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Advancing Clinical Science: The PCSAS Blog

APCS (1) Clinical Psychology (6) Clinical Psychology Training Reform (1) Clinical Science Education (4) Clinical Science Program (4) Diversity in Psychology Training (1) Equity in Graduate Training (1) Ethical Data Sharing (1) Financial Burden in Training (1) Graduate Program Accreditation (3) Graduate Student Resources (6) Internship Specialization (1) Internship Stipends (1) Mental Health (2) Mentorship in Psychology (2) New Accreditation (2) Open Science Myths (1) PCSAS Accreditation (3) Pre-registration Benefits (1) Predoctoral Internship (2) Professional Development (2) Professional Standards in Psychology (4) Psychology Education (5) Psychology Research Transparency (1) Psychology Training Policy (1) Psychology Training Programs (4) Reaccreditation (2) Residency vs. Internship (1) Therapeutic Alliance (2) Work-Life Balance (3)

  • Collecting Data from Underrepresented Populations: Considerations for Ethnic Minority Research

    The Importance of Ethnic Minority/Diversity Research Ethnic minority/diversity (EM/D) research is an often overlooked but crucial area of the psychological sciences. As psychologists, our goal is to develop an in-depth understanding of the human experience. To do this, researchers must examine which aspects of this experience are universal and which are context- and culture-dependent. This […]

  • Revise and Resubmit: Tips for Successful Response to Reviewer Feedback

    First off, congratulations on receiving a revise and resubmit! Before you do anything else (including reading the rest of this article) go treat yourself, whether that means grabbing a fancy coffee, going for a long walk with a good friend, or binge watching your favorite series on Netflix (go ahead, I’ll wait).  Okay, now that […]

  • Building positive community connections to facilitate trust and enrich research impact

    The importance of building positive relationships between research institutions and community members to facilitate equitable, diverse, and impactful research has been increasingly recognized in recent years. However, while some fields have found success in increasing community engagement (e.g., public health, implementation science), psychology continues to lag behind in developing key community relationships (Collins et al., […]

  • Conducting transparent, accessible research as graduate students: Myths about Open Science

    Open science in psychology refers to transparent and collaborative practices prioritizing more accessibility and reproducibility in research processes. In the past decade, pre-registration has soared from a few-known initiatives to thousands per year (Simmons et al., 2021). Open science has gained popularity because researchers can frequently use this practice to gain more citations, form more […]

  • Resident or Intern? Recent Discourse on Reorganization of the Pre-Doctoral Internship

    The origins of the predoctoral internship in psychology date most officially to the 1940s, meaning that nearly a century of psychologists have navigated the intense process that stands between dissertation and doctorate (Morrow, 1946). Currently, psychology graduates enter the match in the year before their intended internship and are not eligible for conferral of the […]

  • Can Natural Language-based Artificial Intelligence Systems Address Psychopathology?

    By Alexander Williams, M.S., Northwestern University Despite a proliferation of evidence-based practices (e.g., Hollon et al., 2006; Tolin, 2010), there is no compelling evidence that mental health problems have decreased in prevalence in recent decades. Indeed, at least among adolescents, the available evidence more frequently points to the increasing prevalence of psychological distress, depression, and suicide-related outcomes […]

  • How To Incorporate Tools From Organizational Skills Training Into Your Life As A Graduate Student

    by Shannon Grogans, M.A., & Nicholas Marsh, M.A., University of Maryland The transition from being an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate research coordinator into one’s clinical psychology doctoral program can be an overwhelming task for individuals. Prospective doctoral students are typically highly successful and motivated; however, more support is likely needed for many during their transition. In […]

  • The Greatest Barrier to Open Access: The Pay to Play Model of Academic Publishing

    by Thomas Harrison, M.A., Stony Brook University The concept of increasing scientific communication originates in academic publishing in 1665 (Fyfe, 2015). Indeed, the longest running scientific journal, the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society was founded to embody empirical philosophy set forth by Sir Frances Bacon (The Royal Publishing Society, n.dab). Here, the sole goal […]

