Neuropsychology Residency Program

Application Process

The Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Residency Program at Barrow Neurological Institute participates in the Association for Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN) match (note that the general and neuropsychological rehabilitation tracks have separate identification codes).

Individuals who are considered appropriate candidates for this residency program must have obtained a doctorate degree in clinical psychology or clinical neuropsychology from an APA or CPA-accredited program, as well as an APA or CPA-accredited clinical internship. Applications from individuals whose training programs are not accredited at the time of application will not be reviewed. Because this is a postdoctoral program, we also do not accept applications from people who are ABD (all but dissertation) candidates at the time the fellowship begins. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must have unrestricted authorization to work in the U.S. for the full two-year residency program before their application can be accepted. Applicants must confirm their citizenship/visa status in their letter of interest.

Please send a letter outlining your interests and track(s) you are applying to, statement of citizen or visa status, background experience, training goals, and the opportunities you seek during your postdoctoral residency (along with a current curriculum vitae, unofficial transcript of all graduate work, and the APPCN Verification of Completion of Doctorate form) to the director of the postdoctoral residency program by December 6, 2024. Three letters of recommendation should also be submitted. Application materials may be sent electronically or by mail.

Applicants will be notified by early January 2025 if they will be invited for an interview. All interviews will be conducted remotely this year via Zoom. The general track interviews will occur on January 17 and January 24, 2025. Interviews for the rehabilitation track will begin the second week of January 2025.

Residents selected for training will be notified on the date designated by the APPCN. Please note that if information were to come to light after the match that would have precluded us from selecting you as a candidate, we reserve the right to withdraw our offer.

Application materials can be sent to:

Krista Hanson, PhD, ABPP-CN
Neuropsychology Training Director
Barrow Neurological Institute
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
222 West Thomas Road, Suite 315
Phoenix, Arizona 85013
BNINeuropsychologyResidency@CommonSpirit.org

Important Dates

• Applications due: December 6, 2024
• Interview notifications sent: Early January 2025
• Interviews (neuropsychological rehabilitation track): Beginning the second week of January 2025
• Interviews (general track): January 17 and January 24, 2025

Benefits and Pay: Neuropsychology Residency

All postdoctoral residents in clinical neuropsychology are employees of Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and affiliated with Barrow Neurological Institute.  Compensation and benefits for postdoctoral residents are commensurate with their education and training.

A recent survey reflecting the salary levels of postdoctoral neuropsychologists undergoing such residency training reveals that our level of compensation is considerably above the mean for the United States. The first year salary is $54,840 per annum, and the second year salary is $55,224, which is competitive compared to other residency programs.

In addition, as hospital employees, residents are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package tailored to individuals’ circumstances which may include medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, other options for life and disability insurance, and health savings and dependent care accounts.

Stipends are available (pending approval by the department chair) for presentation of completed Barrow research projects at professional or scientific meetings.

The Neuropsychology Outpatient Clinic occupies the majority of the third floor (10,327 square feet) of the 222 West Thomas Road outpatient building on the Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center campus. The Clinic’s modern facilities have been recently renovated and consist of 32 offices, testing rooms, conference rooms, file rooms, a break room, and a spacious patient waiting area.

The Neuropsychology Rehabilitation Center is part of a 46-bed, inpatient rehabilitation unit located on the second floor of the 240 West Thomas Road building directly adjacent to the main hospital buildings. The Center for Transitional Neuro-Rehabilitation occupies the entire fourth floor of the 222 West Thomas Road building, just above the Neuropsychology Outpatient Clinic. 

Neuropsychology Program Tracks

Structure

The Postdoctoral Residency Program in Clinical Neuropsychology at Barrow Neurological Institute is a 2-year APA-accredited fellowship program requiring clinical, teaching, and research activities. Residents in clinical neuropsychology are involved in direct patient care in several settings and the program has two tracks: General and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation.

Tracks

The general track residents spend six months in each of the four rotations over the course of the 2-year program, (in the general outpatient neuropsychology clinic and clinical neuroscience/research rotations in Year 1 and in the epilepsy and geriatric/movement disorders rotations in Year 2). The clinical neuroscience/research rotation in Year 1 consists of three months training on the inpatient neuro-rehabilitation center, two months on neurology/neurosurgery, and one month of dedicated research time, (this research time is in addition to a half day of protected research time per week throughout the entire program). Neuropsychological rehabilitation track residents spend their entire first year at the Center for Transitional Neuro-Rehabilitation (CTN), which is a holistic milieu-oriented outpatient center, and their second year rotating for six months in each of the general and rehabilitation divisions of the department.

Track 1: General Clinical Neuropsychology

This track includes supervised training in appropriate record review, clinical interviewing, administration of neuropsychological tests, treatment planning, and report writing. Residents also receive training in providing feedback to patients regarding clinical findings in a manner that is clinically-sensitive and helpful to patients and their families. Residents will also develop practical, empirically supported treatment recommendations.

