Surviving Match: Personal Stories

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Susan Vaught

Like many students, I found the APPIC process daunting, but worth it in the end. I experienced an early elation at receiving interviews. I am a returning adult pursuing a second career, and I was unsure how that might play out in the eyes of those reviewing my applications. I am quite sure there have been older graduate students, but I encountered only younger applicants during my interviews. I have more life and work experience than my younger counterparts, but this does not always seem to compete with the solid accomplishments that many of my counterparts had already made very early in their careers.

 

I found that the APPIC process caused me to look at the lingering doubt I had in myself being able to finish my doctoral program. I was excited that I received the interviews, but also dismayed by fellow students in my program who I felt were just as qualified as myself receiving none. I felt like I knew even less about what to expect on interviews if students who I thought were well qualified had not received interviews.

 

The logistics of what I was about to embark on quickly became a reality. I found a phone app that helped me organize travel itineraries and hoped for the best with the January weather. There were several hitches along the way, but the worst actually happened traveling to my WKPIC interview. I was delayed in Chicago due to poor weather conditions and had missed an interview. I was placed on another flight and thought I was underway until there was a loud thump as the plane backed up. The plane began moving back toward the gate and that was when the entire plane of delayed and tired passengers let out a collective groan. We soon found out that our plane had backed up into a truck, and once it was determined that no one was hurt, jokes and laughter abounded. The accident was actually considered a plane crash and we all remained on the flight until an investigator dismissed us. I pretty much stepped off my flight from Chicago to Nashville, into my rental car and drove to Hopkinsville (thank you GPS). I had already called WKPIC while sitting on my “crashed” plane to alert the interviewers I might be running a bit late.

 

I of course made it to my interview and was even on time within 5 minutes. I had taken the idea of finding a good fit to heart, and at this point tried to interview sites as well as having them interview me. I feel like one of my stronger interviews was at WKPIC because in part, I was literally too tired to be anxious. I was drawn to WKPIC because they treated applicants so well during the interview process. One of the psychologists complimented me on an answer to an interview question. I actually still carry that compliment with me. Current interns smile and laugh that WKPIC definitely fed us better than other sites. I noticed a group of psychologists who seemed to enjoy being with one another. I saw a culture of acknowledgement, dignity and respect during my interview. My thought during ranking was that if I was acknowledged and respected in an interview, this was likely part of the culture at WKPIC. I have certainly found that culture to hold true as an intern.

 

Rain Blohm, MS
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

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Living with Mental Wellness

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Susan Vaught

I have a group about living with mental illness on Wednesdays, and as a group, we decided to rename it to “Living with Mental Wellness.”  One of the things we discussed was taking the power away from our mental illnesses.  In the beginning, before, during, and right after diagnosis, mental illness can hijack our very existence.  We are basically just existing.  It is a routine of doctors’ visits, runs to the pharmacy, therapy, victories, and failures…lots of failures.

 

Once the medicine is balanced and a person is satisfied with his or her doctor, what comes next?  A person has been going to therapy a while, the medicine seems to be working, and overall, he or she is doing much better.  There are only so many hours a person can watch television without falling back into depression.  What was once time spent struggling to be healthy, is now a bunch of empty time, and the individual has no idea what to do, except isolate.

 

There comes a time, however, when it is possible to find that one thing that releases us.  To one man in the group, it was his grandson.  After his grandson was born, he found he had a reason to work harder toward making healthy choices.  Others in the group didn’t share exactly what their one thing was.  Maybe they didn’t have one yet.   It doesn’t have to be a person.  It doesn’t have to be a job.  It can be a pet.  It can be volunteering for a non-profit organization.  It could just be something like singing in the church choir.  If a person living with a mental illness can find something to fill all the square footage in their lives that the mental illness used to rent space in, changes can happen.

 

Rebecca Coursey, KPS
Peer Support Specialist

 

 

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Surviving Match: Personal Stories

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Susan Vaught

 

 

While reflecting back on the internship match process, a lot of mixed emotions surfaced like anger, anxiety, sadness, acceptance, and elation. Sounds a lot like the five stages of grief because that is exactly what it felt like, being rejected the first time.

 

Not getting matched is the worst imaginable outcome for any psychology student. “The Match” is a horrible process to go through once and the idea of going through it twice is daunting. So much time is spent planning, writing, reviewing, redrafting, and rewriting essays. Then after spending weeks or months of selecting the ultimate internship list you have enough hope to charge your credit card over and over and over again. Hoping and waiting to hear back from the sites you are really interested in for internship. But one by one they slip through your fingers. Self-doubt and negativity begin to set in. You start to question your competency and think about what you could have done differently. Unfortunately, after going through all the rounds of the match process it began to set in that I will have to reapply for next year.

 

Goodness of fit was my most important factor for selecting the right internship. It was difficult to imagine selecting an internship that would cause me misery for one year. There were some sites I interviewed at the first time and did not even rank them because I knew it was not a good fit for my style of learning or career goals. The idea of waiting another year was devastating. It felt like I was being left behind while friends moved on with their careers and I was just stuck. It was embarrassing to tell people that I did not match and I wanted to forget it even happened.  Then it hit me that in only a few months the process begins again. There was little time to sulk and mentally process what just happened. My advice for all future applicants is to be prepared and feel confident to not rank less than ideal sites even if that means waiting another year. It was worth the wait for me!

 

To prepare for attempt No. 2, I asked my friends’ internship directors to review my essays and CV for feedback. I examined clinical areas to improve and gain further experience.  A lot of time was spent talking with my previous practicum supervisors for emotional support and keep them updated with my progress of reapplying for internship. Not only was I relying on others for support but I was also engaging in a lot of positive self-talk. Time was spent reminding myself that students go through this process two or even three times and they still become successful psychologists. I had to keep pushing myself forward and have a positive outlook on my future. It took me a while, but I realized waiting one more year was not the end of the world.

 

Before I knew it, the next round of coordinating flights, hotels, car rentals, and hoping to avoid disastrous weather began. When scheduling flights I made sure to avoid certain airports that are notorious for delays during bad winter weather (I’m looking at you Chicago). Due to scheduling conflicts, I had to decide which internship sites to decline their invitation to interview. Luckily some of the interviews were in December or spaced a week apart in January. However, during my most busy week, I had three interviews in four days.

 

For the first interview, I flew into a major city then drove three hours to a very small town during an ice storm. After the interview was over I hopped in the car and drove across the state to my second interview for the next day. As a note, while you fly and drive to interviews the only food you really eat is unhealthy fast food especially if you are in small towns. It was nice that this second interview site took the applicants out to a restaurant for lunch. I made sure to order the healthiest item on the menu and man was that not the best tasting broccoli I have ever had! After the second interview, I had to wake up the next morning at 3:00am to catch a flight because my next interview was in the afternoon that same day. I needed to walk off the plane and be prepared for the interview because there was no time to check into a hotel and get ready. If my flight was delayed or if there was an accident on the highway then I would have likely been late for the interview. Everything had to be timed perfectly. When I reached my final interview I was actually in a lot of physical pain. The back of my legs were sore from sitting in Planes, Interviews, and Automobiles. It was painful to sit so I stood and stretched while waiting to be interviewed. After a physically and emotionally draining week it was finally over.

 

Some consider ranking the sites to be the most stressful aspect of The Match. It is almost like a mind game of guessing where each site will rank you and trying to be strategic with each site. There is a big deal made about being accepted to an APA-Accredited site versus Non-APA. In a perfect world the only things that should matter are our clinical, personal, and professional skills. It is a ridiculous process but in the end everything will work itself out. Personally, I was more concerned about ranking sites based on goodness of fit rather than accreditation status. Leave the mind games out of the equation! Ask yourself if you can work at a site for one year or even longer. Would you be able to build a positive and effective relationship with the supervisors? Will an internship provide new experiences? Will you feel a part of a supportive and collaborative team or will you be a work horse?

 

During this whole process, it is important to stay calm and not allow distractions spill into the interview. Everyone will have some sort of “horror story” about their travels and interviews. While you are interviewing, the outside world does not exist and you should not worry about the next adventure. It is not only important to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for interviews but also physically, as I had learned. Be sure to exercise, stretch, and find time for healthier food options. You will spend countless hours reviewing each interview site trying to come up with the best answers for potential questions you may be asked. Try to relax, enjoy the process, and be yourself.

 

This is the nature of the beast that is called The Match.

 

Jonathan Torres, M.S.
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

*Director’s note:  We’re pretty sure Jon picked us because we fed him a healthy lunch… Kidding! Mostly… 🙂 We are very proud to have him, and all of our interns. Our message is as always–you will get through this, and we have faith that you, our young clinicians, will not only survive but thrive in the field. Good luck to all of you!

 

 

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Friday Factoids Catch-Up: The Holiday Blues

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Susan Vaught

 

The happiest time of year can actually be quite miserable. For a select few, the months of November and December can be overwhelming, stressful, exhausting, depressing and filled with dread. The thoughts of finding the ideal gift, planning the most wonderful meal, going into debt, seeing family and all the travel are almost unbearable. All around they see bubbly people, hear upbeat music and are enthralled with cheerful advertisements of perfection (perfect family, meal, gifts) and they begin to feel even more down in the dumps, lonely, inadequate and pressured to live up to unrealistic expectations. They have the holiday blues.
 

While “holiday blues” is not a clinical diagnosis, Major Depressive Disorder is. It can often be mislabeled and/or underestimated this time of year. Depression symptoms and severity are different for each individual, so not everyone will be affected the same–but it can be debilitating for some. Here are some of the symptoms to remain aware of as clinicians, and as people who may experience these issues as well:

•           Feeling sad, down and/or blue nearly every day
•           Being abnormally irritable and/or grouchy
•           Finding it difficult to enjoy things once liked or loved
•           Changes in sleep pattern – either not enough or too much, trouble falling
asleep, trouble staying asleep, trouble getting up
•           Change in appetite – either lose weight or gain weight
•           Feeling worthless
•           Feeling guilty
•           Problems concentrating or focusing
•           Decreased energy
•           Low, sad or irritable mood
•           Thinking about or wishing to fall asleep and never wake up
•           Having actual thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
 
If you or someone you know is experiencing a combination or all of the above symptoms, then you should schedule an appointment with a mental health professional as soon as possible. If you are having thoughts of ending your life, then please tell someone immediately, call 911 or contact The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).  While depression can negatively affect many to most aspects of life, it is treatable. Treatment options can range from therapy, medication or a combination of the two. 350,000,000 people suffer from depression worldwide and 50% will not seek help (Holes, 2015). They continue to suffer needlessly. Help is waiting and all it takes to begin is the first call.
 
References
Holiday Anxiety and Depression: Click for Survival Tips. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2015,   from http://www.medicinenet.com/holiday_depression_and_stress/article.htm

 
Holmes, L. (2015, January 20). 11 Statistics That Will Change The Way You Think About Depression. Retrieved December 16, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/depression-statistics_n_6480412.html
 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2015, from             http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
 
 
Crystal K. Bray
WKPIC Doctoral Intern
 

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Friday Factoids: Sydenham’s Chorea

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Susan Vaught

The link between mental illness and viral/bacterial/parasitic infections is proving to be greater than we ever imagined. Many neurological disorders are now known to be caused by infections in addition to already known genetic and other factors. Sydenham’s chorea (SD) is a neurological disorder that is produced by the bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. It is an acute symptom of rheumatic fever and in some cases the only sign that a patient is ill. SD mostly occurs in children ages 5 to 15. However, it can arise in pregnant women. It is a gender selective disorder that presents in prepubescent females more often than males.

 

SD is characterized by uncoordinated movements, muscular weakness, stumbling, falling, slurring of speech, difficulties with writing, trouble concentrating and emotional instability which can include loss of emotional control, periods of inappropriate laughing or crying and obsessive compulsive disorder. There is usually a history of the patient having a sore throat for several weeks before the onset of SD. Onset is usually rapid, however, it can be insidious meaning that symptoms can gradually develop. In these cases of slow onset, the symptoms can be present for up to five weeks before they become troublesome enough to seek medical attention. However, in some children, symptoms might not arise for 6 month after the infection and/or fever has been treated and cleared.

