Clinical Training Program

Table of Contents

• Program Philosophy
• Program Requirements
• Length of Program and Program Costs
• Clinical Course Work
• Practicum Training
• Clinical Program Faculty
• Clinical Program Committee
• Clinical Associates and Supervisors
• Current Graduate Students
• Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data

Clinical psychology has a proud history at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning with Lightner Witmer, who founded the first psychology clinic in the United States at Penn in 1896. Witmer also named the field clinical psychology and founded the first journal to focus on this new field, The Psychological Clinic. Many date the inception of clinical psychology to Witmer's work at Penn.

Program Philosophy

The clinical training program, nested in the Department, is intended to provide preparation for research/academic careers in Clinical Psychology, Psychopathology or Personality. Clinical training (in assessment, diagnosis and psychotherapy) is seen as an integral part of the education of highly qualified, creative clinical scientists. Nevertheless, the principal goal of Penn clinical students is to become expert psychologists, not simply expert clinicians, and the program is designed to support that goal. A recent analysis of the programs for training clinical psychology faculty determined Penn to be the third-ranked program in this regard in the years 1968-1997 (Ilardi & Roberts, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2002). Moreover, our core clinical psychology faculty ranked first in a recent analysis of the eminence of faculty members at 157 university-based, APA-accredited clinical psychology programs (Matson et al., Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2005). Our program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (http://acadpsychclinicalscience.org/index.php), a coalition of doctoral training programs that emphasize the scientific basis of clinical psychology and is accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (www.pcsas.org). Our membership in the Academy indicates our commitment to empirical research as the basis of theory, assessment, and intervention, and our PCSAS accreditation attests to our success in training clinical scientists. The program is also accredited by the American Psychological Association. Information on our program's APA status may be confirmed by contacting the Commission on Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, telephone: 202-336-5979, e-mail: apaaccred@apa.org, website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.

Since the clinical training program is fully integrated into the Department, clinical students have the opportunity to take courses in Cognitive Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Human Memory, Decision Making, Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Language and Perception. The core of knowledge gained in these areas is expected to give clinical students a solid foundation of basic psychological science and research methodology from which to launch their clinical training and research. Click here to link to our general graduate program homepage, which includes application information, program requirements and so on. Graduate Program Homepage

Consistent with Penn's basic scientific orientation, the clinical training opportunities at Penn focus on empirically supported treatments. Practicum opportunities are heavily weighted towards cognitive-behavioral interventions. Experience with a variety of patient populations, diagnostic groups, and clinical supervisors helps the graduate students hone their own research questions, generate new hypotheses, and maximize the ecological validity and generalizability of their research. While practical clinical training can be gratifying in its own right, the clinical scientist model implies that research and clinical work are inextricably entwined, each in the service of the other. Thus, Penn graduates are not expected to pursue careers purely in the practice of clinical psychology. Anyone committed to such a career track would be well advised to apply elsewhere.

As Ph.D. level clinical psychologists, Penn graduates can be expected to advance the frontiers of basic science and to contribute to our understanding of the etiology, prevention, and treatment of psychopathology, and to the advancement of well-being. In addition, the Penn education prepares its graduates to participate in the development and validation of new, effective treatment and prevention programs. It is the combination of basic scientific knowledge, excellence in research, clinical acumen, and experience that prepares individuals for careers of such scope and impact.

Specific goals of the program include the following:

Goal #1:  To train clinical scientists whose research is informed by clinical practice and a broad knowledge of psychology, such that they integrate theory, research and practice.

Objective 1A.  Students will acquire breadth of knowledge in psychological science, theory and history.

Objective 1B.  Students will acquire knowledge of the substantive field of clinical psychology.

Objective 1C.  Students will develop competence in evaluating, designing, carrying out, and disseminating ethical empirical research relevant to clinical psychology, including research on the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions.

Objective 1D.  Students will acquire knowledge of individual differences and issues of diversity as pertinent to clinical science.

