Interns attend a series of formal seminars sponsored by the Consortium. These seminars are organized into discrete “mini-courses” overseen by faculty course coordinators who are responsible for organizing, scheduling, and approving content for the seminars. The didactic blocks include:
- Professional Development/Ethics
- Assessment & Diagnosis
- Grant Writing
- Intervention/Psychopharmacology
Each block of seminars contains topics and learning objectives devoted to understanding the application of psychological methods across all aspects of human heterogeneity. Some blocks have several seminars devoted entirely to understanding aspects of heterogeneity, but all seminars in every block include at least one learning objective related to understanding individual differences.
In addition to these internship-wide seminars, several rotations offer rotation-specific seminars that typically focus on the clinical skills and interventions employed in specific clinics. Interns also participate in three other required seminars:
Grand Rounds
Rounds occur on a weekly basis for most of the training year. Guest speakers include psychologists and psychiatrists with national reputations for their area of expertise, exposing interns to a broad base of knowledge.
Research Seminars (1 to 2 Per Month)
Interns present results from recent or ongoing investigations, helping trainees gain additional perspectives as a result of feedback from their peers and faculty. One way this seminar has been used is for interns to practice symposium, colloquium, or job talk presentations. Presentation of a research seminar is required and helps demonstrate research-related competence necessary to complete internship.
Clinical Case Conference (Monthly)
This monthly conference provides a forum for psychology faculty and interns to examine, formulate, and discuss treatment options for a clinical case within the parameters of the scientist/practitioner model. It allows interns to demonstrate their abilities among a group of peers and faculty who understand and exemplify the scientist/practitioner model (i.e., the interpretation of clinical material within the context of research-based literature). Presentation of a clinical case conference is required and helps demonstrate communication-related clinical competence necessary to complete internship.
