Extra Info...

So I've also found out that the girl from D.C. I stayed with in Miami also has matched there! So three out of the five interns at the Mailman Center are from Children's National Medical Center! I am really glad to have people I know moving with me, it makes it so much easier to know at least one or two people right from the start. I probably will room with one or both of them too as the stipend that we get in Miami is not generous, which is putting it mildly ($20K a year). 

Also, my start date is not until September 1st, so I will be spending at least 6 more months in D.C. This is good as my lease in D.C. does not end until Sept; otherwise I'd be paying two rents for a couple of months if I moved earlier. So I finally know what my future will look like, at least for the next year and a half!

And I'm moving to......

Benvinidos a Miami, Florida! (I keep singing the Will Smith song for those of you who know it). I matched with my #5 choice, the Mailman Center for Child Development.  The track is working with kids with cancer, which will be challenging. I also found out that a girl from D.C. that I work with right now is going to be in the same program with me next year so it will be nice to know someone! It's farther than I really wanted to move but after having 3 feet of snow this winter I could be ready for a 70 degree winter! I told my dad that I was moving closer to him but as it turns out, Miami is only one hour closer to Atlanta than D.C. is, haha!

I am pretty surprised because it was a lower pick than I thought I would get. It looks like this year, four out of five applicants (81%) were matched to their top 3 choices and 5% were matched to their 5th choice. I really know how to beat the odds apparently, someone should take me to Vegas. :)

I am going to keep updating this blog as I get ready to move and as I settle in Miami so keep checking back for updates!

Here are some interesting statistics that show how difficult it is to get an internship right now.

Applicants Participating in the Match             3,669

Applicants Matched                                      2,823  (77%)

Participating Applicants Not Matched                846  (23% of students did not match this year)

Match Results by Rank Number on Applicant's List:
(percentages may not total to 100 due to rounding errors)

      Rank              Number of Applicants

        1                   1,295  (46%)
        2                     614  (22%)
        3                     373  (13%)
        4                     201  ( 7%)
        5                     135  ( 5%)
        6                      80  ( 3%)
        7                      52  ( 2%)
        8                      25  ( 1%)
        9                      14  ( 0%)
       10 or higher            34  ( 1%)

       Total                2,823 (100%)

It's Time!!!!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is "match day" where all internship applicants find out if they will have an internship next year. The process is done in two steps: tomorrow we find out IF we are going on internship, and then Monday we find out WHERE we are going. Last year I got the notification email pretty early so hopefully it will all be over before I even go to work! 

I was not nervous until this week, and tonight I am pretty freaked out. This is the culmination of two years of applications, an extra year of grad school, and the final step to graduating. It's a really big deal. I remember last year the shock of opening up the email to see that I hadn't matched. It was literally a punch in the gut. I think I'm reliving that a little bit tonight which is not fun. However, tomorrow could be redemption too! Then of course the wait for Monday....

This is a big weekend for me in many ways so keep me in your prayers! 

Ranking List

As I described early on in my blog, the next part of this process after interviews is to "rank" the sites in order of preference. The internship I would most like gets ranked #1, and then my second favorite and so on. The internship sites also rank the students that they interviewed in terms of who they think is the best fit for their site. If anyone is interested in a more detailed explanation I will paste it at the end of this post.

I had originally thought there was some systematic way of figuring out how to rank the sites, but it is difficult because they are all so different. My rankings are due on Feb 3rd and I have been putting it off. However, last night I just decided to go with gut feelings and ended up ranking them. I feel pretty happy with the lineup.  There is a chance I may re-order a few of them but for now it's set. So, in order of preference, my internship site rankings are:

