Post Doctoral Fellow
(Male, Age 32) from Natick, MA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 32 who works as a Post Doctoral Fellow in Natick, MA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Post Doctoral Fellow |
|---|---|
| Salary | $32,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Natick, MA |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work in a group private practice clinic that provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for school-age children and adolescents. Our office is located just west of Boston, MA. Our staff consists of seven neuropsychologists, who are supported by several clinical trainees and administrative professionals.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I administer, score, and interpret (under supervision) comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries. I then compile all results, impressions, and recommendations for future intervention into a highly detailed reports that respond to specific referral questions for each patient.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
401K, subsidized health insurance, 4 weeks vacation
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
undercompensated – however, pay conforms to industry standards
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I do work with others on a daily basis. I enjoy working closely with children and their parents to provide quality assessments that meet their needs. Frequent consultation and supervision with other clinicians also helps to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of my work.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 5
Benefits: 7
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 3
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 4
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | I arrived at work at approximately 8 AM. I checked my schedule for the day and noted any changes. |
| 8am to 9am | I began work on revising a report on which I had received feedback from a supervisor. I reviewed a new patient file prior to a scheduled intake meeting at 9 AM. |
| 9am to 10am | From 9-9:45 AM, I attended an intake meeting with a new patient and both parents. I obtained a detailed clinical history and noted parent concerns to be addressed during the evaluation. I then provided an overview of the testing process to the patient and parents, before scheduling further sessions to complete testing and provide feedback to them. |
| 10am to 11am | I completed my revision of the report draft mentioned above. I collected necessary test materials to complete a testing session with a patient scheduled for an 11 AM appointment. |
| 11am to 12pm | From 11 AM to 1 PM. I completed an initial testing session with a patient. Testing included administering standardized measures of cognitive function, academic achievement, motor skills, language processing, and memory. While administering the above measures, I took detailed notes on the patient’s test-taking behavior, mood, and appearance. During breaks in testing, I consulted with my supervisor about my initial impressions and necessary modifications to the testing process. |
| 12pm to 1pm | See above. |
| 1pm to 2pm | I ate lunch from 1-1:30 PM. At 1:30, I began to score the tests that I administered during the testing session described above. Scoring involved making simple mathematical calculations, comparing test results with established test norms, generating score tables to include in the final test report, and using computer-based scoring programs to generate preliminary reports and record data. Scoring continued until approximately 2:30. |
| 2pm to 3pm | From 2:30-3, I reviewed previous test results and documentation in the file of a patient scheduled to complete a final testing session from 3-5 PM. From my review, I generated a list of appropriate tests that would be necessary to assess the patient’s clinical concerns. |
| 3pm to 4pm | From 3-5 PM, I met with a patient and conducted the remaining tests that were required to complete the full evaluation. Specific measures were designed to assess emotional functioning, organizational and problem-solving skills, and memory. During testing, I took additional notes on the patient’s test-taking behavior to include in the final report. Supervision and consultation took place during testing breaks and for 15 minutes after the conclusion of the test setting. |
| 4pm to 5pm | See above. |
| 5pm to 6pm | I spent approximately 45 minutes scoring test data that was obtained during the testing session completed this afternoon. I left the office for the day at approximately 6 PM. |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
My job was announced on a professional listserv posting.
What was the application process?
I submitted my resume, two work samples, and three professional references.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I interviewed for my current job. The interview process entailed one two-hour interview session that was split between two one-to-one conversations with senior clinicians.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Why are you interested in working in a private practice setting? What do you particularly like about administering tests (vs other clinical services such as psychotherapy)? Which tests have you administered and which would you like more supervision to learn?
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. The duties I have been asked to perform correspond closely to those described during the interview process.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No – all training was on-the-job.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I am well-qualified and academically prepared to meet the responsibilities of my job.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes. My internship provided me with quality training in assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with a wide range of psychological concerns.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
My position requires a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or a closely related field. Experience with conducting psychological testing with children and adolescents is also highly desirable.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Strong organizational skills are necessary to manage multiple cases and assignments at one time, keep up with a constantly-changing schedule of client appointments, and construct detailed yet well-structured reports. Well-developed interpersonal skills are essential to formulate accurate observations of testing behavior and provide effective feedback to parents and/or school staff.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes – doctoral degree in psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.)
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Good communication between evaluators, and with other staff, is essential to provide useful and timely reports to patients and parents. Attention to detail is also very important, as a small error or oversight can significantly change the conclusions and recommendations drawn from the test data.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. Licensure as a psychologist in my state requires at least one year of supervised post-doctoral experience.
What are your current career goals?
After obtaining professional licensure, I would like to be employed in an outpatient hospital setting as a professional pediatric neuropsychologist. Following 5-10 further years of clinical work, I would like to open my own private practice and devote more time to training new clinicians.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
I think that the information provided above comprises a nice overview of my current job. Please feel free to contact me with further questions.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Intern | 1 year | 18000 | Psychology intern in an APA-accredited training program. I conducted therapy and testing with children, adolescents, and a few adults with a wide range of presenting problems. In addition, I provided training seminars and regular consultation to other mental health professionals and medical residents. I completed rotations in a medical setting, a rural high school, and an outpatient mental health clinic. |
| Prior Job 2 | Clinical Trainee | 1 year | 24000 | Part-time position conducting applied clinical research and providing supervised psychotherapy services to child and adolescent patients and their families. Services were provided in an outpatient university-based psychiatry clinic. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.5
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3 | Southwestern University | BA – Psychology |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.8 | PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium | Psy.D. |
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