 

Blood testing is currently used to identify specific proteins associated with the disorder. They can also be used to detect markers that indicate an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ERS) of rheumatic fever which is another good indication of SD.  ERS is a test that indirectly checks the level of inflammation in one’s body.

 

Treatment is fairly basic. Those who only have a mild case will be prescribed several days of bed rest. Those with more severe cases will need a medical professional to prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacterium that caused rheumatic fever. SD symptoms usually lessen and clear in several months. However, for those with severe cases, future antibiotics are usually prescribed as well. There is currently a debate as to if those who had SD should be treated with antibiotics until age 18 or for the duration of their life to prevent the return of symptoms. Additionally, in some cases, psychopharmacological drugs are prescribed with the antibiotics to help control the severity of involuntary movements, emotional outbursts and OCD behaviors.  These too, however, usually clear in several months for most cases.

 

References

Frey, R., Polsdorfer, J., “Sydenham’s chorea.” A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008, & “Sydenham’s chorea.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2015. (2005). Sydenham’s Chorea. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from  http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Sydenhams_Chorea.aspx

 

NINDS Sydenham Chorea Information Page. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2015, from  http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sydenham/sydenham.htm

 

Washington, H. (2015, November 3). Catching Madness. Retrieved November 29, 2015, from  https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201511/catching-madness?collection=1081138

 

Crystal K. Bray
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

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Individual Autonomy and Peer Support

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Susan Vaught

 

 

This is a note from a personal perspective:

 

I have studied the Peer Support Training Manual from front to back.  I know the evidence-based practices involved.  It is something that I must practice daily so to override my instinctual reactions to people and issues.  I am a mother-er.  Even before I had kids, I was the mother-er to my friends.  You don’t have to be a mother to be like this.  You don’t even have to be female.  You are just the type of person who wants to fix things and people.

 

I have always been the one there to listen to problems.  The issue is that I want to put a bandage on everything and make it better.  I want to fix things.  I’m afraid if my son played football, I’d be the parent running on the field every time he was tackled saying, “Oh! Are you okay??” and embarrass him. Thankfully, he doesn’t play football.

 

Peer Support isn’t counseling and I’m not allowed to give a lot of advice.  The premise is to be an affective listener; it is to ask open-ended, honest questions.  Peer Support has to allow the individual the autonomy of choosing his or her own path.  Even if I am not sure that they are ready to work, if they say they want to work, I am to point them in directions where they can get more information, or just be their advocate.

 

If you are like me, you want to surround the person in bubble wrap and protect them from the world.   People, however, deserve the chance to live a “self-directed life.”  Parents, family, and mental health workers mean well when trying to protect the person from the world, but every human has a right to try to reach his or her own full potential…and to try to reach their dreams.

 

As a Peer Specialist, it has been tough not being able to just say, “Well, you can do this or that, and it would solve your problem!”  It has been tough not getting out my package of band aids to “fix” things.  It is hard not being able to “mother” or “parent” the patients, because I do care about them a great deal.  Every person deserves the ability to succeed or fail.  Everyone deserves a shot at flying from the nest.  It is a skill that I’ve had to learn.

 

Rebecca Coursey, KPS
Peer Support Specialist

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Friday Factoid: Toxoplasma Gindii

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Susan Vaught

 

 

An interesting tidbit of information that recently caught this writer’s attention is the possibility that we are susceptible to psychiatric disorders stemming from parasites. That is not to say that all or even the majority of those diagnosed contracted a parasite but according to several studies it is a probability that a few may have. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is one of the more studied parasites that has already been linked to intellectual deficiencies, prenatal brain damage, retinal damage, abnormal head size, deafness, cerebral palsy and seizures. However, many doctors, scientist and researchers believe that it can also cause schizophrenia.

 

T. gondii is a one-celled, protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals including humans. All members of the cat family are currently the only known definitive host and they can shed the “eggs” for up to two weeks. Birds and mice can be secondary carriers of the parasite, however. Many humans who carry the parasite suffer no symptoms or ill effect due the body’s immune system keeping the parasite at bay. However, for a select few, the parasite can lead to toxoplasmosis. (Toxoplasma infection, 2013, January 10).

