Psychology Residency (Doctoral Internship)

The psychology residency (aka doctoral internship) in the Division of Behavioral Sciences is a one-year, American Psychological Association-accredited, full-time training program that fulfills the doctoral internship requirement for doctoral programs in health services psychology. The program has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1967 and has trained over 300 psychologists, most of whom are working around the world today in academic medical centers, and/or a variety of clinical and educational settings.

The program offers training in the following three tracks:

• Child/Adolescent/Pediatric psychology (two positions)
• Health psychology (four positions)
• Neuropsychology (three positions)

Trainees in all tracks work in both inpatient and outpatient settings and provide assessment, testing, consultation and treatment for Rush’s diverse patient population. Regularly scheduled supervision is provided for a minimum of four hours weekly. Trainees also participate in several didactic seminars weekly and have the option of participating in research projects with faculty members as mentors.

Please see the links below for more information on our program:

• Program Philosophy and Goals
• Environment and Hours, Evaluation Procedures, and Stipend and Benefits
• Internship Tracks
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Internship Training Seminars
• Research Opportunities

American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation status and the current standards for accreditation can be found on the APA website or by contacting the APA:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First St. NE Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5979

How to apply

We are a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and participate in the APPIC Internship Matching Program.

Candidates must be enrolled in and near completion of an American Psychological Association-accredited or Canadian Psychological Association-accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology to be considered. Applications from candidates from underrepresented groups are especially welcome and encouraged. All application materials should be submitted via the APPIC website by November 1, including the following:

• Cover letter discussing your interest in our program and, especially, why you would be a good fit from a training and career goal perspective. Include a discussion of the clinical experiences you have had relevant to the track to which you are applying, and include the number of face-to-face hours you have worked with the track population(s). The cover letter should be addressed to the appropriate track director (Lauren E Bradley, PhD, Health Psychology; Christopher L. Grote, PhD, Neuropsychology; Kyle Bersted, PhD and Janet Yarboi, PhD, Child/Adolescent/Pediatric Psychology (additional contact information below)).
• APPI application
• Curriculum vitae
• Graduate school transcript
• Three letters of recommendation

Candidates are selected based on the following criteria:

• Fit of the applicant's interests, experience, and career goals with desired program track.
• Letters of recommendation
• Graduate program course work, grades and practice experiences
• A solid research and publication background
  • Complete or nearly complete dissertation prior to internship is a plus.

Please note, applicants should apply to only one track (Health, Neuropsychology, Child/Adolescent/Pediatric).

Prior to starting internship, applicants complete a pre-employment background check and drug screen. Note: Cannabis (marijuana) use, whether for medical purposes or not, is prohibited at this time. A positive drug test for marijuana will therefore prevent successful completion of the pre-employment drug screen. This policy is subject to change as state laws change. 

All Rush personnel are to be immunized against COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (CDC/ACIP) and approved by Rush IPC unless an exemption has been granted.

Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data

Date Program Tables are updated: 10/01/2024

* Note: Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

Note: "PD" = Post-doctoral residency position; "EP" = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.

Those selected to interview will be notified by email by December 15. Interviews are typically conducted between early and mid-January for the Health and Neuropsychology tracks and in December and January for the Pediatric/Child/Adolescent Psychology track. All interviews for the 2025-2026 class will be virtual.

If you have any questions related to the application process, please email Alexis Lopez, internship program coordinator, at alexis_m_lopez@rush.edu or call (312) 942-5932.

Contact information

For questions about a particular track, please contact the director in your area of interest:

Lauren E Bradley, PhD 
Director of Health Psychology Training
Director of Clinical Training
Phone: (312) 942-2714
 

Christopher L. Grote, PhD
Director of Neuropsychology Training
Phone: (312) 942-5523
 

Kyle Bersted, PhD 
Co-director of Pediatric/Child/Adolescent Psychology Training
Phone: (312) 563-1466
 

Janet Yarboi, PhD
Co-director of Pediatric/Child/Adolescent Psychology Training
Phone: (312) 942-8190