Ready, set, match (or not)
It’s that time of year again; another round of the predoctoral psychology internship Match
has come to a close. I congratulate all the graduate students who were successfully matched. Unfortun-ately,
a large and growing number of internship applicants will not be matched due to an imbalance between
the number of predoctoral psychology internships and students seeking slots. APAGS and APA are
aware of the severity of this problem and are actively working with training organizations to find
solutions. In fact, APAGS has been advocating on behalf of graduate students on this issue for approximately
20 years. To learn more about APAGS’s work regarding the internship supply-and-demand problem,
see our article soon to be published in the journal Training and Education in Professional Psychology.
As someone who went through the internship application process as a candidate this year, I want
to share some advice for other students who are preparing for the next Match round.
 Track your practicum hours. Check out how hours are defined by the Association
of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Match application, online at www.appic.org/match/5_3_match_application.html.
Then, consider using a database to record your hours, including placement type and client characteristics,
such as race, age, sexual orientation and clinical issues.
Review the internship directory. APPIC offers a free listing of internships
at www.appic.org/directory/search_dol_internships.asp, where you can research the types
of internship sites available and the qualifications needed for each site.
Schedule time to apply. Most students apply to 10 to 15 internship sites, and this
can be a time-consuming activity. In fact, the time required to apply for internship is similar
to taking an additional course, completing a research project, engaging in a supplemental practicum
or working at a part-time job.
Take care of yourself. Advisers, practicum supervisors, mentors, colleagues,
family members and partners can all support you as you go through this challenging and time-consuming
process.
Attend workshops. APAGS and other organizations offer local, regional and national
programs about preparing for internship. These workshops and programs can offer practical tips
and alleviate any application anxiety. In particular, you may want to check out the APAGS internship
workshop offered each year at APA’s Annual Convention.
Work on your dissertation. Some internship sites prefer or require internship
applicants to have made significant progress on their dissertations. Also, most internship sites
are full-time positions and do not leave much time to work on your dissertation.
These recommendations were passed down to me from many people and from internship workshops
that I attended. I hope that these tips will be as helpful to you as they were to me. I wish the next group
of internship applicants the matches they deserve.
By Nadia Hasan
APAGS Chair
For more information, see
“Internships in Psychology: The APAGS Workbook for Writing Successful Applications and
Finding the Right Fit” (APA, 2008).
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