Psychology Pathways Initiative (PPI) Summer Externship Program
The Department of Psychology also offers a 10-week intensive summer externship for graduate students enrolled in APA accredited graduate programs. Housing and stipend are included for the summer externship program.
The goal of the PPI summer externship program is to provide opportunities for current psychology doctoral students with diverse backgrounds to learn about specialty fields within psychology early in their training to increase readiness and competitiveness for pediatric specialty internship and fellowship training programs in healthcare settings.
PPI 2025 externship dates are: June 2, 2025 – August 15, 2025
- Applicants must be in good standing at a doctoral psychology graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or School Psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Students must have approval from their program’s Director of Clinical Training to participate in the program.
- Doctoral students who are early in their training (completed 1st or 2nd year of graduate school) are encouraged to apply. Advanced students will be considered but opportunities for independent intervention may be limited given the scope of training opportunities for the 10-week program.
- We strongly encourage students who are from diverse backgrounds to apply to our program. Diversity is broadly defined and includes identification by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability/disability, religion, language, socioeconomic status, and age. International students are encouraged to apply.
The following materials must be submitted online using the application link below:
- Signed DCT Statement of support
- One recommendation letter (preferably from a clinical supervisor or professor/instructor)
- Unofficial graduate school transcript
- Two 500-word essays
- Essay 1: What type of clinical experiences and/or mentorship/supervision opportunities are you hoping to find through the PPI summer externship program that may not be available or accessible in your area?
- Essay 2: Describe how you have demonstrated leadership ability in your degree program and/or your community
Please Note: Applications are due by February 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Virtual interviews via Zoom will be scheduled with program faculty in February 2025, with notification of acceptance by March 2025.
- PPI externs will receive approximately $8200 for travel and living expenses.
- Housing provided free of charge by Nationwide Children's Hospital (at no cost to doctoral student). Housing is located within walking distance to Nationwide Children's main campus.
Education and Training
The focus of the PPI externship program is to provide exposure to new clinical populations and, treatment programs within an academic medical center setting. PPI externs will have opportunity to shadow outpatient evaluations, outpatient and inpatient treatment, participation in multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, supervision, and trainee didactics.
What to Expect
- Inclusion in specialty didactic seminars
- Dedicated faculty serving as mentors
- Opportunities for peer and professional networking
- 5 days per week, 7 hours per day
- Opportunities for summer externship include rotations in the following track specialty areas:
| Major Rotations | Minor Rotations |
| Autism Assessment and Treatment | Child Clinical |
| Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities | Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities |
| Neuropsychology | Pediatric Acute Treatment |
| Pediatric Psychology | Center for Family Safety and Healing |
Tracks
PPI externs will select a major and minor rotations for their summer program. Training opportunities include shadowing outpatient evaluations, participation in interdisciplinary outpatient clinics, supervision, and trainee didactics.
PPI externs will select 1 major rotation (4 days per week) and 1 minor rotations (1 day per week) for their summer training program. In addition to track selection, the PPI extern will participate in general didactics focused on professional development, as well as exploration of concepts in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in professional identity and patient care. PPI externs select rotations in the following specialty areas:
Major Rotations
The Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD) rotation provides exposure to a range of behavioral intervention services focused on supporting autistic youth and their caregivers. CASD is a multi-disciplinary center that includes Psychologists, Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), mental health professionals (LSWs, LPCs), and registered behavior technicians (RBTs). Training opportunities include shadowing and autism caregiver coaching, early intensive behavioral intervention, summer camp services, psychological assessment. CASD serves a diverse population and opportunities to observe the inclusion of interpreter services is likely. Care is provided within the outpatient office as well as in family homes and other community locations. Both in-person and telepsychology services are offered.
Please Note: Access to a car is required for this clinical experience.
The Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (IND) rotation provides training focused on children and adolescents either with or suspected of having a neurodevelopmental disability. The PPI extern will have an opportunity to shadow neurodevelopmental assessments in outpatient, medical clinic, or inpatient consultations, brief targeted treatment for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and attend didactics and group supervision with IND team members.
The Neuropsychology rotation provides opportunities for the extern to provide neuropsychologically informed care for children with medical conditions involving the central nervous system. The extern will have opportunity to shadow the psychologist in multiple roles for neuropsychologists, including outpatient neuropsychological evaluations and consultation in interdisciplinary medical clinics (e.g., craniofacial and neuroimmune). PPI externs will also have the opportunity to participate in specialty neuropsychology seminar topics.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatric Psychology offers a variety of clinical experiences in multiple outpatient multidisciplinary medical clinics located at or near Nationwide Children's main campus. The PPI extern will have opportunity to shadow pediatric psychologists in multiple interdisciplinary outpatient medical clinics, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, intensive pain rehabilitation center, burn, and our comprehensive feeding clinic. Opportunities for training include locations at or nearby Nationwide Children's Main Campus. The extern will also have the opportunity to participate in specialty seminar topics in pediatric psychology.
Minor Rotations
The Child Clinical rotation offers opportunities for intervention and assessment of children and adolescents presenting with a wide variety of behavioral health concerns. Patients range in age from 3 to 18 years old and present a variety of behavioral health concerns, including but not limited to ADHD, disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD, mild trauma, tics, and other mental health concerns. Patients treated come from a multitude of geographic regions, backgrounds, and identities.
The Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (IND) rotation provides training focused on children and adolescents either with or suspected of having a neurodevelopmental disability. The PPI extern will have the opportunity to shadow neurodevelopmental assessments in outpatient, medical clinic, or inpatient consultations, brief targeted treatment for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and attend didactics and group supervision with IND team members.
The PPI extern will have the opportunity to shadow psychologists one day per week in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Units. Common presenting concerns include suicidal ideation and attempts, non-suicidal self-injury, severe depression and anxiety, aggression, mania, and psychosis. Interventions include inpatient group therapy, individual sessions, consultation and supervision with interdisciplinary care team members, and participation in didactic seminars and team meetings. The inpatient pediatric acute treatment PPI extern will be based out of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Pavilion, close to Nationwide Children's Main campus.
The Center for Family Safety and Healing (TCFSH) an array of multidisciplinary programs focused on direct services and advocacy for social change to address all aspects of family violence, including child and elder abuse, teen dating violence, and domestic violence. The Child Welfare rotation provides opportunities to learn about special considerations for working with families involved with child protective services and focused training in applying principles of trauma-informed care. The PPI extern will shadow pediatric psychologists providing brief interventions to children and families, consulting on interdisciplinary teams, and coordinating care with outside agencies (e.g., community mental health, school, child protective services, foster agencies) in the context of specialized medical settings for children involved with child protective services. The PPI extern also has opportunities to gain exposure to various community-based programs geared toward family violence prevention.
