. How should I handle this? Reply: This is not an infrequent request, but it is more typically directed to me AFTER you have been matched with an internship. When it occurs PRIOR to the match, it is part of the selection committee's effort to determine your goodness of fit. In either case, if I do not know you well enough to complete such a list, I would direct you to one of your faculty letter writers to have this done. A listing of primary training goals (e.g., "Extend his/her experience in conducting and writing comprehensive psychological evaluations on children with significant behavioral, emotional, familial, or other significant challenges") is what is called for. I can review and sign the list once it is completed. 24 Did the internship in question provide you with a form for doing this? If not, the list should be printed on NSU letterhead. END OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS