APPIC Internship Match Pre-Game Show

another year of spin set to begin

There will once again be almost enough internship sites to go around for each internship applicant this year if you count unaccredited internships. I think that sounds great, but the hole has still not been plugged if you consider the excessive amount of emphasis being placed on APA-accredited (and CPA-accredited) internships. APPIC recently noted that in the upcoming match next month “the number of accredited positions, while significantly improved again this year, remains lower than the number of registered applicants (3,159 vs. 3,881) and continues to be a significant concern.”

We are getting more internship sites, however we are also apparently attracting fewer trainees to go on internship. While this may meet the goal of some people who have repeatedly expressed their unfounded beliefs that we have too many psychologists, it certainly won’t do anything to address the many gaps in our mental health system where psychologists could help provide services. We’re likely to create fewer psychologists to help those in need despite the significant need (this is particularly true in the many settings and locations which are in dire need of psychologists yet throw up roadblocks to hiring psychologists who didn’t have APA-accredited internships). I’m reminded of these past blog posts I wrote about county level stats related to how many psychologists there are, including one called “There are too many Psychologists in the Desert.”

Psychology.news will of course bring you complete coverage of the upcoming APPIC internship match. Good luck to everyone on match day.