Interns who are selected for the Clinical Health Track will provide outpatient services as part of one of three primary rotations: Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Pain and Mental Health, Women’s Behavioral Health. Interns will spend two full days per week for a full year on their primary rotation and two full days per week for 6 months each on two secondary rotations. We will contact interns prior to the start of internship regarding the secondary rotations that are available for the year and assign interns to two secondary rotations. The remaining day is reserved for didactics and optional training experiences.
Each primary rotation on the Clinical Health Psychology track is assigned its own number within the APPIC application system. Applicants may apply to multiple primary rotations on Clinical Health Psychology Track as part of the APPIC application process.
Below is an example of an intern's training schedule:
July - December
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary rotation 1 | Primary rotation | Didactics and optional training opportunities | Secondary rotation 1 | Primary rotation |
January - June
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary rotation | Primary rotation | Didactics and optional training opportunities | Secondary rotation | Primary rotation |
Primary Rotations
Sleep difficulties are pervasive across psychiatric and medical populations. The Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program provides patients with evidence-based care for insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, hypersomnia, and parasomnias (e.g., nightmares), as well as behavioral health support for PAP desensitization and sedative hypnotic medication tapering. Patients primarily come from departments of sleep medicine, psychiatry, and primary care, with occasional referrals from other areas such as oncology or student health. Interns can expect a diverse caseload of presenting concerns and populations across the adult lifespan.
The goal of this primary rotation is to provide training in comprehensive assessment, case conceptualization, and flexible implementation of evidence-based treatments for sleep-wake disorders. In addition to providing outpatient clinical services, interns participate in clinical supervision, didactics, and monthly interdisciplinary team meetings to foster collaborative learning and support. Based on individual training goals, interns may also have the opportunity to shadow sleep medicine physicians and fellows, attend Division of Sleep Medicine grand rounds, and contribute to CBT-I training of MD sleep fellows. Additional opportunities may occasionally be available in the form of group psychotherapy, research, and other training activities.
During the primary rotation in pain and mental health, psychology interns will learn skills related to the epidemiology, assessment, diagnosis, conceptualization and treatment of chronic non-cancer pain and related psychiatric comorbidities. In the outpatient setting, interns will complete initial psychodiagnostic assessments of psychological comorbidities within the context of chronic pain. Interns will also play a role in integrating brief psychotherapy, relaxation and behavior modification into patients’ pain management with the goal of restoring patient functioning in physical and social areas. Interns will provide services through the PRE:VAIL Clinic (an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation clinic) and through the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Service delivery will be provided primarily through individual psychotherapy; however, some group opportunities may be possible.
Interns can expect to work alongside a team that includes internal medicine and anesthesiology medical providers, OB/GYN providers, chronic pain physical therapists, pelvic floor physical therapists, occupational therapists, and dieticians. Trainees will play an essential role in helping patients navigate the different aspects of their pain management and, in particular, will work closely with patients to increase their functioning and quality of life.
Interns will have exposure to a number of chronic pain conditions, including but not limited to fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, chronic headache/migraine, complex regional pain syndrome, and female chronic pelvic pain. Common psychological/coping problems include depression, anxiety, PTSD, difficulty managing physical health symptoms and treatment side effects, medical decision-making, and challenges in communication with medical teams and family. Interns will learn to adapt CBT and other manualized interventions to chronic pain setting.
Women’s Behavioral Health is an interprofessional Academic Center of Excellence providing care to women experiencing stress or stress-related illness during life events that are unique to women. We provide state-of-the-art care for mood and anxiety disorders, sexual health and stress, with a special emphasis on pregnancy, the postpartum period, gynecologic and breast cancers, menopause and the menstrual cycle.
During this primary rotation, interns are integral members of a treatment team that includes psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists. Emphasis is on enhancing skills in sexual and reproductive health interventions, evidenced-based psychotherapies for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and intervention skills for managing grief, loss and infertility. Clinical experiences are outpatient and include opportunities for group therapy. Psychology interns are expected to participate in weekly group supervision and bimonthly team meetings for discussion of cases, clinical matters and research.
Secondary Rotations
During the six-month bariatric psychology rotation, interns will learn how to conduct pre-surgical psychological evaluations for metabolic and bariatric surgery. These evaluations focus on how psychosocial factors including psychopathology, eating behaviors, substance use, cognitive functioning, social support, and current adherence behaviors may impact post-surgical dietary adherence, behavioral health, and other outcomes. Evaluations are semi-structured interviews and include self-report symptom measures and, if necessary, cognitive screening measures.
Interns will also have the opportunities to co-facilitate a brief, CBT-based psychotherapy group focused on addressing binge and emotional eating (held on average every other month), participate in monthly multidisciplinary team meetings, and participate in monthly journal club meetings.
During the six-month transplant psychology rotation, interns will learn to become proficient in pretransplant psychosocial assessments for transplant recipients and living kidney donors, and in treating post-transplant patients with appropriate psychological interventions. This rotation will be primarily an outpatient experience, but interns may have the opportunity to do inpatient evaluations and consults. Interns can participate in weekly organ transplant patient selection meetings.
During the primary rotation in pain and mental health, psychology interns will learn skills related to the epidemiology, assessment, diagnosis, conceptualization and treatment of chronic non-cancer pain and related psychiatric comorbidities. In the outpatient setting, interns will complete initial psychodiagnostic assessments of psychological comorbidities within the context of chronic pain. Interns will also play a role in integrating brief psychotherapy, relaxation and behavior modification into patients’ pain management with the goal of restoring patient functioning in physical and social areas. Interns will provide services through the PRE:VAIL Clinic (an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation clinic) and through the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Service delivery will be provided primarily through individual psychotherapy; however, some group opportunities may be possible.
Interns can expect to work alongside a team that includes internal medicine and anesthesiology medical providers, OB/GYN providers, chronic pain physical therapists, pelvic floor physical therapists, occupational therapists, and dieticians. Trainees will play an essential role in helping patients navigate the different aspects of their pain management and, in particular, will work closely with patients to increase their functioning and quality of life.
Interns will have exposure to a number of chronic pain conditions, including but not limited to fibromyalgia, chronic back pain, chronic headache/migraine, complex regional pain syndrome, and female chronic pelvic pain. Common psychological/coping problems include depression, anxiety, PTSD, difficulty managing physical health symptoms and treatment side effects, medical decision-making, and challenges in communication with medical teams and family. Interns will learn to adapt CBT and other manualized interventions to chronic pain setting.