Program Overview
The Clinical Psychology Internship Program is a doctoral internship located at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas. The primary goal and mission of the program is to produce highly qualified, resourceful, culturally competent, and autonomous professional psychologists and to develop the competencies and professional identity that will serve as a solid basis for a career. The program seeks to produce psychologists who can manage the dynamic challenges that will be common in their future careers as military and civilian psychologists.
A Practitioner-Scholar model guides the internship training at Brooke Army Medical Center, with an emphasis on clinical practice that is validated by empirical research. The program offers diverse training opportunities with both military and civilian populations, including child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric age groups. BAMC is a large regional medical center, so interns will have experiences unique to medical center settings, in addition to those more typical of traditional psychology training programs. Graduates leave the program with a wide variety of experiences, prepared to pursue postdoctoral careers as Army psychologists. Brook Army Medical Center, the Department of Behavioral Health, and CPIP value the importance of developing clinical psychologists from a variety of diverse backgrounds that perform culturally informed clinical care to diverse populations.
The BAMC Clinical Psychology Internship Program is an Army internship, so candidates must apply through a centralized application process and will serve on active duty during and after the internship.
Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data
To view our Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data table. This table is designed by APA as an overview of program data so applicants can have a quick and standardized way to view data and compare APA accredited programs.
Accreditation Status
The BAMC Clinical Psychology Internship Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association. Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: https://accreditation.apa.org/
Description of Training Program
Core Experience: The core rotations for the program consist of four three-month rotations. These rotations are three days each week. Interns must participate in Campus Behavioral Health Service rotation, Neuropsychology rotation, and Adult Outpatient Multidisciplinary Clinic rotation. Interns indicate preference for the fourth rotation between the Child & Adolescent or the Clinical Health Psychology rotations. Interns participate in the Evidenced Based Care rotation every Thursday and Friday throughout the year.
Campus Behavioral Health Service Rotation: The Campus Behavioral Health Service (CBHS) serves young active duty service members who are trainees at the US Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) and the Military Education Training Campus. Fort Sam Houston is the home of the MEDCoE and METC, meaning all enlisted soldiers, sailors, and airmen assigned to medical specialties receive their initial job training at this post. The majority of these soldiers arrive at Fort Sam Houston immediately after basic training and many are dealing with issues related to adjusting to the military environment, homesickness, and academic problems.
Neuropsychology Rotation: The Neuropsychology Service provides neuropsychological evaluations for active duty service members and medically retired service members who are returning for repeat evaluation. This population consists primarily of young adults. Both male and female patients are seen, but there is a predominance of male patients. Neuropsychology Service provides screenings and full evaluations for the BAMC Burn Unit and the Amputee Clinic. Many of the soldiers seen in these settings are returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan. During this rotation, interns will learn to conduct brief cognitive screenings as well as a more comprehensive battery that includes both cognitive and psychological evaluation.
Adult Outpatient Rotation: The Adult Outpatient Multidisciplinary Clinic provides psychological evaluation and treatment services to active duty soldiers and their families. In contrast to the CBHS, where the patient population consists of young trainees who have come into the Army fairly recently, the Adult Outpatient Clinic provides services to soldiers who have been working in their field of service in the Army. Interns on this rotation will learn how to work with service members on a variety of issues they face in the military. They will also learn how to conduct military-specific assessments, a critical skill to achieve as a military psychologist.
Child and Family Behavioral Health Rotation: The Child and Family Behavioral Health Service (CAFBHS) provides child clinical psychology services to children and adolescents between the ages of two to eighteen. CAFBHS provides diagnostic and assessment services to patients and families presenting with a wide variety of issues related to development, child psychopathology, pediatric medical concerns, and academic performance. Clinical services include: individual therapy; family therapy; play therapy; and various group interventions for children, adolescents, and parents.
