The primary mission of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Pre-doctoral Internship is to provide the final level of training for doctoral level clinical psychologists. The emphasis of this training program is to provide opportunities for advanced students in clinical psychology to complete generalist training that will prepare them for entry level work in the field of behavioral health. In addition, the program helps engender a sensitivity to working with underserved populations with a special emphasis on encouraging future careers in Appalachia in general and West Virginia in particular.
Work in the field of clinical psychology involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of psychological distress, disability and health risk behavior. The role of the clinical psychologist also involves consultation, program development and evaluation, administration, teaching and research. As such, various partners in the internship training program will offer experience in these areas and interns will have access to the areas which best fit their career goals.
Interns will complete 1800 hours of training. The primary site will be in the outpatient clinic. Interns will work with children, adolescents and adults to provide therapy and assessment services. Interns will have the opportunity to work with Psychiatry faculty and residents to manage cases and to develop the ability to work in an interprofessional setting.
Weekly individual and group supervision is provided by licensed psychologists and interns will have the opportunity to work with several faculty over the course of the year. In addition, interns are afforded the opportunity to learn and refine their own supervision skills by asssisting in the provision of supervision of practicum students and other trainees.
Didactic training is provided both by faculty within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine but also by faculty within the School of Medicine and the greater Huntington community.