Psychology Residency Program
"Class of 2007"
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The Augusta, Georgia VA Medical Center (VAMC) and the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) formed a Psychology Residency Consortium in 1982 that has been fully accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1983.* The MCG-VAMC consortium combines the full resources of both institutions to create a training program with exceptional breath and depth that is focused on clinical psychology in interdisciplinary health care settings. Integral to all rotations and track experiences are joint educational and clinical service activities with interdisciplinary health care professionals that may include primary care physicians, psychiatrists and other physician specialists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and other allied health professionals. Through our Residency training, Residents gain the knowledge and confidence to treat a broad range of psychopathology, to function effectively within interdisciplinary clinical teams in medical settings, and be a valued consultant to physicians in various specialties. Residents also have access to a wide range of specialty training options that allow Residents to individualize their training experience.
The program begins in early July and carries an annual stipend of $22,898. We currently fund six Residents.
The MCG-VAMC Consortium-Psychology represents a truly collaborative effort in regard to federal and local institutional support in achieving the training objectives. Given the breadth and complexity of the training objectives it is not surprising that a total of 53 faculty/staff are needed and contributed to the enterprise with the average faculty time contribution being 5.8% (13 faculty contribute 10% or more of their time to the consortium training efforts). We have 23-core faculty who are very active in daily training and 26 affiliated faculty (17 M.D.s, one P.A., two R.N.s, and 6 Ph.D.s) who have less active roles. Although psychology faculty members apply a wide range of theoretical orientations in their clinical work and teaching, about half emphasize cognitive-behavioral approaches. All faculty are committed to treatments based on scientifically sound empirical foundations. Core faculty are readily available for supervision.
Our hospitals and clinics are large regional treatment and training centers with more than 800 combined in-patient beds and a multitude of specialty treatment programs and clinics. They are relatively new, well-equipped facilities with adequate space and provisions for Residents. Medical charts are fully paperless at the VA and at MCG. Both facilities offer excellent on-line access to research and clinical information.
The 12-month training year is divided into three four-month rotations, each designed to expose There are two rotations required of all Residents: (1) The General Practice Rotation – located primarily at the Uptown VA, and (2) the Medical Psychology General Practice Rotation – located at the Downtown VA and MCG sites. Then there is Track Rotation and weekly track days (Wednesdays) that are devoted to specialty training. Residents select one specialty training track in which the training will occur during a 4-month rotation and each Wednesday of the week (for the entire year). When applying via APPIC, Residents will see and select from four Track choices:
- Health Behavior Track
- Child and Family Track
- Medical Psychology HIV/AIDS Track
- Psychology of Women Track
Once accepted, Residents who applied for the Health Behavior Track will have the opportunity to specialize further within this Track by selecting one of three subspecialties:
Health Behavior Track subspecialties:
- Chronic Pain, Neuropsychology and Spinal Cord Injury
- Trauma/PTSD
- PTSD/Women’s Issues
In addition to three rotations, Residents attend three year-long didactic seminars, weekly Grand Rounds presentations, and selected day-long clinical workshops. Thursday afternoons are reserved for dissertation work and other research activities.
Residents receive frequent performance feedback in supervision that is intended to be helpful and growth promoting. We take seriously our role as teachers and facilitators of your professional development. All formal evaluations use objective, competence-based criteria.
At the completion of the Residency, Residents will have accumulated the hours of clinical time required for pre-doctoral training and for licensure.
Only applicants from APA approved doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology that require data-based doctoral dissertations will be considered. Residents are expected to have completed at least three years of doctoral study with a minimum of 1200 practicum hours before entering our residency. Applicants must have completed their Masters Degree requirements (or program equivalent) prior to the application deadline (if applicable in their doctoral program), must have Comprehensive Exams passed by the ranking deadline, and must have their Dissertation Proposal approved by the start of the residency.
* For any additional information regarding the accreditation status of the consortium contact the American Psychological Association, Office of Program and Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 (Phone 202-336-5979).