Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology

Program Overview

The Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology provides training to prepare doctoral students for professional practice as psychologists in health service settings. We employ a competency-based approach to education and training that focuses on biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health and behavior.

For the 2024-25 training year, 12 internship positions are available across three tracks to meet the training goals of interns interested in clinical child and pediatric psychology

  • The Integrated Behavioral Health Track emphasizes training in integrated pediatric primary care psychology. Interns are placed in community-based, integrated pediatric primary care settings and hospital-based specialty care settings, where they integrate evidence-based psychological services within primary care and other clinics that comprise the medical home. IBH interns also participate in common training experiences in outpatient psychotherapy, psychological testing and early childhood or autism intervention.
    Number of Intern Positions: 5
  • The Pediatric Psychology Track has a particular focus on serving children/adolescents and families experiencing medical illness, somatic symptoms and/or hospitalization. Interns train in hospital-based, medical inpatient and outpatient specialty care settings, with a focus on using evidence-based approaches to address psychosocial challenges and to support medical coping. Interns on the pediatric psychology track also participate in minor rotations, as well as common training experiences in outpatient psychotherapy, psychological testing and early childhood or autism intervention.
    Number of Intern Positions: 5
  • The Child Clinical & Community Track provides training in clinical child and adolescent psychology in multiple settings, with a focus on referrals from the surrounding community. Interns are placed in outpatient specialty care settings and hospital-based integrated pediatric primary care. Interns on this track participate in minor rotations, as well as common training experiences in outpatient psychotherapy, psychological testing, and early childhood or autism intervention
    Number of Intern Positions: 2

 

Accredited By

American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation
750 First St., NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-5979
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

ON THIS PAGE:

Training Program Details

Please see our training brochure for full details about our program’s aims and competencies, clinical rotations, didactic and professional development curriculum, training faculty and life in the greater Wilmington/Philadelphia area.

Please see our internship admission, support and initial placement data for admission information, stipends/benefits and initial post-internship positions for our three preceding cohorts.

Salary & Benefits

The expected stipend for all interns is $40,443 for the 2024-25 training year. Interns are also provided a generous benefits package, including:

  • 27 days of Paid Time Off (PTO), which can be used flexibly for vacation, sick leave, fellowship/job interviews, graduation and conference travel
  • Five Educational Leave days for those interns who defend their dissertation while on internship or attend professional conferences or trainings
  • Subsidized health insurance
  • Six paid holidays
  • Free on-site parking
  • Options for prescription medication coverage
  • Options for dental and vision insurance
  • Retirement annuity programs
  • Employer-paid short-term disability
  • Basic life insurance and A&D
  • Voluntary additional life insurance and/or AD&D
  • Voluntary long-term disability
  • Flexible spending accounts for health, dependent care and/or transportation
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Wellness program
  • Financial education program

The Nemours Child Development Center is the hospital’s on-site child care facility (NAEYC-accredited) and provides high-quality child care, prekindergarten and kindergarten, as well as before-/after-care, drop-in care and summer camp. Interns are welcome to use the hospital’s medical library and can join the hospital’s Fitness Center for free.

Interns have access to support personnel, including our GME coordinator, numerous other full-time psychology/psychiatry administrative staff, check-in/check-out billing liaisons, medical assistants, psychometrists, insurance verification specialists and medical transcriptionists. Support staff aid in scheduling patients, obtaining authorizations, patient check-in/check-out and other clerical work. There are also personnel to assist with hospital-based research project protocols, statistical consultation for hospital-based projects, poster preparation and editing and review tasks. Finally, there is computer/technological support available on a daily basis including computerized administration and scoring for many of our testing batteries.

About Our Hospital in Delaware

The Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching institution located on a 300-acre estate in the scenic Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Del.

Among the hospital’s amenities for all staff are:

  • Free parking
  • Park-like setting
  • Gym/fitness center
  • On-site child care center for children of staff

Living in Delaware Valley

Because of our location in the tri-state area of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we offer unique living/working opportunities. For example, you can choose to live in the downtown Philadelphia area and easily commute to our park-like hospital campus in Wilmington.

Explore Wilmington

Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is located in Wilmington, Del., about 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia, and an easy drive to Baltimore, Lancaster County, Pa. (“Amish Country”), and the beaches in Atlantic City and Delaware. There is much to do in and around the city, including mansion and garden tours, museums, breweries, wineries, fine restaurants and numerous state parks.

Learn More About Delaware:

Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau

Delaware Tourism

Delaware’s Beaches

Explore Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States and offers a wealth of historical, cultural and recreational opportunities. From world-class museums to its professional sports teams to the colorful, bustling districts of South Street, Chinatown and the Italian Market, Philadelphia has something for everyone.

Learn More About the Philadelphia Area:

New Jersey Beaches

Pennsylvania Mountains

Train With Recognized Leaders

If you’re looking for a rewarding program built on academic excellence and family-centered care, Nemours offers outstanding medical, surgical, pharmacy, nursing, therapy and psychology programs. Train with faculty who are respected leaders in their fields, a patient care model that stands apart and access to groundbreaking research. 

Apply Today

Application Requirements

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Materials Required

Our training program requires the AAPI Online, which is available through www.appic.org or at https://www.appic.org/AAPI-APPA. Your online application should include:

  1. Cover letter that discusses your interest in our program and the fit between our program and your experiences and training goals. Please also indicate if you are interested in more than one of our tracks or one track in particular. (See below under A Note About Tracks).
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. AAPI itself (which includes essays and the DCT's verification of eligibility and readiness)
  4. All graduate transcripts. 
  5. Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from supervisors familiar with your clinical work. 

Note: We do not require supplemental application materials beyond what is listed above.


A Note About Tracks and the Application Process

It is helpful to us when applicants indicate interest in one (or more) of our tracks at the time of initial application, but doing so does not commit an applicant. Many applicants are interested in more than one track, and we do not view this as problematic in any way. Applicants who are invited to interview are asked to indicate at the end of the interview day, after hearing in detail about our program, which track(s) they wish to be considered for when our rankings are submitted.


Application Deadline

Applications are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Interview offers will be extended by email on or before November 26, 2023, and all applicants will be notified of their status by December 5, 2023 at the very latest.

 


Interviews

Interviews will be held virtually. Interview dates for the upcoming year are:

  • Thursday, December 7, 2023
  • Friday, December 15, 2023
  • Monday, January 5, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 10, 2024 (if needed)

The virtual interview day consists of general orientation, video "tour", opportunities to meet with current residents and fellows, and three individual faculty interviews.

For applicants who indicate Spanish language fluency, a portion of the interviews will be conducted in Spanish.

Questions About Applying?

Cheyenne Hughes-Reid, PhD
Director of Doctoral Internship Training
(302) 651-4500
cheyenne.hughes@nemours.org
(email is the preferred method of contact)

Kira Branch, PsyD
Associate Director of Doctoral Internship Training
(302) 651-4500
kira.branch@nemours.org
(email is the preferred method of contact)