The MCG-CNVAMC Internship training year is comprised of three four-month rotations, designed to teach both general and specialized psychological skills. During the training year, Interns are exposed to a wide variety of patients, across multiple settings and with a variety of presenting problems. Interns are also exposed to various supervision styles and frameworks.
There are two rotations required of all Interns: (1) The General Practice Rotation and (2) the General Health Psychology Rotation. The third rotation - Emphasis Track Rotations - is selected prior to entry into the internship program and entails one of the emphasis track experiences available. Weekly supervision hours vary by rotation/track but for the most part Interns will have 3-4 supervisors during each of the three rotations. Individual and group supervision may occur on a scheduled basis and/or as specific needs arise. At a minimum, Interns must receive 4 hours of supervision per week, 2 of the hours must be individual supervision. Except for limited supervision by Postdoctoral Fellows, the supervision is provided by licensed psychologists. Descriptions of the key supervisory roles are provided below:
Overall Supervisor. Interns are assigned an Overall Supervisor (OS) upon matching. The primary roles of the OS are to act as an advocate, teacher, and source of support for their respective Intern. The OS is also responsible for ensuring that each Intern’s training goals are met. Each OS is an established expert in the specialty area for which they provide supervision.
Rotation/Clinic Supervision.The Rotational/Clinic supervisors are responsible for establishing and communicating clear educational goals for their respective training experience, ensuring Interns have clinical experiences that are consistent with their training goals, maintaining on-site presence during all Intern clinical encounters, and providing routine verbal and written feedback regarding the Intern’s performance.
Case Supervisor. If special expertise is needed on a case, or if the Intern has a special interest in working with a specific faculty member, a Case Supervisor can be added at any time. The Case Supervisor, though not responsible for most of the Rotational or Track experiences, would be responsible for the appropriate supervision of the specific case and must provide feedback in verbal and written form to the Intern.
Mentor. After the Intern gets to know the faculty, we encourage, but do not require, the Intern to seek a personal mentor relationship with a faculty person. Faculty mentors can act as an informal counselor, sounding board, ombudsperson, and role model for the intern.