Objective 1E.  Students will adopt the orientation that their education in science and practice must be life-long and involve the study of emerging findings.

Goal #2:  To train clinicians whose practice is guided by clinical science and who have the knowledge and skills requisite for clinical internship.  In the following, we will describe the level of performance a student should achieve prior to the predoctoral internship as entry-level skills.

Objective 2A.  Students will develop entry-level skills in evidence-based psychological assessment and diagnostic interviewing.

Objective 2B.  Students will develop knowledge of and entry-level competence in empirically supported psychological interventions.

Objective 2C.  Students will engage in ethical practice and carry out their responsibilities professionally.

Objective 2D.  Students will have exposure to the clinical psychologist's roles as consultant and supervisor.

 

Program Requirements:

Students who participate in the clinical training program fall under the same general academic requirements as other graduate students in the department, but must, in addition, fulfill requirements specific to the clinical program.  These requirements are listed in two ways below.  The first section details the courses that are unique requirements of the clinical training program.  The second section includes a list of all aspects of training required by us as a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.  Fortunately, many departmental requirements overlap with APA requirements.  Section II is a list of areas in which you must show substantial knowledge and in which you must demonstrate competence to meet APA requirements.  For each area, we specify the pertinent coursework or training experience and what you must do to demonstrate that you have achieved competence at the level expected of students completing a clinical psychology doctoral program.  Frequently competence will be demonstrated by a grade of no less than B in a course.

Section I - Program requirements unique to clinical students:

1. Complete Psychology 810 (Psychological Assessment) and 811 (Psychodiagnostic Interviewing).
2. Gain first-hand experience with the phenomena of psychopathology, through some combination of observational, research, therapeutic and diagnostic interactions in Psychology 815 (Introductory Practicum) and Psychology 820 (Advanced Practicum). Students may begin taking Psychology 815 upon completion of Psychology 810 and 811.
3. Complete a half-semester course in Ethics (0.5 credits of the Clinical Psychology Seminar, Psychology 709).
4. Complete a full semester course (Psychology 709, 1 c.u.) in Empirically Supported Treatments.
5. Complete two additional semesters of Psychology 709 (Clinical Psychology Seminar) and attend the Pan Clinical Seminar – monthly meetings of faculty and students involved in the Clinical Program.
6. Complete the Psychopathology Proseminar (Psychology 600). This proseminar may be used to fulfill other requirements as well.
7. Complete distribution requirements inherent to APA accreditation of the program, including (a) biological aspects of behavior, (b) cognitive and affective aspects of behavior, (c) social aspects of behavior, (d) history and systems of psychology, (e) psychological measurement, (f) research methodology (including evaluation of interventions), (f) techniques of data analysis, (g) human development, (h) individual differences in behavior, including issues of ethnic and cultural diversity. Many courses fulfill both departmental and clinical program requirements.
8. Complete a 1-year, full-time clinical internship. To obtain a letter from the Director of the Clinical Training Program certifying that he/she has completed the APA-accredited clinical program, the student must have completed the aforementioned requirements.

Length of Program and Program Costs

Because the clinical students must meet all of the general requirements as well as the additional clinical components of their training, it is not unusual for clinical students to require an extra year to finish the program, in addition to the year of full time internship. Since 1989, 39% of graduates of the clinical training program have completed all of their requirements (including the pre-doctoral internship and the Ph.D.) in 5 years, 38% have completed the requirements in 6 years, 13% have completed the requirements in 7 years, and another 10% have taken more than 7 years.  Consistently over the last three decades the median and the mean time to completion has been 6 years. See Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data for more detail about time to completion of the program in recent cohorts. 

