This training experience is not an APPIC Member program and is not APA Accredited. Applicants should be aware that this training experience has not undergone a formal external quality review process.
MercyOne Neuropsychology Clinic (Mercy One Medical Center) is now accepting applications for a two year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology for the 2025-2027 training cycle.
The Neuropsychology department is an integral component of our medical group located in Clive, Iowa (just outside of Des Moines, IA). We service a diverse population and provide outpatient neuropsychological evaluations to individuals ages 4 and up, presenting with a variety of issues such as neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disabilities, brain injury, dementia, movement disorders, and comprehensive medical needs, among others. Our neuropsychology fellowship is geared towards a lifespan training model, with intensive training in neuropsychological assessment and evaluation across the lifespan (ages 7 through geriatrics).
Fellows will gain experience in working with a variety of neurodevelopmental and acquired disorders such as ADHD, learning disabilities, TBI/concussion, stroke, dementia (of various etiologies), movement disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, and other neurologic conditions (e.g., epilepsy, MS, neoplasms, etc.), in addition to various psychological and co-morbid disorders.
The primary goal is to provide fellows with well-rounded training and experience required to become independent and competent clinical neuropsychologists. As such, our fellowship is structured to be consistent with the Houston Conference standards and is designed to fulfill requirements for licensure as a psychologist in Iowa and for board certification in Clinical Neuropsychology.
In accordance with Houston Conference guidelines, the fellow receives intensive training in the science and practice of clinical neuropsychology, including opportunities for assessment and intervention. Research opportunities will be limited. We carry two postdoctoral fellows, starting on alternate years.
Training differs across the two years in content, population, autonomy and to a degree, complexity, though the training program will flex to meet each fellow’s individual training needs. Each fellow's training is individually designed to meet the fellow’s specific interests and professional goals. Fellows conduct a minimum of four full neuropsychological assessments per week.
Training Year 1: The fellow will generally complete AT LEAST 4 lifespan outpatient evaluations weekly during the first year. Patients will be seen as part of our MercyOne Neuropsychology Clinic. In our lifespan outpatient clinic, patients are referred from a variety of sources (both internal and external) and have varying presenting problems, some of which include neurodevelopmental disorders, neoplasms, movement disorders, neurodegenerative disease, memory disorders, seizure disorder, head injury, and stroke. The fellow will be responsible for and receive supervision in battery selection, clinical interview, assessment, scoring, interpretation, report writing, and feedback with patient, family, and treatment. Adult reports are tailored to be efficient and to the point (typically four pages in length). Pediatric reports tend to be longer (ranging 6-9 pages in length).
In addition, neuropsychologists within our clinic also collaborate with the neurosurgical team to provide pre- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) evaluations and other pre-treatment evaluations and offer valuable insight into the appropriateness of surgical candidates on the basis of their cognitive status.
Training Year 2: In the second year, the fellow will be responsible for at least 4-6 outpatient evaluations. A strength of our program is the extensive areas of practice of our training faculty and large hospital system – we can carve out unique opportunities based on fellows’ interests. This may include forensic exposure, interventions (such as CBT or cognitive rehabilitation), and inpatient consultations.
Supervision: Supervision is a key component of training. Fellows can expect detailed, developmentally appropriate supervision geared at increasing autonomy and competence while also emphasizing professional development and skill acquisition. Outpatient case work will generally involve a planning session before the patient arrives, check-ins (as needed) during the testing day, and an hour per case of direct supervision after testing is completed. Group supervision/case presentations will also be provided weekly. The crux of supervision changes as the trainee develops, and supervisors regularly meet to ensure supervision is appropriate for stage of training and individual needs. Honing succinct and efficient report writing skills is an area of emphasis. Adapting report writing style to referral needs (i.e., inpatient medical, outpatient, consultation, etc.) is a key outcome. Successful trainees are comfortable working in multiple settings, with different (but overlapping) expectations. Feedback is another major area of emphasis for the program. In addition to direct feedback to referral sources, thoughtful feedback sessions with patients and families are designed to improve understanding of the clinical picture, with a focus on recommendations and attention to removing barriers to ongoing treatment.
Didactics: MercyOne offers a rich spectrum of educational and academic activities such as:
Psychiatry and Neurology Grand Rounds, Journal Club, Neuropsychology Group Supervision, Standardization and Test Administration, Ethical Foundations, Rotations in specific medical disorders Forensic Issues Services, Oncology Series Teaching/Tiered Supervision Opportunities.
The fellow may have the opportunity to be involved in training neurology and psychiatry residents and fellows, present in Psychiatry didactics and Grand Rounds.
Graduation Criteria: Successful completion of the training program is indicated by the following accomplishments: · The fellow can provide neuropsychological services to patients on an independent basis. · The fellow is eligible for licensure in the state/province in which he or she intends to practice. The fellow meets criteria for board certification in Clinical Neuropsychology (ABPP and ABN).
Fellow Selection This fellowship is recruiting one postdoctoral fellow for the 2025-2027 training period. WE WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE APPCN MATCH PROCESS. However, we will follow the same general time frame for applications and offers. Applications must be received by December 2, 2024. Interviews are conducted in January and will be held over Zoom.