Doctoral psychology internship application

About the application

Sharp HealthCare's APA-accredited Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology provides psychologists-in-training with a yearlong, in-depth training experience.

As a member of APPIC, Sharp HealthCare accepts only the online, paperless, APPIC application for psychology internship (AAPI). We have four APPIC codes for the internship matching program depending on the track you choose.

  • 115311 - Adult Substance Use Disorder Track

  • 115314 - Adult Psychiatric ICU/Trauma Track

  • 115312 - Geropsychology Track

  • 115313 - Child and Adolescent Track

Go to appic.org for information about completing and submitting an electronic application.

Applicants are asked to provide:

  • 3 letters of recommendation

  • Sample report — Highly prized reports will demonstrate a balance between brevity and thoroughness as well as excellent, tailored recommendations

Sharp requires an interview in order to be ranked in the APPIC match. We typically invite 48 candidates to interview. Interviews for the 2025-26 training year will be virtual/remote. During the interview, a digital photo is taken of each interviewee. The photograph is used for the sole purpose of linking the name of the applicant with their picture in order to reduce the chance of confusing one applicant with another when our faculty is engaged in the ranking process.

Eight full-time, fully-funded interns are chosen for training via the APPIC internship matching service. Interns are chosen from all regions of the United States and Canada, and only students from APA-accredited psychology doctoral programs will be considered.

Applicants are not excluded on the basis of race, ethnic origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or physical handicap. The program avoids all actions that would restrict or offer admission on grounds that are irrelevant to successful completion of the internship.

We strive to have an intern class that mirrors the diversity of our patient population. We recognize that identity and cultural diversity are rich and complex — incorporating intersecting factors related to age, disability, religion and spirituality, ethnicity and race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, indigenous heritage, nationality, gender and more. Thus, the Psychology Training Program has an active Diverse-Applicant Recruitment Program (DARP) for prospective interns.

Individuals who wish to be considered under DARP, related to any aspect(s) of identity or diversity, are encouraged to indicate their interest and rationale in their cover letter, APPI essays and/or by contacting the training director (Kelsey Bradshaw, PhD, at kelsey.bradshaw@sharp.com or at 858-836-8347) for more information.

We accept applicants from graduate programs adhering to professional-scientific, scientist-practitioner, practitioner-scholar and other similar models of training. We find that interns who have a passion for the integration of science and practice, training in evidence-based practices and a good foundation in behavioral and cognitive-behavioral case conceptualization and treatment are the best fit with our program. Good experience in psychological assessment will also increase your fit.

Internship program admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements.

The APA Accredited Internship Program at Sharp HealthCare offers broad and diverse training possibilities. Our tracks span the lifespan with opportunities to work with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, children and adolescents and older adults. We offer both inpatient and outpatient rotations with each of our tracks. You might choose to apply here so that you can obtain experience with a setting or population that is new to you or because you want to build on an area of expertise. Applicants can choose to apply to more than one track.

We are frequently asked, "What are you looking for in your selection process?" Every APPI is thoroughly reviewed by a member of our psychology team and all applicants invited for an interview are reviewed by the training director. We carefully look at the rigor of university training, the depth of clinical experience, as well as other life experience. Interns who do well in our program arrive with advanced fluency in behavioral, third-wave, and traditional cognitive-behavioral theory and technique. Group therapy and psychological assessment experience is highly valued because these are both large parts of our training program and clinical services. We prize a devotion to empiricism (big E and little e) and evidence-based treatment. We also prize trainees who demonstrate emotional literacy, a desire to increase self-awareness, and an ability to communicate genuine respect for individuals who are similar to and different from them. Given the diversity in San Diego (e.g., in all components of the ADDRESSING model), and our desire to have an intern class that reflects that diversity, we appreciate learning about the individual diversity of our applicants. We prize applicants who demonstrate the abilities and traits required to thrive in a fast paced, interdisciplinary, collaborative, acute-care environment. Please refer to our doctoral psychology internship overview for additional details.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? Yes. Required Minimum Direct Contact Intervention: 600 hours* Required Minimum Direct Contact Assessment: 80 hours*

*For those close to the cut-off, we will still consider your application depending on the type of experiences you have gained or will gain in ongoing practicum.

If you are currently in an assessment practicum we want to be sure you will obtain the 80 hour minimum and have experiences that can assist you in our acute and fast paced setting.

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants.

Musts:

  1. In good standing in an APA-accredited or CPA-accredited doctoral program in psychology

  2. Comprehensive exams passed by application deadline

  3. Dissertation proposal approved by start of internship

  4. Completed minimum of 3 years of graduate training by start of internship

  5. Able to attend a full-day virtual interview in late January on one of the dates identified by the program

We are also looking for a healthy sense of humor, a strong work ethic, a commitment to self-awareness and self-care, a belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings, a devotion to empiricism (big E and little e), flexibility, humility, kindness, a strong commitment to cultural competence, a strong interest in assessment (you'll do a lot of it here), strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, excellent time-management skills, interest in advancing your competence as a clinical supervisor, interest in leadership and organizational/systems level influence.

The Sharp HealthCare Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology agrees to abide by all APPIC policy. No person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant at any time during the application and selection process. Please carefully review all the policies found on the APPIC website.

Our internship program is accredited by the American Psychological Association:

American Psychological Association
750 First St. NE
Washington DC, 20002-4242
202-336-5979
202-336-6123 TDD
www.apa.org

Inquiries for additional information and specific questions should be directed to the clinical training director, Kelsey Bradshaw, PhD, at kelsey.bradshaw@sharp.com or at 858-836-8347.