 

Several studies, including one by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, have shown that mothers who became infected with T. gondii and essentially toxoplasmosis while they were pregnant had children with higher rates of schizophrenia in adulthood versus children of uninfected mothers. However, the most notable find discovered by Dr. Torrey was a correlation between those who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and were infected with T. gondii as children or teens. Essentially, what he identified was a link between increased incidences of schizophrenia in locations that had parks or community play areas that also had sandboxes. His explaination was that on average, 4-24 cats had been shown to use the sandboxes as a litterbox, the T. gondii eggs were shed in the feces and the children’s hands were infected while playing. (Washington, H., 2015, November 31).

 

To help support his theory, Torrey looks to history. He points out that up until about the year 1808 schizophrenia was relatively rare. However, he notes that in 1808 the prevalence of schizophrenia increased dramatically. At the same time, he also brings notice to the fact that cat ownership became progressively more popular in the United States and other areas around the world. He believes this shared surge of occurrence is much more than coincidence and that indicated that additional research should be conducted. Whether you agree or not with his insight to the increase and one probably cause to schizophrenia, one has to note it should be further explored. (Toxoplasma infection, 2013, January 10; Washington, H., 2015, November 31).

 

Work Cited

Parasites – Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma infection). (2013, January 10). Retrieved from             http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/

 

Washington, H. (2015, November 3). Catching Madness. Retrieved November 29, 2015, from  https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201511/catching-madness?collection=1081138

 

Crystal Bray
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

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Friday Factoids: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Susan Vaught

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, or PANDAS for short, was a relatively new term that this writer was not very familiar with more than three weeks ago. For those of you like this writer who were unaware that a neuropsychiatric disorder shared its name with a black and white bear, let me share some information. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), PANDAS is a “syndrome” which means it includes a number of disorders and issues that share an origin. This list includes tic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders and some mood/behavior issues (PANDAS, 2015).

 

The shared origin of the disorders and issues listed above, in regards to PANDAS, results in the child having contracted a streptococcal infection (strep throat/scarlet fever). Strep is an extremely old bacterium that survives very well due to its ability to hide from its host’s immune system. It brilliantly has a biological cloaking system called molecular mimicry. Essentially, it places molecules on the outer portion of its cell wall that make it indistinguishable from molecules found within the host child’s brain, heart, joint and skin tissues. This allows it to avoid discovery and rapidly multiply unimpeded for some time. When the intruders are finally recognized, they are attacked by antibodies created by the immune system. However, due to the molecular mimicry, the antibodies attack not only the strep molecules but host’s tissue molecules that were mimicked. Therefore, some anti-bodies target the host’s brain tissue specifically. The result of the attack on the brain tissue is what is said to be causing the symptoms of PANDAS (Streptococcus. 2015).

 

The symptoms of PANDAS are vast and can vary from child to child. The symptoms can include: rapid onset or worsening of symptoms already present, a tic disorder and/or OCD, ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, inattention, fidgety), physical hyperactivity (or unusual, jerky movements that are not in the child’s control), separation anxiety, mood changes (irritability, emotional lability, sadness), sleep disturbance, gross/fine motor changes (such as changes in handwriting or drawing abilities), anorexia or refusal to eat, night-time bed wetting and/or day-time urinary frequency and joint pains. The age if onset is usually anywhere from three years to the beginning of puberty. The child also must have had a positive strep culture or previous history of scarlet fever. It is important to note that the symptoms can go through an episodic course meaning they can cycle in their presence and severity with each new contraction of a streptococcal infection (PANDAS, 2015).

 

Currently, there is not a lab test used in the diagnosing of PANDAS but, as mentioned above, the child must have had a positive strep culture or previous history of scarlet fever and some combination of the majority symptoms. PANDAS is a clinical diagnosis and must meet a set of specific criteria for the diagnosis to be given.  If you believe your child may suffer from the syndrome, then contact your health care provider to discuss your child’s symptoms. Treatment usually consists of one round of antibiotics to eliminate the streptococcal bacterium. Symptoms will then begin to decrease over the course of several days to weeks.

