Clinical Neuropsychology Program Description
Barrow’s Postdoctoral Residency Program in Clinical Neuropsychology is a two-year fellowship program requiring clinical teaching and research activities typically requiring a 50-hour work week.
Residents in clinical neuropsychology are involved in direct patient care in several settings that may include:
- Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Unit
- Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
- Outpatient Neuropsychological Consultation Service
- Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center
- Center for Transitional Neurorehabilitation
- Inpatient Neuropsychological Consultation Service
- Children’s Center for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
In addition, Barrow offers a growing number of clinic services within the hospital, including those pertaining to Movement Disorders, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, and Hypothalamic Hamartoma. The Section of Clinical Neuropsychology also participates in a number of ongoing clinical research trials. The residency application deadline is January 4, 2013.
Training Objectives
It is imperative that the trainee’s experience demonstrate that they can carry out the necessary assessment activities in order to qualify for various clinical neuropsychology job positions. Core to the work of clinical neuropsychology is the ability to conduct neuropsychological assessments of a wide variety of patients (e.g., those with TBI, CVA, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, malignant and non-malignant brain tumors). Successful completion of either track offered at Barrow would meet this training objective.
Psychologists who finish residency programs typically seek state licensure and hospital privileges. Those agencies request from the Director of the Postdoctoral Residency Program a statement about whether or not the individual is competent to carry out various services in order to obtain privileges.
Clinical Neuropsychology Program Tracks
Track 1: General Clinical Neuropsychology
Individuals who seek training in general clinical neuropsychology obtain extensive clinical supervision in the neuropsychological evaluation of a wide range of patients at different age ranges. This track includes supervised training in appropriate record review, clinical interviewing, administration of neuropsychological tests, and report writing. Residents also receive training in providing feedback to the patient regarding their findings in a manner that is clinically sensitive and helpful to patients and their families.
Within the context of this track, individuals spend the majority of their training time on the Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Unit, the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, and the Outpatient Neuropsychological Consultation Service. The Movement Disorders rotation is also available for residents on this track. A key component to training programs is supervision by multiple clinical neuropsychologists who have varying degrees of experience with different patient populations. The goal is to expose the resident to a wide variety of neurological and neurosurgical disorders and to familiarize them with the most meaningful way of assessing these patients. In doing so, the resident learns to convert that assessment information into practical healthcare decisions for the patient. This track also requires extensive training in communicating with physicians in a manner that clarifies our neuropsychological understanding of the patient.
As a part of this training program, residents may receive supervision in individual psychotherapy and cognitive retraining for selected patients. Residents in this track are given opportunities to participate in a wide variety of clinical research projects.
Track 2: Neurorehabilitation with a specialty in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
The second track of training focuses on neurorehabilitation with a specialty in neuropsychological rehabilitation. Individuals who seek this training path frequently plan a career in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. They receive extensive training in the assessment of cognitive and personality disorders of brain-dysfunctional patients who are in acute and post-acute rehabilitation programs. Their primary focus is on learning methods of neuropsychological rehabilitation intervention to help patients become independent and return to a productive lifestyle.
This track helps train clinical neuropsychologists to work within the context of an interdisciplinary team and to develop a positive working alliance with family members as well as the patient. Individuals who seek this track receive extensive training at the Center for Transitional Neurorehabilitation (CTN) and the Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Unit. They also obtain some experience in cases of differential diagnosis through the Outpatient Consultation Service. In addition, residents participate in research projects related to neurorehabilitation.
Didactics
All residents participate in four major teaching activities within the Section of Clinical Neuropsychology.
- Residents’ Seminar
- Neuroanatomy/Neuroimaging Seminar
- General Neurology and Neurosurgical Grand Rounds Conference
- Fact Finding Seminar
In addition, residents will participate in a journal club and in a series of talks on professional development. Other available teaching conferences will be negotiated with each resident (e.g., EMU Conference, Neurophysiology Conference, Brain Cutting, Neurovascular Conference, and Tumor Board).
Research
Each resident is expected to produce one scholarly paper or poster for each year of his or her residency. The paper may be either theoretical or empirical, depending on the background and interest of the resident. All residents will have an opportunity to observe neurosurgery, participate in case conferences, and test selected patients before and after neurosurgery.
In addition to these clinical work settings, many of the attending faculty are involved in ongoing research projects and are open to student involvement in those projects. Opportunities for the development of other research projects are also present. Previous residents have submitted grant proposals and presented at national conferences related to their work within the residency program.
Standards and Accreditation
The Clinical Neuropsychology Program is officially recognized as meeting all standards of the APPCN. This residency site agrees to abide by the APPCN policy that no person at this facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any residency applicant.
Contact
George P. Prigatano, Ph.D., ABPP
Newsome Chair of Clinical Neuropsychology
Director of Postdoctoral Residency Program
Barrow Neurological Institute
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
222 W. Thomas Road, Suite 315
Phoenix, Arizona 85013
602-406-3671