Rank	Code	Training Site Program
1	153811	CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA, PA PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP
2	134421	KENNEDY KRIEGER/JOHNS HOPKINS U BALTIMORE, MD PEDS CONSULT/NEUROPSYCH
3	119711	DUPONT HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN WILMINGTON, DE PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP
4	121313	MAILMAN CTR CHILD DEV/U MIAMI MIAMI, FL CHILD PROTECTION TEAM
5	121317	MAILMAN CTR CHILD DEV/U MIAMI MIAMI, FL HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY
6	151917	UNIV OF OKLAHOMA HEALTH SCI CTR OKLAHOMA CITY, OK CHILD CLINICAL/PEDIATRIC PSYCH
7	136211	CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF MICHIGAN DETROIT, MI PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP
8	121319	MAILMAN CTR CHILD DEV/U MIAMI MIAMI, FL PRESCHOOL INTERVENTIONS
9	153012	GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER DANVILLE, PA CHILD CLINICAL AND PEDIATRIC
10	137911	CHILDRENS HOSP/CLIN OF MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS, MN PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP
11	143011	UNIV MED DENT NJ/UNIV BEHAV HC NEWARK, NJ CHILD TRACK

Description of the Matching Process

The matching process uses the preferences stated on the Rank Order Lists submitted by applicants and internship programs to place individuals into positions.
The process starts with an attempt to place an applicant into the program that is most preferred on the applicant's list. If the applicant cannot be matched to this first choice program, an attempt is then made to place the applicant into the second choice program, and so on, until the applicant obtains a tentative match, or all the applicant's choices have been exhausted.
An applicant can be tentatively matched to a program in this process if the program also ranks the applicant on its Rank Order List, and either:

• the program has an unfilled position available for the applicant. In this case there is room in the program to make a tentative match between the applicant and program.
  
• the program does not have an unfilled position, but the applicant is more preferred by the program to another applicant who is currently tentatively matched to the program. In this case the applicant who is the least preferred current match in the program is removed from the program to make room for a tentative match with the more preferred applicant.

Matches are referred to as tentative because an applicant who is matched to a program at one point in this process may later be removed from the program, to make room for an applicant more preferred by the program, as described in the second case above. When an applicant is removed from a previous tentative match, an attempt is then made to re-match this applicant, starting from the top of this applicant's list.
This process is carried out for all applicants, until each applicant has either been tentatively matched to the most preferred choice possible, or all choices submitted by the applicant have been exhausted. When all applicants have been considered, the matching process is complete and tentative matches become final.
In summary, each applicant's Rank Order List is traversed "downwards", from most preferred program to least preferred, until the first program is reached at which the applicant can be tentatively matched, or until the applicant's list of choices is exhausted. Each program accepts applicants "upwards" on its Rank Order List, continually removing less preferred matches in favor of more preferred applicants, until the program is matched to the most preferred applicants who wish to be matched to the program.
An example of how the matching algorithm works and a discussion of common misunderstandings about the matching process are provided in other sections of this web site.

Example

An example of the matching process involving three applicants and three programs is shown below. The Rank Order Lists submitted by programs and applicants in this example are as follows:

Programs' Rank Order Lists

Program A	Program B	Program C
(2 Positions)	(1 Position)	(1 Position)
1. Charles	1. Baker	1. Baker
2. Baker	2. Charles
3. Able	3. Able

Applicants' Rank Order Lists

Able	Baker	Charles
1. Program B	1. Program A	1. Program B
2. Program A	2. Program B	2. Program A
	3. Program C

Match Process

The actual matching is done on a computer. However, the matching process itself could be completed as effectively by hand; the computer serves only to expedite the process. The computer is set up to process the lists in the following manner.
It first attempts to place Able into his first choice, Program B. Since Program B has an available position, Able is tentatively matched to Program B. Next an attempt is made to place Baker into Program A. Since Program A has an available position, Baker is tentatively matched to Program A.
The computer then attempts to place Charles into Program B. Program B's position is currently filled, but Program B prefers Charles to its current match with Able. Able is therefore removed from Program B, and Charles is tentatively matched into Program B.
Since Able has just been removed from a tentative match with Program B, an attempt is made to re-match Able. The computer first tries to place Able into Program B; however, this is unsuccessful because Program B's position is now filled with Charles, who is preferred by Program B. Next an attempt is made to place Able into his second choice, Program A. Since Program A still has an available position, Able is tentatively matched to Program A.
The matching process is now complete as each applicant's list has been processed, and each applicant is tentatively matched to the most preferred choice possible. Tentative matches now become final.
Note that in the matching process, no applicant or program can be forced into a final match until all applicant Rank Order Lists have been considered for the best possible tentative matches.