 

Crystal K. Bray,
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

Works Cited
PANDAS: Fact Sheet about Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2015, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/pandas/index.shtml

 

Streptococcus. (2015). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/science/Streptococcus

 

Washington, H. (2015, November 3). Catching Madness. Retrieved November 29, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201511/catching-madness?collection=1081138

 

Crystal K. Bray,
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

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Surviving Match: Personal Stories

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Susan Vaught

 

As more and more strands of my hair began to entwine around the bristles of my brush instead of staying attached to my head, I knew I had a problem. I immediately contacted my family doctor, made an appointment and requested that he run any battery of test needed to determine the cause of why my previously thick and healthy hair was becoming so very thin and brittle. After robbing my veins of several vials worth of blood, he explained at my follow-up appointment, “The tests ran indicated that all of your levels were well within normal range.” Then, he posed the question, “Have you experienced any life changes or been going through any stressful situations?”

 

Well . . .

 

Describing the APPIC Match process as stressful to any student beginning the process is by far one of the understatements of the decade.  Even now, writing the above paragraph and thinking about the initial horror of it all sends waves of nausea throughout my stomach. It was a brutal, agonizing period of time that was never, ever going to come to an end.  If you have ever heard the colloquialism, “ Hurry up and wait!” that’s exactly what it felt like. Well that accompanied with questioning your skills, whether you studied hard enough, how will you compare to other students, why would anyone pick me and any other self-doubting questions you could possibly fathom.  And that’s just submitting your essays and waiting to see if you are selected for an interview!  The fun is yet to come!!

 

So, after weeks and months of writing and re-writing your essays, strategically selecting internships sites that better suit your knowledge base, and finding the needed funds to apply to the allotted amount statistically proven to help you Match; you get invited to interview!!!  Alas, the excitement is short lived because now you have to plan your travel itinerary.

 

 

Intern1Not only does your itinerary have to encompass the locations you are interviewing, but you must tactically juggle it in a way so that you won’t miss or be late for any scheduled or rescheduled interviews. By the way, did I mention you have to pay for your travel, lodging and most of your food out of pocket?  Oh yes!  Most all of your interviews are in person and not by phone. Plus, it’s right around the holiday season when funds are often already strapped.  I hope you remember how to build that bird house out of popsicle sticks you learned in second grade!

 

Nonetheless, here you are. You have arrived. You white-knuckle drove your rental car for hours thru bouts of snow and ice but have somehow made it to your hotel in one piece. The thermometer in your salt covered chariot reads 9 whole degrees Fahrenheit but you don’t care because you’re alive!!  Reality quickly swirls around and thru your clothes as you unload your luggage with glove covered ice cycles that took place of previous fingers.  You penguin waddle into the hotel lobby, hurriedly check in as other guests strangely eye your wildly, windblown hair, drag your belongings to your room and fall face first into the lumpy pillow.

 

The five o’clock a.m. wake-up call you requested comes way too soon. You make your way to the lobby for your “free continental breakfast” not thinking twice about how you look because you….must….have….coffee. If looks truly could kill, all the other patrons partaking in breakfast food and drink would have literally fallen over where they sat. As you slowly begin to resemble some form of intelligent being, your anxiety begins to creep up your back, over your head and into your stomach. So much for free breakfast.

 

There is no time to be sick. You must brush/floss, shower, dry/fix your hair, do your make-up, pack your luggage once more to the rental car and check out of your hotel all before you head to your interview.  In your mind you have planned and allotted so much time for each stage of your “get ready” process.  To save on time, you will brush your teeth as the shower gets warm.  You place your tooth brush in its handy, dandy travel tube, pull back the shower curtain and step in.  BAM!!! There was no shower mat when you stepped in. Your right foot slide on the slick, wet bottom of the tub. You fell into the tub wall landing with all of your weight just beneath your left knee.  You are literally in your birthday suit rocking back in forth on the dirty, hotel bathroom floor. Tears are streaming down your face and you are too afraid to look at your leg because you know it’s broken.

 

Moments to minutes later, you still feel the intense pain but it is accompanied by the throbbing of your heart in your leg. You know you have to look but think to yourself, “What am I going to do if my leg is broke…..I’m naked in the bathroom!” Slowly you peak ever so slightly and see no blood so you open both eyes.  A gigantic, purple plum has sprouted and is now housed on your upper shin. Slowly you climb up on your good leg and try to put weight on your injured one. The intensity of the pain increased under your weight but you can stand flat footed long enough to know if it is broken it’s only fracture. So, you hobble on one leg and shower the best you can.