All students are fully funded for their first five years. The support covers full tuition and a stipend of at least $27,000 per year.  This is a stipend for full-time work for 12 months, and students can do no substantial outside work for pay.  Every year a serious effort is made to increase the stipend. Regardless of the source of support, all students have the same opportunities and must meet the same requirements. All students are expected to play an active role in the undergraduate teaching functions of the Department. The department does not guarantee funding beyond the fifth year. However, most clinical students have no difficulty obtaining funding through a combination of teaching, grants and other independent funding sources.

Clinical Course Work

Psychopathology Proseminar

This course covers fundamental topics in psychopathology, with an emphasis on etiological and diagnostic issues, in the context of current nosology (the DSM system, etc.). Theoretical models of psychopathological phenomena and major syndromes (e.g. affective disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse) are discussed, with reference to relevant empirical findings. Implications for treatment are also considered.

Special Topics Seminars - Clinical Psychology

These courses cover a wide array of specialized topics in the area of clinical psychology. Some recent courses include:

• Debates in Classification

• Neuropsychopharmacology

• Empirically Supported Treatments

Psychological Assessment (Psychology 810)

This course provides a basic introduction to the theories and tools of psychological assessment. Students learn how to administer and interpret a number of standard cognitive, neuropsychological and personality tests including the WAIS-III, WMS-III, WIAT-II, Wisconsin Card Sort, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Millon Index of Personality Styles. Attention is given to serving as a consultant, differential diagnosis, case conceptualization, and integrating test results into formal but accessible reports.

Psychodiagnostic Interviewing (Psychology 811)

This course, usually taken simultaneously with Psychology 810, provides a basic introduction to psychodiagnostic interviewing and differential diagnosis. Students learn to take clinical histories and to administer a number of standardized diagnostic interviews, including the mental status exam, the SCID I and II for DSM-IV, the ADIS, and various clinician rating scales such as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Attention is also given to self-report symptom inventories such as the Beck Depression Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised as well as to computerized diagnostic tools.

Practicum Training

Because of the wealth of opportunities for clinical training in the Philadelphia area, Penn does not run an in-house psychological services clinic. Rather, Penn's clinical students have the opportunity to participate in practica at local hospitals, clinics and research facilities staffed and run by world-renowned clinical scientists. The Associate Director of Clinical Training helps students decide which practicum experiences best suit the student's needs and interests, and arranges for placements at the appropriate sites. Some of these clinical opportunities include:

Assessment, Diagnosis and Consultation

During their second year, all clinical students participate in the assessment and diagnosis practicum, which is run and supervised by Dr. Melissa Hunt, the Associate Director of Clinical Training. Referrals for assessments and diagnostic consultations come from local hospitals and clinics, professionals in private practice, employee assistance programs, and the University's Student Counseling Center. Assessments cover intellectual functioning, academic achievement, neuropsychological tests, and objective personality tests. Diagnostic workups include structured and unstructured clinical interviews as well as validated symptom inventories and self-report questionnaires. Students complete approximately 8 full assessment batteries, analyze and integrate the results, and write up reports suitable for both the referring professional and the client.

Behavior Therapy

Dr. Alan Goldstein conducts a two-semester practicum each year focused on behavior therapy for anxiety disorders. Students learn not only to apply empirically supported behavioral interventions but also to use the moment-to-moment analysis of the process of therapy to identify stumbling blocks to progress. Students carry a caseload of approximately three clients at any given time. Two to three students share a 2- to 3-hour group supervision that follows Dr. Goldstein's review of videotapes of their treatment sessions. Students also have the opportunity to participate in specialized training in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder with Dr. Jon Grayson at the Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center of Philadelphia (http://www.ocdphiladelphia.com/).  

Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy

Dr. Robert DeRubeis conducts a practicum each year in which students learn to practice cognitive therapy with adult outpatients. Each student carries a caseload of between two and five patients who have been referred because of the patient's interest in cognitive therapy, or because the referrer believes cognitive therapy will benefit the patient. Most patients have difficulty with depressed mood, but they may also (or instead) have difficulties with anger, anxiety, or maladaptive eating patterns. Group supervision is held for 3 hours each week throughout the 1-year practicum. In a typical year, there are two to three students on the practicum team.

Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety

Under the leadership of Dr. Edna Foa, the CTSA offers students a unique opportunity to learn both the theory and practice of cognitive-behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults and children, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social phobia. The CTSA is an important site for both practicum training and research opportunities for Penn graduate students.

 

Children's Crisis Treatment Center

CcTC is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to assisting children and their families coping with the impact of behavioral health issues, traumatic events and other challenges that have an effect on childhood development.

CcTC serves the emotional needs of families and children at risk beginning in early childhood.  They meet children where they are and help them to meet their full potential regardless of their challenges.  They strive to provide a welcoming environment in which every child feels safe and is given an opportunity to thrive.   

CcTC clinicians are well versed in a variety of empirically supported treatments for children including Trauma-Focused CBT (Tf-CBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions For Trauma In Schools (CBITs).  However, students at this site also have the opportunity to learn to adapt ESTs to highly challenging situations in a community clinic which provides serves to low SES, traumatized children and their families and caregivers.  Students at this site also have the opportunity to interact with the Family Court system, and may accompany children to the court for some proceedings.   

 

 The Coché Center

Under the direction of Dr. Judith Coché, the Coché Center (http://www.thecochecenter.com/) offers students opportunities to participate in couples and family therapy, using both individual and group process modalities.  Dr. Coché employs a sophisticated, multi-modal intervention model based on cognitive-behavioral, family systems, group process and dynamic theory, grounded by a strong developmental, life-span approach. 

Clinical Program Faculty

The following is a list of Psychology Graduate Group members with research interests that are especially relevant to clinical psychology graduate students. All of these individuals are available, in principle, to serve on dissertation committees, or as principal advisors to graduate students. If you are interested in working with a particular faculty member, it would be wise to check with that person to determine whether he or she is available to take a first-year student. Please refer to the list of faculty in the Psychology home page for descriptions of each individual's research interests and primary appointment.  Drs. Chambless, DeRubeis, Jaffee, Ruscio and Seligman are members of the core clinical faculty within the department of psychology.

• Jon Baron
• Dianne Chambless
• Paul Crits-Christoph
• Robert DeRubeis
• David Dinges
• Angela Duckworth
• Martha Farah
• Edna Foa
• Martin Franklin
• Sara Jaffee
• Joe Kable
• Anne Kazak
• Irwin Lucki
• Adrian Raine
• Paul Rozin
• Ayelet Ruscio
• Robert Schultz
• Martin Seligman
• Thomas Wadden

Clinical Program Committee

• Dianne Chambless - Director of Clinical Training
• Robert DeRubeis - Core Clinical Faculty
• Melissa Hunt - Associate Director of Clinical Training
• Lori Flanagan-Cato - Departmental Faculty
• Sara Jaffee - Core Clinical Faculty
• Ayelet Ruscio - Core Clinical Faculty
• Martin Seligman - Core Clinical Faculty

The Clinical Program Committee consists of the five core clinical faculty (Drs. Chambless, DeRubeis, Jaffee, Ruscio, and Seligman), one member from a non-clinical area of the department (Dr. Lori Flanagan-Cato) and Dr. Melissa Hunt. Each year the clinical students elect a non-voting student representative to the committee as well.  Dr. Chambless is the Director of Clinical Training. Dr. Hunt serves as Associate Director of Clinical Training. The Associate Director is responsible for much of the day to day administration of the clinical training program. In this capacity, Dr. Hunt meets with all of the clinical students regularly, helps them obtain appropriate practicum placements and serves as a liaison between students and their off-site supervisors. The Clinical Program Committee as a whole oversees the clinical training program, and helps to ensure that policies of the program are consistent with broader departmental policies and goals. The program committee also bears responsibility for helping students complete the program when special circumstances arise, or when students encounter difficulties with any aspect of their doctoral training.