INTERVIEWS COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The most exciting day in months: the day I finished internship interviews. It's been a long, long month (two months actually) of traveling and being stressed and nervous and I can already feel the sickness coming for the after-interview crash. It feels great to be done though, and not had any major traveling problems, and having seen so many great internship sites. I really think I'd be happy at any of them. Now, although I interviewed at 9 places, I will actually be ranking more than nine sites. This is because some of the internships have you apply for each of their positions, rather than just the internship as a whole. For example, for the Miami internship I would rank both the Child Protection Team position and the Hematology/Oncology position.

Mainly for my purposes, but so you can see too, here are the positions that need to be ranked, in no particular order right now :)

137911    CHILDRENS HOSP/CLIN OF MINNESOTA      MINNEAPOLIS, MN      (3 spots)
136211    CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF MICHIGAN          DETROIT, MI                   (4 spots)
                UNIV OF OKLAHOMA HEALTH SCI CTR         OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
                          151917 CHILD CLINICAL/PEDIATRIC PSYCH              (2 spots)
                 MAILMAN CTR CHILD DEV/U MIAMI               MIAMI, FL
                           121313 CHILD PROTECTION TEAM                             (1 spot)
                            121317 HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY                            (1 spot)
                           121319 PRESCHOOL INTERVENTIONS     (1 spot)
                 UNIV MED DENT NJ/UNIV BEHAV HC               NEWARK, NJ
                            143011 CHILD TRACK                    (4 spots)
119711     DUPONT HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN               WILMINGTON, DE        (6 spots)
                 GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER                            DANVILLE, PA
                             153012 CHILD CLINICAL AND PEDIATRIC                (3 spots)
153811     CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA          PHILADELPHIA, PA
                 KENNEDY KRIEGER/JOHNS HOPKINS U         BALTIMORE, MD
                              134421 PEDS CONSULT/NEUROPSYCH                       (2 spots)

1/27 Geisinger Medical Center

Internship Site: Geisinger Medical Center (Danville, PA otherwise known as the middle of nowhere)

Major Rotations: General Child and Pediatric Psychology
Special Stuff: Focus on research looking at how well different therapies work in the real world, Preschool evaluations & Head Start consultation, specialized clinics for different mental health disorders.
Downsides: More heavily child clinical and less peds, lots of behavior disorders, a majority of outpatient therapy experiences, minimal flexibility in schedule/activities, location.

I had actually interviewed at Geisinger last year and liked the program so I applied again this year. One of the initial downsides of Geisinger is it's location. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. The hospital is the majority of the city and the surrounding area is tiny. I stayed at the Pine Barn Inn the night before the interview which is a small little hotel right next to the hospital (pictured). This was the only interview where they covered any sort of travel expense - they paid for one night in a hotel which was really cool. 

The interview day consisted of three half hour interviews and lunch with the current interns. This was actually a very easy interview day as I had interviewed last year with two of the three faculty members I was interviewing with this year. Both of them were very kind and empathized with my not matching next year and just wanted to know what I had been doing since last year. I enjoyed the sympathy :) 

The program consists of three 4 month rotations in addition to year-long experiences. There are lots of experiences for group work, including group therapy for adolescents, obesity, and disruptive behaviors. In addition, there are a couple of clinics that focus on specific disorders: the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Adolescent Depression Clinic, and the Step Up Clinic which is basically a clinic for kids who wet themselves at night or during the day. I like this model because it really allows you to focus on a single disorder and how you might evaluate and treat the disorder. Sometimes I feel as though we are so busy with so many different disorders that you never really have time to focus on one at a time. There is also a peds oncology service which is new from last year. Interns are required to work in adult emergency services as well for one full day a week during one four month rotation. This would be an area I am least experienced in as I really have not worked much with adults at all. 

