1:18 p.m., March 9, 2009----Four doctoral candidates in the University of Delaware's Department of Psychology have been placed in prestigious internships for the 2008-09 academic year.

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Acquiring the positions was not quite the same experience as many UD graduating seniors will experience in the fall; the process was much more structured and systematic than most job searches.

The process by which the doctoral students found their internships is what the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers calls the “matching process.” Basically, doctoral candidates from different universities around the nation apply and interview with well-known hospitals, clinics, and psychological organizations.

Both the applicants and the employers independently rank order each other according to compatibility. The lists are then put through a computer program, which generates a report containing which students “matched” the available internships.

The University of Delaware has consistently matched its doctoral candidates with internships over the years, but other universities have not been so lucky.

According to the APPIC Match Report, 2009 had the highest number of unmatched applicants to date, which makes UD's accomplishment even more significant. UD also limits the students to working only with American Psychology Association accredited organizations.

"Matching with an internship is becoming increasingly harder year after year so I feel very fortunate to have received a position,” said Judith Morgan, one of the four doctoral candidates. “Also, the fact that all of my classmates matched makes it even more rewarding."

The candidates will all begin their internships in the fall and will finish just before graduation. The internship is the final requirement of the doctoral program and will give each student the opportunity to gain professional experience and continue the training they received at UD.

Below are brief descriptions of each student's internship program:

Jorden Cummings

Royal Ottawa Health Care Group
Ottawa, Ontario

Cummings will complete her internship with the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, a respected mental health facility for community residents across eastern Ontario. The organization specializes in treating patients with complex and serious mental illnesses that are often resistant to treatment.

Cummings will work specifically with adults with depression and bipolar disorders, with secondary rotations in anxiety and occupational stress. She will also participate in program evaluation research, which will allow her to continue her research interest on the process of change in psychotherapy and interpersonal processes to promote growth.

“I'm very excited to be pursuing the next stage of my doctoral training during my internship, and am thrilled to have matched with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center,” said Cummings.

Erin Lewis

Geisinger Medical Center
Danville, Pa.

Lewis will continue the clinical experience with child psychology with the Geisinger Medical Center. Her internship program offers a unique combination of child clinical assessment and therapy within a medical setting.

Specifically, Lewis will work with the pediatric unit consulting with children being treated for a variety of psychological disorders. She will also be involved with treatment outcome research, tracking changes in patients throughout various treatments.

She gives a lot of credit to the University of Delaware for preparing her for her new endeavor.

“The training at UD is great and I am really excited about the prospect of getting out there and putting it to use. I'm also excited about getting exposure to a new setting and getting involved with research projects that are in line with my interests,” said Lewis.

Judith Morgan

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Morgan will continue her experience in both clinical work and conducting research at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, one of the nation's foremost university-based psychiatric care facilities.

Here, she will be able to work among the vast populations served at Western Psychiatric, including individuals with mood disorders, anxiety disorder, eating disorders, and developmental disabilities.

“I am most excited about continuing my research on how child internal and external factors predict their emotional development, and the relationship between emotion regulation in young children and the development of mood and anxiety disorders,” said Morgan. “I may even have the opportunity to extend my research interests to other childhood disorders.”

Clare Smith

A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
Wilmington, Del.

Smith will receive training within the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children's clinical child and pediatric psychology internship, where she will conduct evaluations, deliver interventions, and consult with physicians and community educators.

This training will complement the research she has conducted over the past several years in the UD psychology department, investigating the relationship between student psychosocial functioning, classroom composition and order, and academic achievement among elementary school students.

“I'm thrilled about matching to A.I. [duPont], in large part because the faculty is committed to providing top-notch training to their interns. The program offers diverse opportunities that will allow me to strengthen my clinical skills and gain experience in pediatric psychology, and the hospital's commitment to integrating science and practice will be a terrific complement to the research and clinical training I received as a psychology graduate student at UD,” said Smith.

Article by Blair Lee