Overview
Leadership: Amy Letteri, PhD, Melissa Sutcliffe, PhD, ABPP and Ted Allaire Barrios, PhD
Current Fellows: Amy Magallanes, PhD, Xi Yang, PhD
This two-year fellowship offers advanced clinical, didactic, and academic training in the recognized specialty practice of Clinical Neuropsychology. Graduates of this fellowship will be eligible to pursue licensure as a psychologist in the state of Pennsylvania and board certification process in Clinical Neuropsychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Candidates for this fellowship should have successfully completed an APA/CPA accredited doctoral education and training program as well as an APA/CPA accredited internship that includes substantial training in clinical neuropsychology. Fellows must obtain their doctoral degree prior to beginning the fellowship.
- Education Activities
Three days (60%) of the fellow’s week is spent engaged in providing clinical service, including assessment and treatment activities. The remaining two days (40%) are spent on research, departmental meetings, and educational activities.
Year 1- Fellows will typically spend their first six months (August-to-January ) working with the developmental population (i.e., children or adults) with whom they have the most experience working with, followed by six months (February-to-July) working with the population with whom they have less experience.
- Pediatric Neuropsychology: Under faculty supervision, fellows will typically complete upwards of three outpatient neuropsychological evaluations per week with some psychometrist support.
- Adult Rehabilitation Neuropsychology: Under faculty supervision, fellows will typically complete one-to-two outpatient neuropsychological evaluations per week, with additional time spent working in a rehabilitation neuropsychology capacity across various multidisciplinary clinics and acute, inpatient medical settings. Interested fellows may also elect to engage adults with neurobehavioral conditions in evidence-based psychotherapy (e.g., acceptance-and-commitment therapy) also under faculty supervision.
- In addition to the major rotations described above, fellows will also complete a minor, yearlong rotation in diversity, equity, and inclusion that will incorporate program development and/or outreach projects, didactic learning, guided reading, and discussion.
- Throughout their first year, fellows are expected to…
- Participate in the Graduate Medical Education curriculum, as needed
- Submit a project (e.g. findings from an archival study or project based on a faculty member’s active research, literature review, etc.) for presentation or publication.
- Outline an original research project, grant proposal, or outcome assessment to be carried out in the second year, ideally with findings from this project to be presented at a national or international meeting.
Year 2- Informed by their first-year experiences, fellows will complete a one-year major rotation working with their primary population of interest (i.e., children or adults).
- Pediatric Neuropsychology: Under faculty supervision.***
- Adult Rehabilitation Neuropsychology: Under faculty supervision, fellows will take on a role of emerging independence working in either (or both) the UPMC Adult Spina Bifida Clinic and/or the UPMC Mercy acute rehabilitation program for adults with acquired brain injury. Contingent on time spent in these activities, fellows will spend their remaining time taking on a similar role of emerging independence within the context of outpatient neuropsychological assessment—Typically no fewer than one evaluation per week. Opportunities for training in the delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy to adults with neurobehavioral conditions remain available to interested fellows in their second year of training.
- Fellows will also complete a one-year minor rotation in the specialty area opposite of their chosen major rotation.
- Throughout their second year, fellows are expected to...
- Participate in the Graduate Medical Education curriculum, as needed
- Continue the minor rotation in diversity, equity, and inclusion they initiated in their first year.
- Submit a project, ideally related to their first year research proposal, for presentation or publication.
Year 3- For fellows interested in a primarily academic career, an optional thir year may be available contingent on the availability of funding and a primary research mentor.
