Pediatric Psychology Track

Track Overview

The goal of the Pediatric Psychology Track is to deliver inclusive, evidence-based pediatric psychology training to prepare interns for careers that promote the health and well-being of all children and specifically youth in affected by and receiving care in medical and related settings.

While the core components are shared experiences across the internship program, the primary differences between the two tracks are the types of time-limited clinical rotations, the focus of the year-long outpatient services work, and the pairing of supervisors and mentors.

Interns on the Pediatric Psychology Track will engage in nine months of time-limited specialty clinical rotations including one required 3-month rotation with an acute care pediatric psychology focus, the Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Consultation Service, and two pediatric psychology focused rotations of the intern’s choice for 3-months each. Interns will also choose one 3-month rotation from the Clinical Child Psychology Track to support breadth of training. We recognize that the diversity and number of pediatric psychology rotations offered are a significant strength of our training program and interns may have interests in multiple areas. Opportunities may be available for interns to arrange for smaller observational experiences in additional focus areas beyond their chosen rotations. Pediatric Psychology Interns will participate in year-long experiences in Outpatient Services focused on presenting problems with medical complexity under the supervision of two Pediatric Psychologists. Interns will also spend one day per week for three months with the Neuropsychology Testing Service. This rotation is scheduled during the choice rotations. Didactics will include a full year in the Medical Psychology Seminar in addition to didactics attended by all intern and related multidisciplinary seminars, professional development opportunities, and protected time for research, program evaluation, and/or advocacy.

Acute Care Experience: The Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Consultation Service

The Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Consultation Service (Consult Service) is designed to respond rapidly to the clinical needs of children and families who are medically hospitalized. Clinical activities include evaluation and treatment of children, adolescents, and their families, as well as consultation with physicians, nurses, and allied health care personnel within the hospital. Interns participate in the Consult Service during a three-month rotation.

Members of the hospital-based medical teams request consults for a wide variety of reasons. These may include assessment pre- and post-surgery, mood and behavior changes following medical procedures, psychological factors contributing to a child’s medical condition, depression related to an illness, anxiety regarding invasive or aversive procedures, adaptation and coping with a medical diagnosis and/or with complicated medical regimens, poor adherence to medical regimens, and treatment planning after a suicide attempt.

A variety of assessment and treatment approaches are used by the Consult Service, but behavioral interventions are most often employed because of the unique problems that present in the medical setting. Psychological assessments of all kinds are also very useful within the medical setting, and assessment plays a vital role in the work of the psychologists and interns on this service.

Interns on the rotation are assigned a primary Attending Psychologist supervisor and work closely throughout the rotation with Attending Psychiatrist supervisors and in collaboration with social work and child and adolescent psychiatry trainees.

Pediatric Psychology Focused Choice Rotations

• Diabetes Service: Jill Weissberg-Benchell, PhD, CDE, Kelsey Howard, PhD
• Gender and Sex Development Clinic: Diane Chen, PhD, Claire Coyne, PhD, & Jackie Papadakis, PhD
• Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Device Rotation: Katie Meyers, PhD & Devin McNulty, PhD
• Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant Rotation: Edna Romero, PhD
• Little Ones: Miller Shivers, PhD, Rebecca Kanine, PhD, & Amanda Lossia, PhD
• Outpatient Pediatric Gastrointestinal Service: Bonnie Essner, PhD & Lauren Potthoff, PhD
• Chronic Pain and Headache Clinic: Justin Moore, PhD & Bonnie Essner, PhD
• Sleep Medicine: Allison Clarke, PhD

For expanded rotation descriptions, please download the Internship in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology brochure.