Clinical Adult Track

The Adult track provides in-depth exposure to the many functions that constitute the role of the clinical psychologist. It includes intensive experience in individual and group psychotherapy with inpatients and outpatients, diagnostic testing and interviewing with adults and children, ward administration, consultations with other Upstate Medical University departments, participation in conferences and seminars, and opportunities for individual and collaborative research. In addition, the intern’s clinical knowledge is broadened by continuous informal interaction with psychologists, psychiatrists, and members of other behavioral and biological disciplines.

The training enables the intern to acquire the skills required of the clinician-scientist. To this end, the program stresses intensive supervision and a constant flow of communication between staff and student. The intern participates on an equal professional basis with the psychiatric resident in both treatment and evaluation of patients. The teaching focus is on developing psychological skills through an integration of the most validated aspects of traditional and cutting edge approaches to individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and assessment. The diverse interests of the faculty provide the student with an opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in a variety of areas, such as family therapy, brief therapy, systems-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral treatments, dynamic therapies, dialectical behavior therapy, health psychology, neuropsychology, clinical hypnosis, and the psychologist’s functioning in legal cases. The Upstate Medical University affords an opportunity for creatively relating the sophisticated methodology of psychology to an abundant supply of rich clinical material. In sum, the program offers the student a chance to become familiar with, question, and learn from the multitude of experiences that make up the professional work of the clinical psychologist.

Activities

The Adult track comprises two areas of activity ¯ the Core Program and the Clinical Rotational Experience. The Core Program consists of all the activities that are part of each intern’s responsibilities during the entire year. These include outpatient individual, group, and family psychotherapy, diagnostic testing, and the conferences and seminars listed below. Adult track interns may carry one or more child psychotherapy cases.

In addition to the Core Program each intern spends up to half of his or her time in four, three-month rotations:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry This includes involvement in the many and varied activities outlined as comprising the Clinical-Child Track, with a special focus on psychodiagnostic assessment of children and their families, and the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Program.

• Adult Psychiatry Inpatient Service Interns serve as primary therapist for seriously mentally ill patients, working in collaboration with Psychiatry attending physicians and residents to provide crisis stabilization, individual and group psychotherapy and long-term planning interventions.

• Health Psychology This rotation includes training and experience in two unique but complementary services. The Inpatient Consultation-Liaison program serves a wide range of medical inpatients from throughout the medical center. The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit serves hospitalized seriously impaired patients and their families. The intern works as part of multidisciplinary teams to promote physical and emotional healing from trauma and medical conditions. Both activities involve training and diverse experience in providing psychological and neuropsychological assessment and intervention to medically ill patients and their families, as well as consultation to their healthcare providers.

• Elective The intern has the opportunity to tailor a part of the internship experience to special interests. For example, an intern might choose to spend the elective period working on a medical patient consultation service, a drug abuse unit, an eating disorder service, a neuropsychological service, a community mental health service, or any of the many other programs or facilities affiliated with the Upstate Medical University. The intern might also be involved in research during the elective period. Electives may involve a broad blend of several activities. Opportunities span the range of pursuits available in the field of psychology. Dissertation time may be included as part of the elective rotation.

Seminars

Individual Psychotherapy Case Conference (1 hour weekly)

Interns take turns presenting video and audiotapes of ongoing cases. The same case is followed for a period of time ranging from a few weeks to a few months. Issues in psychotherapy are discussed and approaches to therapy are taught that extend and enlarge what is learned during individual supervision. Sessions on ethics and multicultural aspects are included.

Adult and Child Diagnostic Testing Seminar (1.5 hours weekly)

Provides interns with a weekly opportunity to refine their skills in the administration and interpretation of psychological tests. The goal of the seminar is to provide a method of integrating and communicating test results effectively. Particular attention is paid to the role of testing in generating treatment recommendations. The flexible format of the seminar encourages interns to present cases and explore special testing topics.

Special Topics in Health Psychology and Psychotherapy (1.5 hours bi-weekly)

A series of discussions and presentations highlighting prevalent problems in treatment such as patient resistance, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, physical pain, and common health concerns.