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Application Qualifications and Process

Internship Program Information and Expectations

Applying to the Internship Program

Qualifications

Applicants must be advanced doctoral students who have fulfilled all of the following requirements:

  • Currently enrolled in an APA accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology.
  • Successful completion of all required coursework and practica prior to start of internship.
  • Successful completion of doctoral comprehensive exams.
  • Completed a minimum of 500 hours (of direct intervention) supervised practicum experience by November 1.
  • Verification by the Director of Training of readiness for internship.
  • Favorable consideration will be given to applicants who will have completed or have made substantial progress towards completion of their dissertation by the start of internship.

Application Procedures

To apply for our Predoctoral Internship, we require that you apply via the AAPI Online site. Once on the site, please navigate to on "AAPI Online." Your online application must include the following:

  • A completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. Download the AAPI on the AAPI site.
  • In your cover letter, please describe your qualifications and professional experience you believe make you a good match with our site. In your letter, please clearly identify your experience conducting intakes, providing crisis assessment and intervention, experience with brief therapy, and elaborate your specific goals for internship.
  • Current curriculum vita.
  • Official transcripts of all graduate work.
  • Three letters of recommendation, at least two from supervisors who are familiar with your more recent clinical work.

Deadline for Applications

To be considered for the internship of the academic year 2016–2017, all application materials must be uploaded on to the AAPI Online by 5 pm (PST) on Monday, November 2, 2015.

Your application will be reviewed by the selection committee. Selected applicants will be contacted for interviews. We will make every effort to notify all applicants of their status by December 11, 2015. Applicants are invited to interview by email.  We typically begin interviews in early December for approximately two weeks.  Applicants are invited to interview by phone or Skype and interviews typically last about an hour.  The structured interviews are conducted by two to three members of the training committee.  For approximately 35 minutes, applicants are asked to respond to general questions related to prior experience and training and two vignettes.  Applicants are provided with 10 minutes for questions.  Applicants are also encouraged to contact current interns to inquire about their experience and to gain helpful information that may facilitate the selection decision making process. 

Additionally, we offer an open house for applicants being interviewed to visit CAPS at Stanford University, meet the multidisciplinary staff and current trainees to learn more about the internship program.  Please note that the open house is not required nor is it part of the interview process and is only for applicants we have invited to interview.  We cannot accommodate on-site visits prior to interviews. The open house will be offered on Friday, January 8, 2016.

Selection can be a stressful process and we want to provide you with as much information as possible. If you have additional questions not answered from the website or APPIC listing, please do contact Dr. Mary Mendoza-Newman at marymn@stanford.edu or call 650-723-3785. You may also request the contact information for current and past interns for more details about their experience by sending Dr. Mendoza-Newman an email.

As an APPIC member, we follow all APPIC policies and procedures regarding selection and notification. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. These policies are available on the APPIC website.

We will be participating in the APPIC match process coordinated by National Matching Services, Inc. In order to participate and be considered by our site, you must register with National Matching services by requesting a packet of materials. This can be done by phone at (416) 977-3431 or online at www.natmatch.com/psychint. Our program code number is 1166.

Appointments and Benefits

CAPS offers three full-time (40 hours per week), twelve-month predoctoral internship appointments, beginning Monday, August 15, 2016 and ending Friday, August 11, 2017. The stipend for the internship is $28,000 for the year. This includes 4 weeks of vacation, a $2000 health stipend for the purchase of part or all of a healthcare plan, and a $250 educational allowance.