 

You really will survive this“Oh crap…how long was I on the bathroom floor?!”  You are 18 minutes late. You have to choose from wearing make-up or curling your hair so you forgo the curlers and opt to straighten your two cowlicks instead. You still have to make up time. You swiftly hobble around your hotel room like a puny tornado that has lost its wind and try to repack all of your belongings. Dragging your bags and injured leg to the reception desk, you check out. An attractive male and female take pity on you and help you carry your bags to your car. Normally, you would turn down the gesture because you never can be too safe but pain overrides intelligence when it is severe enough.

 

The smooth yet oddly irritating voice of your GPS comes to life directing you where to  turn and leads you towards your destination. You know you have to speed but potentially will still be late. Once again, you find yourself white knuckle driving, weaving in and out of morning traffic. All speed limit signs are being ignored and you pray that any and all police officers on your route are getting coffee and not gunning for speeding cars. “Do they really like donuts?” Shaking this ridiculous thought from your head you try to be hyper vigilant as you barrel down the parkway, come to your exit and make a screeching stop at the bottom. Your destination is so about a mile on the right and you have 5 minutes to spare.

 

You literally slide in the drive-way on two wheels and hope your professors were just hazing you when they claimed some interview sites watch and judge you from the moment you arrive on their property. Three minutes!!  You whip around their circle drive and are lucky to find ONE parking spot open. You zoom in, jump out quickly remembering your injured leg and hobble up the walk to the….”Oh no, stairs!.”  “Don’t cry. You are an adult. You are a professional.” As quickly as possible, you make your way up each agonizing step and come to the door. You walk in and see a couple of other people in the same black suit that you are wearing and sigh in relief. You might be one minute late but so are they and there does not appear to be anyone in the group that is in an official capacity. You have not missed your interview and the important people who you hope to impress do not know you are late. You still have a chance with the site that you most hoped to make a good impression on.

 

FriendsThe accounts above are true and will not soon be forgotten. Short of a tragic accident or actual broken limb, I could not imagine a worse start to an interview or a more stressful period in my life. However, with passing time comes perception and clarity. The anxiety and stress that I placed on myself by questioning my abilities, measuring my worth in terms of interview invites and viewing any outcome but a match with catastrophic thinking was ridiculous and harmful. My anxiety levels were so extreme that my hair was literally falling out! I was creating a toxic environment for myself when I needed to be at the top of my game. And furthermore, my emotions really did not fit the situation.

 

Be mindful of your emotions and the reality of the Match process. We all know entering that there simply are more students seeking placements then there are placements to be offered. When you break it down, it’s simple math.  Additionally, this is a time in your life that you should be celebrating because a long, arduous course of education is finally being put to use. This is our transitional time from student to professional. And guess what, if you don’t match the sun is still going to rise tomorrow and a new day begins. We all blossom when it is meant for us to do so. Your not matching with a site that may not suit your individual personality, skill set and future objectives is a good thing.  Build your wall of support with the boulders of like-minded individuals who share you ideals, not the pebbles of those you maybe can tolerate for a year.

 

askstephan

 

 

Crystal K. Bray,
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

**Director’s note:  We had no idea this poor woman had wrecked her leg prior to interview and made her walk all over the hospital! And, clearly, she is our intern, so the interview went well despite all the outside disasters. And this:  no matter how Match goes for you, you will get through it, and ultimately persist and prevail, if not this year, then another. You are all valuable to the field. You can do this!                                                         –sv

Posted in Application Tips, Blog, Current Interns, Match, Social | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Friday Factoids: Islamophobia

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Susan Vaught

At the beginning of the 1990s, the term Islamophobia emerged for the first time in the United States and Great Britain. It is a term used to describe an intense fear, dislike or hate of Muslims. A wealth of misinformation actively promotes Islamophobia in America. Self-reported knowledge, whether accurate or not, about the religion of Islam seems to affect Americans’ feelings of prejudice toward Muslims. Researchers are beginning to explore the impact that Islamophobia can have on the mental and physical health of Muslim-Americans.

