Externship Training

CLINICAL EXTERNSHIPS The clinical externship is an integral part of the Clinical Neuropsychology Doctoral Program and was developed to provide students with the opportunity to apply didactic and theoretical training in assessment and intervention in “real-life” clinical settings. Students with the required academic prerequisites complete a sequence of supervised clinical experiences that begin with assessment-based experience followed by more advanced training in the application of efficacious interventions. Students are required to complete 1600 hours (aka two years of externship) and a third year is highly recommended but not required. For externship purposes, a ‘year’ means 16 hours/week for three consecutive semesters (e.g. summer, fall, and spring).

A. Requirements for beginning externships

1. Students may not begin externships until they have taken all of the following courses: Ethics; Psychodiagnostics 1; Psychodiagnostics 2; Psychopathology; Psychometrics; Survey of Clinical Neuropsychology; Systems of Psychotherapy and Neuropsychological Assessment.
2. Students may not register for externships for course credit beyond their 45th credit unless they have passed the first doctoral examination.
3. Students taking externships must have practice and liability insurance, which may be purchased from APA as a student member.
4. Students must be familiar with the Law, Rules, and Regulations of NYS Department of Education for licensure as a Psychologist in New York State.
5. Students must complete the NYS Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse. A list of approved providers can be found at the NYS website.

B. Externship assignments

First year of externship

1. During the Spring semester, Second Year students meet with the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) to review requirements for externship. See also Program expectations for externship (PDF). Prior to the meeting, students must complete the Readiness for Externship Checklist.pdf (PDF). Students will be assigned by the DCT to Queens College Neuropsychology Subprogram faculty or their designated alternates for all first year externship placement(s). Students can review first year externship sites here (PDF) and will submit a rank order preference for site/supervisor prior to meeting with the DCT.
2. The first year of externship consists of a total of 16 hours per week of supervised clinical training. This can consist of either three semesters with one supervisor or two consecutive semesters with one supervisor followed by a third semester with a different supervisor.
3. The first three semesters of externship are taken for course credit. As the first year of externship training usually begins in the summer before the student’s third year in the program, students register for both 70341 and 70342 in the fall, and for 70343 in the spring of the third year.

Second, and subsequent, years of externship.

1. Students arrange their own externship placements beyond the first year, but only at sites already approved by the Subprogram.
2. Students seeking an externship placement beyond their first year placement(s) may apply to full-time Queens College Neuropsychology Subprogram faculty or to their designated alternates, but only with prior permission of the Subprogram.
3. Externships taken in the second and subsequent years do not receive course credit but are noted on the student’s transcript. For this purpose, students are responsible for providing the program with a written statement of satisfactory completion of the externship from the site supervisor.
4. Settings for externship training in the second and subsequent years includes sites that focus on the assessment and treatment of children/adolescents (PDF), neuropsychological assessment of adults (PDF) and neuropsychological assessment and treatment of adults (PDF).

Externship sites and oversight/evaluation

1. The Subprogram will maintain lists of approved sites, including descriptive materials and contact information on the Website.
2. Students who would like to take an externship or practicum at a site not approved by the Subprogram would need to have the site seek such approval. This approval must be obtained before the student commits to working at the site.
3. Faculty reserve the right to consult with externship supervisors with regard to extern performance and evaluation.
4. At the end of each semester of training, externship supervisors will be asked to complete an evaluation of the extern’s performance. (PDF) Areas of evaluation are related to Program training objectives and include knowledge and application of diagnostic testing and therapeutic techniques, ethical behavior and appropriate interactions with clients/patients and professional staff.
5. Students are required to submit written records at the end of each semester that document contact hours, supervision hours, support hours and number of reports written, if applicable. The reports must include the supervisor’s signature documenting this activity and the report will serve as documentation of the Program’s requirement to complete 1600 externship hours. Students must also complete a site evaluation form (PDF).
6. Students receiving externship training will also be assigned to teams of 4-6 students each. Each team will include students at varying levels of experience and the team will meet with the DCT (or core clinical faculty member) twice per semester. The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss the application of the Program training philosophy at external sites, the role of consultation in professional practice and effective supervisory practices. Finally, team meetings will provide an opportunity for clinical faculty to model appropriate professional and ethical behavior and for senior students to serve as peer supervisors to beginning students.