Clinical Health Psychology Rotation: The Clinical Health Psychology Service provides specialized services to patients with acute or chronic medical conditions, as well as stress management, relaxation training and prevention services for all patient populations. Specific services include: consultation and assessment; individual, family, and group psychotherapy; pain management; stress management and relaxation training; biofeedback; and psycho-educational health programs.
Evidenced Based Care Rotation: The evidenced based care rotation provides interns with the opportunity to provide evidenced based therapeutic intervention consistent with the DoD/VA Clinical Practice Guidelines. A focus of this rotation will be treatment for PTSD and other combat or operational stress reactions, such as sleep problems, nightmares, panic, and other anxiety related disorders. In addition, interns will have the opportun ity to work with patients with other mood disorders or behavioral health issues, such as major depression, adjustment disorders, family problems, etc. Specific evidence based treatments to be covered during the internship year include Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CBT for Insomnia, and Treatment for Traumatic Stress Disorders.
Didactics and Presentations: Many didactic opportunities are available to interns throughout the training year Fridays are reserved for required didactics and case conferences. Didactic trainings are grouped under the following topic areas: Assessment, Therapeutic Intervention, Ethics, Cultural Diversity, Professional development, and Psychopharmacology. There are also periodic faculty and intern case conferences. In addition, interns may attend workshops offered by internship programs from Wilford Hall Medical Center, the South Texas Veteran's Health Care System, or the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Throughout the training year, workshops on various topics are presented by notable researchers and clinicians in their respective fields of psychology. These workshops are typically one to two days in length, and attendance is required.
Supervision: Interns will be supervised by staff members throughout the training year. A licensed psychologist is available whenever an intern is providing services to a patient. Each rotation has a primary supervisor who is responsible for overall coordination of the intern's work. Interns will have a minimum of 2 hours of individual supervision per week with many more opportunities for informal supervision. In addition to clinical supervision, all interns are offered a year-long preceptor. The preceptor's role is to assist the intern in his/her development as a psychologist. The preceptor serves as a confidential helper and guide to stimulate professional development and optimize the internship training experience.
Application and Selection
Key Dates and Information Upfront
For the 2024-2025 Class:
- Application Deadline (APPI must be complete with all additional materials downloaded): 20 November 2023 All applicants will be military applicants going through the central Army selection process. Applicants will be offered a virtual interview. The online APPI, including confirmation of approved proposal for dissertation, must be submitted prior to application deadline. Applicants will work with an US Army MEDCoE recruiter in meeting military application requirements. All complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered once received with interview notification on a rolling basis, no later than 30 November 2023.
- Virtual Interview Dates: 06 and 07 December 2023.
- Number of Anticipated Positions: 6 (no civilian positions available, all interns will become commissioned Army officers)
Important Websites for Application Information and Process
In order to begin the process of entering active duty, candidates should contact their local Army Health Care Recruiters at www.goarmy.com or 1-800-USA-ARMY.
Applicants can download an APPIC Applicant Agreement from the Matching Program web site at www.natmatch.com/psychint through the APPIC website at www.appic.org or request that an Agreement be mailed to them by contacting National Matching Services Inc at:
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4S 3B1
Telephone: (416) 977-3431
Fax: (416) 977-5020
P.O. Box 1208
Lewiston, NY 14092-8208
Telephone: (716) 282-4013
Fax: (716) 282-0611
NMS prefers that correspondence be sent to the Toronto address.
Qualifications: The BAMC Clinical Psychology Internship Program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and follows all APPIC policies and procedures for intern selection. BAMC selects interns through the APPIC Match. Only those candidates who participate in the APPIC Match can be matched to the BAMC internship program. Qualified applicants will come from APA approved Clinical or Counseling Psychology doctoral programs. Applicants must be citizens of the United States. Applicants must have passed comprehensive examinations by the application deadline and must have the dissertation proposal approved by the application deadline. Interns will be active duty Army officers, and must therefore meet criteria for active duty in the Army (such as physical fitness requirements) in addition to the other requirements for the internship. Applicants are selected through the APPIC match, but must also be selected for service in the Army through an Army Board Selection Process.
