Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is seeking a Pediatric Neuropsychology Fellow to provide neuropsychological assessments for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult oncology, hematology, and transplant patients during treatment and into survivorship through the Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics. Experiences are designed to meet INS, APA Division 40, and Houston Conference postdoctoral training guidelines.
Overview description of the fellowship or residency
Clinical: The fellow will receive training in all aspects of clinical neuropsychology. This includes training on the selection of assessment measures, interpretation of the data, and writing of tailored, comprehensive reports. The fellow will also work directly with patients and their families to provide feedback, recommendations, and novel interventions aimed to enhance and improve their overall level of functioning – both in and out of the classroom. Referrals are received from a wide range of disease teams, including Pediatric Neuro Oncology, Long Term Follow Up, Leukemia/Lymphoma, Psychology, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Sarcoma. Our program collaborates closely with medical providers and pediatric fellows from these teams. The fellow will receive extensive training in understanding the cognitive late effects of various forms of cancers and their treatments (i.e., surgery, irradiation, chemotherapies, biologic treatments) throughout pediatric development. In addition, our program provides neuropsychological services for a demographically diverse patient population.
Research
The Fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology also involves collaboration on current clinical research studies that seek to improve cognitive outcomes and quality of life for survivors of childhood cancer. The fellow will assist with data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation. The fellow will publish research findings in peer reviewed journals and present at national or international conference(s). In addition, the fellow will present on their research at the MSKCC Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences’ Mid-Year Fellows’ Symposium and End of the Year Fellows’ Symposium.
Didactics
The Pediatric Neuropsychology Fellow will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of didactics, grand rounds, and conferences focused on both clinical and research training. A neuropsychology didactic seminar is held for neuropsychology trainees from MSKCC and Weill Cornell Medicine covering a broad range of topics related to neuroscience and neuropsychology. Topics include neuroanatomy, neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders, mock fact-finding exercises, and journal clubs. There is also a monthly pediatric neuropsychology journal club for neuropsychology trainees at MSKCC. Other available clinical didactics include: Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences fellows training seminars and Grand Rounds, Pediatrics fellows training seminars and Grand Rounds, weekly disease team meetings, Neuro Oncology Tumor Board, Neuro Pathology Boards, and Neuro Radiology seminars. Available research didactics include: Fellows’ Research Forum, Grant Writing Seminar, Psycho-Oncology Journal Club, Quantitative Methods Seminar, and Qualitative Methods Seminar.
Deadline for application / Recruitment dates
December 31, 2021
Length of program
One year with option for second year
Eligibility
Completion of a PhD or PsyD in an APA- or CPA-accredited clinical or school psychology program and a clinical psychology internship from an APA- or CPA-accredited program. Experience in neuropsychological evaluation of pediatric and adolescent patients. The fellowship is expected to begin in July or August 2022 and continue for a period of two years. Those with later internship graduation dates can be accommodated with a September 2022 start date.
Number of positions
One
How to apply
Applicants should submit a cover letter, current CV, two letters of recommendation, and two written reports without identifying information to Dr. Stephen Sands at sandss@mskcc.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews will be held in-person or remotely and will be scheduled for December 2021.
