Interns in the Neuropsychology track receive broad based training in the theory and practice of clinical neuropsychology. This occurs via clinical experiences with a variety of neuropsychology supervisors, diverse clinical populations, and participation in didactic experiences. Over the course of the year, the intern rotates through the clinics of 6 different neuropsychology faculty supervisors. As such, the intern is exposed to distinct assessment approaches ranging from fixed battery (e.g., modified Halstead-Reitan), flexible battery to more process-oriented and qualitative approaches that are commonly used in neuropsychological evaluations.
Interns become familiar with prototypic neurocognitive profiles that are associated with classic neurologic and psychiatric disorders and syndromes, as well as more rare syndromes they might encounter in clinical practice or research settings. They learn to address assessment challenges that arise when working with individuals with specific subsets of symptoms (i.e., the hearing impaired, the hemiplegic patient) or from different cultural backgrounds. Because of their exposure to a range of supervisors and cases, the intern learns different report styles for communicating neuropsychological findings to other professionals (referring physicians, etc.), attorneys, and families. They also become familiar with varying styles of supervision and how to present cases in multidisciplinary clinical meetings.
Some rotations are embedded in an interprofessional context, where the Neuropsychology team is part of an interdisciplinary team of professionals (neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry) who are evaluating the same patients during the same clinic.