Selection Process
Applicants will apply directly to the Army Clinical Internship Psychology Programs through an Army health care recruiter. The APPI packet and other materials listed below will be submitted directly through the Army Health Care Recruiter and will be forwarded to an Army Psychology Internship Selection Board which will include Directors of Training of the individual Army internship programs. Applicants should also submit materials directly to BAMC through the online APPI application. HPSP scholarship students are required to rank all five of the Army sites on the APPIC Match List. Candidates who have no commitment to Army service prior to Match Day are encouraged to rank all five Army sites, but are under no obligation to do so, and may list only the sites to which they would like to apply.
Any interested graduate student is encouraged to contact the Department of Behavioral Health Internship Training Director to learn more about applying to this program and the overall Army Psychology system. Students may also visit Brooke Army Medical Center and our providers will meet with students to discuss their interest in military psychology as time allows. Students who want to visit the facility should contact the Training Director regarding working hours and staff availability. These visits are for the students to gather information about our site. No interviews will be conducted during these times.
After the initial APPI applications are reviewed, candidates will be contacted to coordinate interviews. In person and virtual interviews will be conducted by invitation only on the dates found in the beginning of this section. For candidates not able to attend the invitational interview day, alternate virtual interviewing of applicants may be accommodated on a case by case basis. The Army Psychology Internship Selection Board usually meets in January of the training year. The Board will review candidate application packets and discuss applicant qualifications. Final selections will be made using the APPIC match process. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information for any intern applicant.
Application Materials
- Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. Copies of this form may be downloaded from the Forms page at www.appic.org, or from gram Training Directors.
- Vita or resume outlining educational and employment experiences.
- Letter of interest.
- Official transcripts of graduate work.
- Certification of Internship Eligibility (included in the AAPI form) completed by your academic Training Director.
- Three letters of reference.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submission of applications for the upcoming internship year can be found in the "Key Dates and Information" area at the beginning of this section. However, candidates are encouraged to contact an Army Health Care Recruiter as early as possible in order to ensure that they will be able to meet the requirements to serve as an Army officer.
General Information
Salary and Benefits
Salary and Benefits -- The doctoral internship year is projected to begin at the start of October, with orientation occurring late September. Most interns will attend the Direct Commissioning Course (DCC) and/or the Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) prior to internship. Once students have received their orders to come on Active Duty, the Army will cover travel, moving, and military training expenses. The internship is a full-time, 12 month experience. Military interns are paid at the rank of Army Captain, with annual salary plus allowances starting at $86,921. Interns also receive all military benefits and allowances, which include health and dental care for interns and their family members; paid annual leave, sick leave and federal holidays; and use of on-post facilities. Other benefits include dissertation release time, paid attendance at local workshops, and the opportunity to attend seminars presented by nationally known speakers at BAMC.
Health Professions Scholarship Program
HPSP is available to assist undergraduate and graduate students with the cost of school. For information on this program, please go to the following website. https://www.goarmy.com/amedd/education/hpsp.html
Fort Sam Houston Texas and Brooke Army Medical Center
Brooke Army Medical Center is located on Fort Sam Houston, which is in the center of San Antonio Texas. Not only is BAMC one of the largest military medical centers, it also is the location for the Army Southern Regional Medical Command. Information about BAMC can be found at the following website:
https://bamc.tricare.mil/
Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston is the home of the Army Medical Department, Army Medical Center of Excellence, and is known as the "Home of Military Medicine" in that it hosts the training for most medical personnel in the Department of Defense. Specific information regarding Fort Sam Houston and the surrounding area can be found at its website:
https://www.jbsa.mil/
Questions
Director of Training (see APPIC Annual Listings or website for email address - https://membership.appic.org/directory/display/785).