  • A Brief Report of Digital Therapy Platforms

    by Vansh Bansal, M.A., Virginia Tech When the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the traditional provision of psychological services, telehealth sessions became the “new normal:” one large provider, for example, shifted from near-zero to over a thousand telehealth visits per day (Woski et al., 2020). This newfound need for virtual care, coupled with disproportionate lack of mental […]

  • Dear Therapists: An Interview with Lori Gottlieb on Navigating Graduate School and Beyond

    by Madeline Pike, M.A., Temple University Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist, New York Times bestselling author of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” and “Marry Him,” TED Speaker, co-host of the popular “Dear Therapists” podcast, and “Dear Therapist” columnist for The Atlantic. Her books have sold over one million copies worldwide. In her work, Lori […]

  • The History and Future of Preparing for Predoctoral Internship Programs

    Gabriella Memba, M.A., University at Buffalo Coming from a clinical science background, I approached the predoctoral internship application process as I would a research paper. I spent days upon days scouring the internet and speaking with my colleagues and mentors in an effort to learn as much as I could about the Do’s and Don’ts […]

  • The Workday Creep and Your Sleep: Addressing Technology, Communication, and Sleep Health for Graduate Students and Trainees

    By Samantha Nagy, M.A., University of Arizona Modern communication methods such as email can make exchange of information easier and more convenient, but it can also blur the lines between work and personal time, particularly for graduate students. Laptops and smartphones are easily accessed in the bed, which can negatively impact sleep duration and quality […]

  • University of Pittsburgh is Reaccredited

    On July 3, 2024, the PCSAS Review Committee voted to reaccredit the clinical science program at the University of Pittsburgh. The PCSAS Board of Directors endorsed the RC’s vote. Congratulations to our colleagues at Pitt!

  • University of Rochester Now Accredited by PCSAS

    In a meeting held on May 22, 2024, the PCSAS Review Committee voted to grant accreditation to the University of Rochester’s clinical science program. The PCSAS Board of Directors endorsed that decision. The University of Rochester becomes the 48th program to be recognized by PCSAS. We welcome our colleagues from Rochester to the PCSAS family.

  • Emory University Reaccredited

    On May 22, 2024, the PCSAS Review Committee voted to reaccredit Emory University. The PCSAS Board of Directors endorsed the RC’s vote. Congratulations to our colleagues at Emory!

  • PCSAS Review Committee Releases a Study Concerning the Characteristics of PCSAS Students Applying for Internship and Predictors of Match Outcomes 

    The PCSAS Review Committee (RC) frequently is asked whether normative data are available for characteristics of PCSAS-accredited programs, their current students, their graduates, and their faculty. One of the most common requests is for normative data at the time of internship application, including students’ clinical hours, productivity, etc. Thus, as a part of the Annual […]

  • University of Miami now accredited by PCSAS

    In a February meeting, the PCSAS Review Committee voted to grant accreditation to the University of Miami’s clinical science program. The PCSAS Board of Directors endorsed that decision. The University of Miami becomes the 47th program to be recognized by PCSAS. We welcome our colleagues from the University of Miami to the PCSAS family.

  • PCSAS Student Town Hall Held on 1/26/24

    Joanne Davila, President of the PCSAS Board of Directors, and Joe Steinmetz, PCSAS Executive Director, met with students from several PCSAS programs to answer questions posed by the students. A link to a recording of the Town Hall can be found here.

  • Taking on Teletherapy: Experiences and Recommendations from a PCSAS Training Clinic Adapting to COVID-19

    by Matthew V. Elliott, Suzanne M. Shdo, & Esther Howe, UC Berkeley Acknowledgement: The authors would like to acknowledge Nancy H. Liu, PhD, Nina F. Dronkers, PhD, Nadine M. Tang, LCSW, and Robert W. Levenson, PhD, for their contributions to this article and the clinic.  With over 2 million confirmed cases worldwide and most of the […]

  • Why PCSAS?

    A WORD FROM PCSAS LEADERSHIP “The PCSAS Newsletter offers a place where clinical scientists of today and tomorrow can share important thoughts on PCSAS and the field of psychological clinical science.” Alan Kraut, Executive Director, PCSAS “PCSAS represents a commitment by its member programs to train a new generation of clinical scientists who will have the […]