Neuropsychology Externship | Children's National Hospital

Division of Neuropsychology 2023-2024 Brochure (PDF)

This advanced assessment externship, in the Division of Neuropsychology at Children’s National Hospital, is under the direction of Gerard Gioia, Ph.D., and includes faculty neuropsychologists, pediatric psychologists and post-doctoral fellows, as well as multiple predoctoral interns and externs.

Neuropsychology externs learn to administer neuropsychological tests, including measures of intelligence, attention, executive function, language, visual processing, learning and memory, social cognition, fine motor abilities and emotional adjustment. Externs are taught to interpret test data, formulate diagnoses and conceptualize each patient’s unique pattern of neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses, assist with report writing, and participate in parent feedback conferences when possible.

The externship is designed for students who are interested in developing advanced skills in child assessment, as well as those with specific interest in the specialty of pediatric neuropsychology. This service works in close consultation with Children's National physicians and several multidisciplinary teams. An extern may be involved in presenting neuropsychological findings and discussing cases with neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, speech/language pathologists and teachers.

Number of Positions Offered

Approximately 22 externs (20 assessment, 2 therapy) will be accepted for the 2023-2024 training year.

Placement Opportunities

General Neuropsychology

Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery and Education (SCORE) Program

The second placement involves assessment and intervention for children and adolescents with concussions/mild traumatic brain injuries in the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program. This program has a particular specialty in working with children and adolescents with sports-related concussions. The SCORE Program uses a primary care model to provide brief, focused evaluations that facilitate concussion management and monitoring throughout the recovery period. Clinical work in the SCORE Program includes follow-up communication and care coordination with schools, trainers and other medical professionals.

Autism

The third placement involves working in the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD), completing neuropsychological evaluations of school-age children, adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder, most of whom have at least average intellectual abilities. This placement includes the opportunity to work as part of a multidisciplinary team including neuropsychology, developmental psychology, speech/language pathology and psychiatry.

Research

Opportunities to participate in clinically-based research may be available. Staff interests include, but are not limited to, executive function, epilepsy, concussion, neurofibromatosis, childhood cancers, memory and autism spectrum disorders.

Qualifications

The general neuropsychology and CASD neuropsychological evaluation track placements are advanced child assessment externships, and thus are most appropriate for students who:

Are in their third year or beyond
Have completed coursework in assessment
Have had prior externship experience with testing and direct clinical experience with children.

The externship in the SCORE clinic and the CASD preschool evaluation and limited language evaluation tracks are appropriate for doctoral students at all levels of training who may have less assessment training or experience or have a particular interest in working with children and adolescents with mild traumatic brain injuries/concussions or sports-related injuries. The CASD intervention track is appropriate for students who already have treatment experience.

Time Requirements

Sixteen hours per week is required (two eight-hour days). This externship is a 12-month commitment, although under special circumstances (e.g., internship start date, etc.), alternative arrangements can be made in advance.

Location

Our main clinical location is the Montgomery County in Rockville, MD, located eight miles north of the beltway (495). In addition, some patients are seen at the Annapolis, Friendship Heights, Prince George's County and Takoma Theatre locations. Externs may be placed at any one of those locations depending upon which faculty member they are matched with.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for the Neuropsychology Externship, upload the following to our online portal:

A letter of interest/cover letter
- Please tell us about your clinical interests and goals for the externship.
Your CV
A list of test measures administered (identify which measures were given to patients and number of administrations)
Graduate transcripts (may be unofficial)

The following should be emailed directly to Program Coordinator Vanessa Mpengo:

Two letters of recommendation

Application Deadline

The final deadline for applications to the Division of Neuropsychology is Jan. 31, 2023. Interviews will be conducted in February and March. You will receive notification via email that your application has been received and if any additional materials are needed. Due to the high volume of calls received in the past, we request that you not call to confirm the status of your application.

Contact Information

For more information or questions about the Neuropsychology Externship, please contact:

Julie Newman, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, Assistant Training Director
Christopher Vaughan, Psy.D., Extern Co-Director
Angela Bollich, Ph.D., Extern Co-Director