Community Corner – December 2021

Author: Jabeen Shamji

We highlight ANA mentorship:

Why is the Interview Important?

  1. Training Directors/Supervisors want to see if:
    1. there is a connection (Do I want to work with you for a whole year).
    2. you can demonstrate your competence verbally in conversation
    3. you can demonstrate specific skill sets in a “live” setting
    4. how you interact with peers you have not met (evaluating your ability to mesh with a new cohort)
    5. how you deal with the unexpected
  2. Staff want to allow you to evaluate them for fit and relational connection
  3. Staff want to show you subtleties and nuances of their sites, so there is “informed consent” and no “buyer’s remorse.”  

Basic Tips for the Interview Process:

1). Dressing Professionally. Make sure you are comfortable yet professional in your outfit.  Make sure you take time to consider your first impression.

2). Practice Your Interview Style.  Practicing with peers, with a mirror, or a mentor can  be helpful.  Be mindful of your speech rate, tone, and non-verbals.  Practice interviews  can go a long way to reduce anxiety and help prepare yourself for what lies ahead.

3). Preparing Answers. Sites tend to ask similar questions, because the roles of interns are often very similar across sites.  Some sites may throw unique or idiosyncratic questions.  

  • Some sites provide clinical vignettes and ask for appropriate tests and/or diagnostic impressions, interpretation, and recommendations 
  • Be prepared to talk about a challenging client, ethical dilemma, and/or supervision style
  • Be prepared to discuss how assessment can guide interventions and treatments . 
  • Be comfortable to discuss your multicultural treatment/competencies and how you incorporate them in your clinical work

General Tips

  • If you obtain multiple interviews, try to be very aware of scheduling efficiency
  • Remember to focus on the site you are interviewing, they  matter the most
  • It is not considered unprofessional to contact a site about changing a date once you have already scheduled one, but this process should be handled very delicately
  • Remember that everyone you come in contact with (not just the psychologists) may have a say in the application process
  • Shoot for a proper blend of humility, trainability, competence, and confidence
  • If you have stated that you are fluent in a 2nd language, be ready to have an interview in that language

For additional resources, check out our older posts with interview questions. 

ANA 2022 Conference Award:

The Asian Neuropsychological Association (ANA) is pleased to announce calls for applications to our annual conference award. In line with our mission statements, this award will recognize trainees’ efforts to expand research, clinical work, and advocacy efforts within Asian and Asian American communities. Three students/trainees will be awarded $200 each to attend the 2022 International Neuropsychological Society (INS) conference.

Deadline  1/10/2022

Award amount: $200

Eligibility: 

Applicants must be: 

  • current ANA student/trainee member
  • presenting their research at INS conference 2022

Application requirement:

Applications will be submitted here (Forum link)

Include:

  • Full Name
  • Training position and name of current graduate program/institution
  • Preferred email address
  • Proof of research acceptance to INS (please include your abstract)
  • A brief statement (max. 500 words) discussing your work in research or clinical/advocacy work in neuropsychology. Please also describe your career goals and how attending INS 2022 will help prepare you to meet these goals.
    • If describing your research experiences, please articulate the impact and significance of your line of research, including real-world applications of research findings, primary research questions, and the research and statistical methodologies you have utilized. 
    • If describing your clinical/advocacy experiences, please include information about cultural neuropsychology events/outreach programs/clinical seminars you have planned or participated in, possible impact on policy/dissemination of information, and clinical/leadership positions you have held related to advocacy.