Practicum/Externship Opportunities at the CTSA

About the Program

The CTSA offers two distinct training opportunities to advanced doctoral students in the area.

Clinical Practicum

Clinical practicum students at our site have the opportunity to provide evidence-based treatment to individuals with a wide range of anxiety disorders including OCD, PTSD, GAD, trichotillomania, panic disorder and specific phobias while receiving extensive group and individual supervision in these areas. Individual (1hour) and group (3 hours) supervision is available. Clinical practicum students are expected to provide 8-10 hours of direct clinical services per week. Practicum students also have the opportunity to attend 4-day intensive training workshops on the treatment of OCD and PTSD.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Master's Degree

• Advanced student (at least third-year) in a doctoral program
• Previous training in CBT with good basic therapy skills
• Available 16 hours per week including all day on Tuesdays

Start date: Beginning of August or earlier

Research Practicum

Research practicum students at our site will complete extensive intake assessments for our treatment research studies, as well as perform independent evaluations of research participants in order to measure treatment gains. They also serve in a number of other research capacities including providing treatment adherence ratings and participating in research meetings related to assessment. Research practicum students are expected to provide 6-8 hours of direct clinical assessment hours per week and approximately 2 hours of direct clinical services per week.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Master's Degree

• Advanced student (at least third-year) in a doctoral program
• Training in standardized diagnostic interviews (e.g., SCID) and good clinical diagnostic skills
• Available 16 hours per week including all day on Tuesdays

Start date: Beginning of July or earlier

Application Process and Deadlines

Our application requires a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation to be sent by the applicant via email or mail as one complete package. The cover letter should state which or both of the two practicum programs for which you would like your application to be considered. The deadline for receipt of applications will be February 1st and applicants will be notified by February 15th if being granted an interview. Final decisions on all applications will be made by March 1st.

All applications and questions can be directed to:

Carmen P. McLean, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Student Training
Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety
3535 Market Street, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-746-3327
mcleanca@mail.med.upenn.edu