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The good Match newsWhat to expect on Notification Day, Match Day and beyond.
Friday, Feb. 23: Early Notification Day. Students will learn today if, but not where, they were matched. Most matched students report feeling a rush of relief. But that's served up with a side of anxiety about what internship they landed. Plus, they may feel uncomfortable sharing their excitement with unmatched peers, who are dealing with their own feelings of shock and dismay. To ease this tension, matched students may want to offer to help their unmatched peers prepare for and navigate the hectic Clearinghouse, say current interns. Students often need help researching sites and readying their application materials over the weekend and, once the Clearinghouse opens on Match Day, fielding phone calls and e-mails and sending application materials.
Before the Match, Chanelle T. Bishop, a former intern at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and several peers crafted a clear plan: They would offer brief congratulations to whoever matched, followed by immediate aid to whoever didn't. "Remind your peer of his or her strengths and expertise," adds Bishop, who matched while some of her colleagues didn't. Monday, Feb. 26: Match Day. Today, matched students experience a new set of emotions. Some students are elated to match to their first choice; others learn they snagged a third or fourth pick for which they hadn't prepared. Jennifer Rocheleau, PsyD, for example, matched to her fourth pick and felt shocked that she'd be moving from Minnesota to Iowa. That disappointment disappeared, though, when she began her internship and had a positive training experience, she says. Matched students can expect a brief welcoming call from their training directors--at the number they listed on their application--anytime after 11 a.m. EST on Match Day, according to APPIC guidelines. After Match Day. Within three days, training directors send a confirmation letter that includes a start date, benefits information and internship stipend, says APPIC Chair Steve McCutcheon, PhD. That letter may also include information about special requirements, such as getting a physical to prepare for work in a hospital. Students should feel free to contact their training director in the months that follow to ask questions, notes Match Coordinator Greg Keilin, PhD. Many training directors link students with current interns, who can share their insights on the best neighborhoods, coffeehouses, gyms and child-care programs. They can also offer a heads up on what you'll be learning and how the site functions. But keep in mind that every intern's experience is unique: One intern's staff nemesis may be your invaluable mentor, notes Keilin. Use the months before your internship starts to finish up coursework and your dissertation. Getting these tasks behind you leads to a happier, more productive internship experience, experts say. Too often, students plan to work on their dissertation "every night" during internship but find they don't have the energy. And if you're moving cities, arrive early to settle in. Find the closest grocery store, dry cleaner and other essentials so you won't be wrinkled and hungry in your first few intense days.
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© 2008 American Psychological Association |
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