Universal Psychology Postdoctoral Directory

Elements of quality clinically focused postdoctoral training

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine offers a two-year postdoctoral fellowship training program in clinical neuropsychology. In accordance with Houston Conference guidelines (Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 1998, 13, 160-166), fellows receive intensive residency training in the science and practice of clinical neuropsychology, including opportunities for assessment, research, treatment and teaching. Fellows are expected to be eligible for ABPP board certification in clinical neuropsychology by the completion of their postdoctoral training. 

Applicants are asked to indicate their preference for one of the clinical training tracks described below. Training tracks are defined by a major rotation which forms the primary focus of the fellow’s postdoctoral training experience. To ensure the breadth of clinical training experience, fellows also participate in two secondary rotations throughout the course of their training. 

The secondary rotations include: 

• Conducting comprehensive outpatient neuropsychological evaluations for a wide variety of referral questions and conditions including neurologic, neurodegenerative, transplant, neoplastic, cerebrovascular, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental syndromes 

• Cross-training between the Medical/CL and Neurosurgical Neuropsychology tracks 

Provided sufficient time and resources, other available training experiences may include: 

• Seeing geriatric cases as part of the Neurobehavior and Memory Clinic at the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease 
• Forensic Neuropsychology experience as part of the Division of Psychiatry and the Law 

• The major rotation for this track is housed within the consultation-liaison neuropsychology service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. As part of this rotation, the fellow receives extensive training in neuropsychological sequelae of acute medical illness and clinical experience in the bedside assessment and treatment of inpatients admitted for a variety of neurologic, neoplastic, cardiovascular, toxic/metabolic, psychiatric and developmental disorders, traumatic brain injuries and systemic conditions with mental status changes. As part of a multidisciplinary care team, the fellow acts as a consultant-liaison between the patient, their family, the primary care team, other consultants and allied health professionals. Caseload is variable, ranging from two to eight patients per week. Supervision of graduate-level practicum externs is also a potential experience within this track. 

• The major rotation for this track is shared between the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neurological Surgery. The clinical population is patients undergoing neurosurgical intervention primarily for brain tumors, and more rarely for epilepsy or cerebrovascular conditions. The fellow conducts pre- and post-surgical neuropsychological assessments and participates in intraoperative cortical mapping during awake craniotomies. Typical caseload is two to four outpatients per week plus four hours in the operating room. Neuropsychological evaluations are typically conducted in the outpatient clinic, though occasionally are seen inpatient. 

• Northwestern Medicine and the Feinberg School of Medicine offer a rich spectrum of educational and academic activities, including grand rounds, journal club, case conferences, seminar series in behavioral and clinical neuroscience, monthly seminars highlighting ongoing research, professional development series and more. 
• Fellows have opportunities for classroom teaching within the clinical psychology PhD program and the medical school, and for clinical supervision of graduate-level clinical psychology externs and psychiatry residents. 
• Fellows are expected to actively participate in supervised research with one or more of the program faculty members (see below for a description of faculty research interests). 

• Qualified applicants will have successfully completed a PhD in clinical psychology, including a one-year APA/CPA-approved internship with concentration in neuropsychology. Preference will be given to applicants with a strong theoretical foundation in neuropsychological assessment and functional neuroanatomy, and research experience including publications and conference presentations.