 

Muslims constitute approximately 23 percent of the world’s population and serve as a majority in approximately 50 countries. The population of Muslims in the U.S. has grown to more than 2.6 million. Many of them arrived in North America hoping to escape the discrimination and hate occurring in their country. It is important to be aware that Muslims can have various races and ethnicities, since Islam is a religion and not an ethnicity. For example, in America the three largest ethnic Muslim groups are Arab Americans, African Americans and South Asians.

 

Perceptions of the Muslim community have changed dramatically after 9/11. The expected reaction to any terrorism attack is to point the finger at Muslims. Even though less than 2 percent of all terrorist attacks over the past five years have been religiously motivated. An FBI report shows only 6 percent of all terrorism attacks in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005 were committed by Muslims. Research shows that the U.S. identified more than 160 Muslim-American terrorist suspects in the decade since 9/11. That is just a percentage of the thousands of acts of violence that occur in the United States each year. According to the Muslim Public Affairs Counsel, since 9/11, the Muslim-American community has helped security and law enforcement officials prevent nearly two of every five al Qaeda terrorist plots threatening the United States. It is from government prosecution and media coverage that brings Muslim-American terrorism suspects to the national spotlight. As a consequence, many Muslims feel vulnerable.

 

Few studies on Muslim health exist. Most studies identified that daily, repetitive harassment is the biggest factor contributing to long-term mental health issues in Muslim populations. In a 2011 study on Muslim-Americans, researchers found that the vast majority of participants said they felt extremely safe prior to 9/11. Following the attack, 82 percent of them felt extremely unsafe. The researchers later found many of those studied developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from constant anxiety and abuse. Mental illness is often stigmatized in Muslim culture. Research by Allen and Nielsen (2002), indicated that one of the best predictors of becoming a victim of discrimination or harassment was being perceived as a Muslim. Having an Arab appearance or wearing specific garments such as a hijab was most closely associated with such incidents.

 

Many Muslims choose prayer or private coping before they seek professional help. Physical or mental illness may be seen as an opportunity to remedy disconnection from Allah or a lack of faith through regular prayer and a sense of self-responsibility (Padella et al., 2012). Imams (traditional spiritual leaders) are often seen as indirect agents of Allah’s will and facilitators of the healing process. Imams may also play central roles in shaping family and community attitudes and responses to illness guidelines, or birth customs (Padella et al., 2012). Many American physicians are not well versed on Muslim culture, including health-related traditions and beliefs like long fasts or end-of-life care. This may discourage many Muslims from seeking treatment.

 

In 2007 the Muslim Council of Britain issued the following statement: “Muslims everywhere consider all acts of terrorism that aim to murder and maim innocent human beings utterly reprehensible and abhorrent. There is no theological basis whatsoever for such acts in our faith. The very meaning of the word ‘Islam’ is peace. It rejects terror and promotes peace and harmony.”

 

 

References:

 

Abdullah, T., & Brown, T. L. (2011). Mental illness stigma and ethnocultural beliefs, values, and norms: An integrative review. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 934-948.

 

Abu-Ras, W. & Abu-Bader, S. H. (2008). The Impact of the September 11, 2001 Attacks on the well-being of Arab Americans in New York City. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 3, 217-239.

 

Ali, O. M., Milstein, G., & Marzuk, P. M. (2005). The imam’s role in meeting the counseling needs of Muslim communities in the United States. Psychiatric Services, 56, 2-5.

 

Allen, C., & Nielsen, J. S. (2002). Summary report on Islamaphobia in the EU after 11

September 2001. Vienna: European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia.

 

Muslim Public Affairs Counsel. (2013). A tracking of plots by Muslim and non-Muslim violent extremists against the United States. Retrieved from: http://www.mpac.org/publications/policy-papers/post-911-terrorism-database.php

 

Padela, A. I., Killawi, A., Forman, J., DeMonner, S., & Heisler, M. (2012). American Muslim perceptions of healing key agents in healing, and their roles. Qualitative Health Research, 22, 846-858.

 

 

Jonathan Torres, M.S.
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

Posted in Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Diversity In Practice, Friday Factoids, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns | Tagged , , | Leave a comment