Clinical Associates and Supervisors

The following individuals have special departmental appointments as either clinical associates (who serve a 3-year term) or clinical supervisors (who generally serve a 1-year term). These individuals are not members of the department's graduate group, but are an integral part of our clinical training program. Often, they coordinate off-site practica and provide individual and group supervision to our clinical students. They also serve as guest speakers to clinical group meetings, and frequently offer their special expertise through clinical consultation and invited lectures. As a group, they reflect the breadth and diversity that our clinical training program offers. We are grateful for their efforts on behalf of our students.

• Judith Coché - Clinical Associate
• Alan Goldstein - Clinical Associate
• Jonathon Grayson - Clinical Associate
• Jenelle Nissley-Tsiopinis - Clinical Associate
• Steven Sayers - Clinical Associate
  
  

Current Graduate Students

You are invited to e-mail any of our current graduate students if you have questions about the nature of the training program here or would like to get first hand information about some aspect of the program. The student's advisor is listed in parentheses. It is worth noting that clinical students may choose as their primary advisor any of the faculty within the graduate group. This includes regular departmental faculty whose primary interests are not necessarily clinical, but who have overlapping interests or special skills that make them a good match for that particular student. It also includes members of the Graduate Group whose interests and research are in the clinical area, but whose primary appointment is elsewhere in the University (e.g., Psychiatry).

First Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2012)

Kelly M. Allred mallred@sas.upenn.edu (Dianne Chambless)

Johannes Eichstaedt jeich@sas.upenn.edu (Martin Seligman)

Gabriela Katten Khazanov kattang@sas.upenn.edu (Ayelet Meron Ruscio)

Sarah Herrick Morris sarahmor@sas.upenn.edu (Martin Franklin)

Hana Flynn Zickgraf zickgraf@sas.upenn.edu (Martin Franklin)

Second Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2011)

Zach Cohen zcohen@sas.upenn.edu (Robert DeRubeis)

Gwendolyn Lawson, glawson@sas.upenn.edu (Martha Farah)

Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces lorenzl@sas.upenn.edu (Robert DeRubeis)

Eliora Porter  eliora@sas.upenn.edu (Dianne Chambless)

 

Third Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2010)

Moriah Brier mbrier@sas.upenn.edu (Anne Kazak and Dianne Chambless)

Allison Nahmias asn2@sas.upenn.edu (Robert Schultz)

Ann Marie Roepke aroepke@sas.upenn.edu (Martin Seligman)

  

Fourth Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2009)

Irena Ilieva iilieva@psych.upenn.edu (Martha Farah)

Fifth Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2008)

Marie Forgeard mariefd@psych.upenn.edu (Martin Seligman)

Lauren Hallion hallion@psych.upenn.edu (Ayelet Ruscio)

Dahlia Mukherjee dahliam@psych.upenn.edu (Paul Crits-Christoph and Joe Kable)

Anna Rudo-Hutt rudohutt@psych.upenn.edu (Adrian Raine)

 

Sixth Year Students (Enrolled in Fall 2007)

Emily Gentes gentes@psych.upenn.edu (Ayelet Ruscio) On internship 2012-2013

Laura Sockol lsockol@psych.upenn.edu (Jacques Barber) On internship 2012-2013

 

 

 

 

 

Student Admissions, Outcomes and Other Data

 

Program Costs

Description	2012-2013 1st Year Cohort Costs
Tuition for full-time students (in-state)	0
Tuition for full-time students (out-of-state)	0
Tuition per credit hour for part-time students (if applicable)	0
University/Institution fees or costs	0
Additional estimated fees or costs to students (e.g. books, travel, etc.)	$750

All clinical students are fully funded for 5 years.  This includes coverage of tuition and fees, as well as health insurance and a living stipend.  For the current academic year (2012-2013) the stipend is $27,615.