Within this track, residents spend their training time equally in each of four divisions (6 months each rotation):

• General Outpatient
• Geriatric and Movement Disorders
• Neuro-Rehabilitation, Neurology/Neurosurgery, and Research
• Epilepsy

Our goal is to expose residents to a wide variety of neurological and neurosurgical disorders. This will prepare them to assess this challenging clinical segment and devise practical and meaningful treatment programs or recommendations.

Track 2: Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

The neuro-rehabilitation with a specialty in neuropsychological rehabilitation track is designed for those seeking a career in the field of brain injury rehabilitation. Residents in this program receive extensive training in the assessment of cognitive and personality disorders in brain-dysfunctional patients who are in acute and post-acute rehabilitation programs. The primary focus of residents in this track is on learning methods of neuropsychological rehabilitation intervention to help patients become independent in the home and community and return to a productive lifestyle in the community.

This track helps train clinical neuropsychologists to work within the context of an interdisciplinary team and to develop a positive working alliance with the patient as well as family members. Residents work with both neuropsychologists and rehabilitation psychologists and engage in transdisciplinary exposure to rehabilitation medicine, speech, occupational and physical therapies as well as recreational therapy, nutrition, psychiatry, and social work. Residents in this track receive extensive outpatient and inpatient training at the Center for Transitional Neuro-Rehabilitation (Year 1) and in the Inpatient Neuro-Rehabilitation Center (six months during Year 2) at Barrow. They have the opportunity to participate in the BRIDGE program, an optional component of the NRC rotation, which is a comprehensive outpatient partial-day treatment program for patients with traumatic or other acquired brain injuries. Residents assisting with this service will be involved in providing weekly psychotherapy, co-leading weekly psychotherapy group(s), guiding team members from other disciplines (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, rehabilitation medicine) in best approaches to optimize patient engagement, and providing periodic educational outreach in the community about acquired brain injuries. They also complete a rotation in general outpatient neuropsychology (six months during Year 2).

Neuropsychology Teaching Rounds and Conferences

The Neuropsychology Residency Program at Barrow Neurological Institute holds a variety of teaching rounds and conferences on a weekly and monthly basis. These are designed to intellectually stimulate and challenge residents and prepare them for scenarios and issues they will face as practicing clinical neuropsychologists and rehabilitation neuropsychologists.

Barrow Neuropsychologists review a case.

• Resident Seminar: Meets every Friday for one hour. Led by Dr. Hanson. Attendance is mandatory for all residents.
• Neuroimaging and Neuroanatomy Seminar: Meets every-other Friday for one hour. Led by Drs. Eagan, Hanson, and McCuddy. Attendance is mandatory for all residents.
• Professional Issues Seminar: Meets every-other Friday for one hour. Led by Drs. Meites and Schneider. Attendance is mandatory for all residents.
• Board Certification Seminar: Meets every-other Friday for one hour. Led by Drs. Schultz and Tröster. Attendance is mandatory for all residents.
• Neuroscience Grand Rounds: Conducted every Friday for one hour. Lectures are given by Barrow faculty or guest faculty on a wide variety of topics in neuroscience. Attendance at relevant lectures is mandatory for all residents.
• Journal Club: Meets every-other Friday for one hour. Led by residents. Attendance is mandatory for all residents.
• Inpatient Neuro-Rehabilitation Rounds: Conducted every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning for one and one half-hours. Led by Drs. Linke, Lopez, and Dicks. Attendance is required for all residents on a neuro-rehabilitation rotation.
• CTN Rounds: Conducted Monday-Thursday morning for approximately one hour. Led by Dr. Klonoff. Attendance is required for all residents on the CTN rotation.
• BRIDGE Rounds: Conducted on select days during the week. Led by BRIDGE team. Attendance is required for all residents on the BRIDGE rotation
• Epilepsy Case Conference: Meets every Wednesday afternoon for one hour. Neuropsychology faculty leader is Dr. Schultz. Neurology faculty leader is Dr. Susan Herman. Attendance is mandatory for any resident on epilepsy rotation and optional for all others.
• Movement Disorder Surgery Case Conference: Meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month for one hour. Led by Drs.Tröster and Hanson as well as by Dr. Shill from the Department of Neurology. Attendance is required for all residents on a geriatric and movement disorders rotation and optional for all others.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: Meets once a month for one hour on Friday. Led by Drs. Eagan and O’Connor. Attendance is optional.
• Neuro-Rehabilitation Grand Rounds: Meets quarterly for one hour. Lectures are given by Barrow faculty or guest faculty on a variety of topics in neuro-rehabilitation. Attendance is required for all residents on a neuro-rehabilitation rotation.