Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Dartmouth Medical School Neuropsychology Section, founded in 1992, provides advanced training in professional neuropsychological services, research, and teaching. The training model and objectives are in general conformance with the Houston Conference guidelines for specialty training in clinical neuropsychology, the APA Division 40 guidelines for postdoctoral training in neuropsychology, and the APPCN domains and standards, as stated in all program advertisements. The program is a member of the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPIC).
The overarching goal of the fellowship program is preparation for advanced practice in clinical neuropsychology. It is our intention to produce outstanding scientist-practitioners who are rigorously trained and who also have a broad-based foundation in assessment, intervention, consultation, and research. To achieve these ends, all fellows participate in supervised inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological service delivery to a wide range of patient populations (child, adult, geriatric), and an organized sequence of educational experiences, including seminars, colloquia and workshops on clinical research, clinical neuropsychology and neuropsychiatry, and professional ethics. In addition, fellows participate in individual and group supervision where they have the opportunity to interact with senior faculty and interdisciplinary teams. As a small, highly individualized program, the fellowship also provides continuous evaluation and feedback. Periodic meetings with the individual's supervisors and the program director offer more structured, mutual evaluation and opportunities to discuss professional development issues. Each fellow has a minimum of three faculty neuropsychology supervisors for individual supervision, including a diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology (ABPP-CN). The supervisor has professional responsibility for all services provided to patients.
In addition to the many clinical opportunities, the fellowship emphasizes involvement in both clinical neuropsychological and neuroimaging training and research. Active participation in ongoing clinical and experimental research is considered an integral component of the program. Development of grant application skills is encouraged. Within the timeframe of a two-year fellowship, fellows are expected to develop and prepare at least one report suitable for publication based on close involvement in all phases of a research project, from data collection to manuscript preparation. During their fellowship, previous fellows have presented papers and posters at scientific conferences and/or published papers based on their work in the program. Specific allocation of time commitment to clinical, research, teaching, and other activities is based on the individual fellow's professional training needs and interests, consistent with fulfillment of programmatic requirements. Instruction occurs through conferences, seminars, course work, individual and group supervision, and day-to-day collaboration with senior staff members. An integrated faculty of neuropsychologists, other clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons take part in training.
CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY ROTATIONS
The neuropsychology fellowship sites provide a wide array of patient populations and considerable resources within which the fellow can advance his or her special interests while gaining a broad spectrum of experience. Supervised direct service delivery responsibilities include interviewing, test administration, report writing, consultation with various departments and medical personnel, and provision of feedback to patients, families, and referral sources. Fellows' typical caseload includes approximately three neuropsychological cases per week, consultation with referral sources, feedback with patients and families, and where appropriate, participation in intervention planning and monitoring. Fellows also participate in clinical case conferences and attend Grand Rounds in Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, as well as other conferences (such as Neuropathology and Neuroradiology) according to interests. Opportunities for teaching and developing supervisory skills are available. Fellows complete one to two rotations including the Neuropsychology Service at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, and the Neuropsychology Laboratory at New Hampshire Hospital (NHH) in Concord. Both sites offer opportunities for assessment of child, adult, and elderly patients.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon NH offers experience in inpatient and outpatient evaluations for adults, children, and elderly individuals, and is one of three sites for fellowship training. Inpatient referral sources include clinical services of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, and Internal Medicine as well as other medical units. Outpatient referrals additionally stem from sources in the regional communities including school systems, health care providers, community mental health centers, and medical-legal practices. Clinical and research interests at DHMC include epilepsy (focal resections, vagal nerve stimulation), traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and severe mental illness. Fellows will also gain experience with the intracarotid amobarbital language and memory assessment and clinical functional MRI.
New Hampshire Hospital (NHH) in Concord NH is the state's primary psychiatric inpatient facility, and is a teaching hospital is staffed by the Psychiatry Faculty of Dartmouth. As such, it represents a unique example of public sector-academic liaison. The Neuropsychology Laboratory is housed in the Acute Psychiatric Services facility. Neuropsychological consultation is provided on referral to patients from admissions and longer-term units, including Adult Psychiatry and Geriatric and Adolescent Psychiatric Units, and Neuropsychiatry Intensive Care Unit. The neuropsychology fellow is a member of the Neuropsychiatry Unit, which specializes in the treatment of patients with combined psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as neurobehavioral consequences of traumatic brain injury, dementia, and atypical refractory neuropsychiatric conditions. Weekly Clinical Neuroscience Rounds provide an opportunity for multi-disciplinary assessment of patients with complex disorders as part of a team that includes a neuropsychiatrist, neurologists, and a neuropsychologist. Other educational opportunities include neuropsychiatric team meetings, case conferences, and didactic presentations.
RESEARCH
The major research focus of the Neuropsychology Section and Brain Imaging Laboratory is multi-departmental collaborative integration of anatomical and physiological brain imaging (structural and functional MRI) with cognitive and behavioral data. In Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at DHMC, there are two 1.5T GE MRI systems. The Neuroimaging Research Center at the Advanced Imaging Center at Dartmouth houses a research dedicated 3T Philips MRI system. We are currently performing fMRI activation studies of cognition, emotion, and motor functions, and morphological studies of volume, shape and density of selected brain regions in various patient populations. The association between neural integrity and genes (e.g., APOE, D2D4) is also being actively investigated. Fellows have an opportunity to become involved in ongoing studies, as well as participate in the design and implementation of new studies. Excellent computer facilities are available in the Neuropsychology Section for word processing and scientific applications, including IBM-compatible PC systems, LINUX systems, and SUN and Silicon Graphics based image processing workstations. Faculty from Behavioral Medicine at DHMC, the Department of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Program, and Computer Science Program at Dartmouth College are participating in several of these studies and are available to the neuropsychology fellows. Ongoing research populations include head injury, Alzheimer's disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, OCD, and bipolar disorder. Many other patient groups are potentially available.
Please visit our website for additional details about our research and staff.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We anticipate 1 to 2 openings each year for a 1 to 2 year fellowship consistent with APA Div. 40 and Houston Conference guidelines for our Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging, and one opening every 2 years for our Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Neurospsychology.
Education/training qualifications: Requirements include prior neuroscience courses, internship in neuropsychology, commitment to clinical research, and completion of doctoral requirements. Prior experience with neuroimaging techniques is desirable but not necessary. Prior to appointment as a postdoctoral fellow, individuals must provide evidence of completion of all requirements for the doctoral degree from a regionally accredited university or professional school program, including completion of internship training which meets APPIC standards; official transcript, copy of diploma, or official letter from the Department Chair or Graduate Advisor will be acceptable. Typically, postdoctoral fellows are appointed to full time positions for one year, renewable for an additional year. A total of 2000 hours of training are provided in each year, exceeding the 1500 postgraduate hours required for licensure in New Hampshire.
Applications should be sent (by 01/15/2009) to:
Laura A. Flashman, Ph.D., ABPP-CN
Director, Neuropsychology Program & Brain Imaging Laboratory
Department of Psychiatry/DHMC
Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001