Required Seminars
Neuroanatomy Review Series (1h): – This series occurs weekly during the first six months of each fellowship training year (August-to-January). The focus of this six-month didactic block is on understanding the neuroanatomical foundations of modern clinical neuropsychology. Lectures are presented by a combination of department faculty and guest speakers. Fellows are expected to attend these lectures and to also present select lectures during both their first and second years of training.Behavioral Neuroscience Series (1h): – This lecture series replaces the Neuroanatomy Review Series during the second six months of the training year (February-to-July). Each year’s topics are chosen to provide relevant information about different neurocognitive and neurobehavioral disorders. Lectures are presented by a combination of department faculty and guest speakers. Fellows are expected to attend these lectures and to also present select lectures during both their first and second years of training.Neuropsychology Case Conference (1h):– Following completion of the Neuroanatomy Review or Behavioral Neuroscience Series, fellows participate in a case conference led by department faculty or a guest speaker. These meetings alternate between traditional case conference, where emphasis is placed on didactic teaching, and more interactive group-based fact findings. Fellows are expected to attend these case conference meetings and to also lead select conferences during both their first and second years of training.Professional Development Seminar (1h): – After Neuropsychology Case Conference, fellows participate in a weekly seminar focused on professional development issues relevant to the practice of clinical neuropsychology. Topics are generated, evaluated, and updated each year based on emerging issues, newly identified fellow needs, as well as the timeliness and relevance of a given topic. These seminars are led by a combination of department faculty and guest speakers. Fellows are, at a minimum, expected to present a mock job talk in their second year during one of these meetings to occasion supportive critique from and discussion with faculty.Coursework
Graduate Medical Education Curriculum: – Fellows are eligible to participate in research courses, wellness activities, professional development seminars, and support meetings offered by ACGME at UPMC and University of Pittsburgh, as needed.. All Fellows have opt-out confidential counseling offered free of charge.- Fellows will typically spend their first six months (August-to-January ) working with the developmental population (i.e., children or adults) with whom they have the most experience working with, followed by six months (February-to-July) working with the population with whom they have less experience.
- Clinical Activities
- Pediatric Neuropsychology: These clinical activities are supervised service delivery experiences that promote the development of expertise in clinical interviewing, case conceptualization, interprofessional and interagency communication, intervention planning and delivery, and neuropsychological testing, scoring, analysis, synthesis, conceptualization, evaluation report writing, and verbal communication of findings and recommendations to families and patients. These activities are completed by direct clinical service to patients ranging in age from infancy to approximately 26 years with known or suspected health conditions affecting the central nervous system. Other clinical activities include consultation with school personnel via virtual meetings and ***.Adult Rehabilitation Neuropsychology: These clinical activities are supervised service delivery experiences that promote the development of expertise in clinical interviewing, case conceptualization, interprofessional and interagency communication, intervention planning and delivery, and neuropsychological testing, scoring, analysis, synthesis, conceptualization, evaluation report writing, and verbal communication of findings and recommendations to patients and families. These activities are completed by direct clinical service to patients typically ranging in age from 16 years through older adulthood with known or suspected neurobehavioral or neurocognitive conditions. Other clinical activities include neuropsychological evaluation and management services in the acute, rehabilitation setting, evidence-based psychotherapy (e.g., acceptance-and-commitment therapy) for adults with neurobehavioral conditions, participation in interdisciplinary team meetings, and co-treatment with professionals from other healthcare disciplines.Major Rotations: Pediatric Neuropsychology (outpatient) and Adult Rehabilitation Neuropsychology (inpatient and outpatient)
Pediatric Elective Rotations:- Acquired Brain Injury Clinic
- Cardiac Neurodevelopment Care Program
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clinics
- Epilepsy Surgery Clinic (including WADA testing)
- Hematology/Oncology Clinic
- Acute, inpatient rehabilitation (2nd year only)
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinic
- Sickle Cell Clinic
Adult Elective Rotations: Fellows completing major rotations in Adult Rehabilitation Neuropsychology can elect to complete a combination of outpatient neuropsychological assessment, outpatient evidence-based psychotherapy, participation in the UPMC Adult Spina Bifida Clinic, and bedside neuropsychological evaluation and management of adults with acquired brain injury participating in acute, inpatient rehabilitation—Fellows completing a minor rotation will be expected to engage in outpatient neuropsychological assessment services, in addition to one other clinical activity from the list above. - Research Activities
Fellows are expected to devote 10-to-20% of their time to research-related activities, leveraging the robust research infrastructure within PM&R at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including completion of an archival research project or engagement with active faculty-led research. For fellows with exceptionally strong clinical training backgrounds, who are also interested in pursuing research-oriented academic careers, there is flexibility to increase protected research time beyond the 10-to-20% allocation listed above. Fellows who elect to pursue this must have a dedicated and coherent interest in academic medicine. These fellows will be required to identify a primary research mentor or team of mentors, with whom they meet regularly throughout the duration of their fellowship training.