Now, the internship does have primary care work but its very minimal. For six months interns go to a pediatrician primary care site for 2 days each month. Interns also spend time working on-call in the consultation-liaison service which is available for physicians should they need a psychologist. My understanding of this is that referrals are more limited to certain types of disorders in kids and that the adult consultations are much more varied and interesting. There is a pediatric neuropsychologist that is one of the supervisors at the internship. There is minimal hard-core neuropsych testing, however. The faculty member does, however, work with kids with traumatic brain injury and uses a program for kids with concussions that I am using this year in D.C. 

This internship is definitely one I would be happy at, and would provide at least the basic experiences I am looking for. I am not sure it would totally prepare me for a neuropsychology post-doc, or provide much primary care experience. It is also unclear as to what experiences I might have with advocacy/program evaluation. Research is not a large component of the program, although this is true with most of the internships. One cool thing is that the interns get to wear the "white jackets" that doctors usually wear and are called "residents" just like they are medical residents. It's amazing how much more respect you command when wearing the white jacket! 

A final note about the location - the scenery itself is pretty beautiful. The hospital is actually set atop a hill with gorgeous views. The town also lies next to a decently big river which is cool too. Also, the cost of living is close to nothing (especially compared with DC!). People have apparently rented whole houses on an intern salary. That's pretty good!

1/22 University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Internship Site: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City, OK)

Major Rotations: Child & Pediatric Psychology
Special Stuff: Individualized Education Program, Extensive primary care work, Child Abuse & Neglect work, Oncology, brand new buildings/facilities. 
Downsides: Huge department, Interns don't have a lot of contact, Neuropsych opportunities are available but not a major focus. 

It was fun to go to my interview at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) because, as most of you know, my brother attends the OU main campus and I was able to stay with him. My poor brother had to wait four hours for my plane to arrive as it was diverted to Wichita, Kansas when there was a hailstorm over OK City. It was probably one of the scariest flights I've had! 

I spent Thursday mostly with my brother and even attended one of the classes he is taking, a developmental psychology class which I have actually taught before. It was interesting to sit in on the class though and see how someone else teaches it. 

My interview was on Friday and consisted of eight (technically nine), but EIGHT 45 minutes individual interviews. It was definitely a gauntlet! This interview was different as there was only myself and one other candidate interviewing that day and we never had contact with each other. It made me feel sort of special in a way! The program at OUHSC is pretty much designed for interns to create their own schedule using any combination of rotations and programs. This schedule can change as the year goes on as well. In general, the year is split up into three semesters (4 months each) in which an intern has one major rotation (25 hours a week) and one minor rotation (15 hours a week). This is totally awesome except when you start looking at all of the opportunities it becomes very daunting. 

For example, pediatric psychology is a major rotation, but within pediatric psychology there are tons and tons of programs and you can make up any combination of those programs to create the ped psych major rotation. It's a little difficult to describe actually but it's an overwhelming task. Some of the activities that interested me included a consultation-liaison program that provides consultation to physicians in the hospital when they have patients with psych needs, a hematology/oncology program, the primary care clinics, and the Fostering Hope Clinic (primary care for children in foster care). In addition, OUHSC has a cool program called the Interdisciplinary Training Program on Child Abuse and Neglect which is a training course for students in different disciplines to be leaders in the field of child maltreatment. This course would be great for my advocacy/public policy interests. 

The buildings on the campus were beautiful and looked brand new. It was pretty impressive. One interesting thing happened after my first interview which was in the VA building on campus. The faculty member was supposed to help me find my next interview spot but no one in the VA building was familiar with the child building, which is where I was going next. It took a good 25 minutes to figure out where I was supposed to be. This is one problem I see with the program is that it is HUGE. There are 42 faculty members!  I can see it being easy to get lost within such a large department. My final interview was with the director of training and I asked him if I got a prize for making it to the end of the day. He said yes and gave me candy :)

The pictures for this entry were taken with my cell phone so they are not as close up as I would like. Anyway, it gives you an idea.