Strategies for finalising Your Psychology 4+2/5+1 Internship: Getting Over the Line. Part 2 of 2 part series
The pathway to becoming a fully registered psychologist, completing a psychology internship for provisionally registered psychologists is rigorous and stressful.
Provisional Psychologists:
This blog post is designed to guide you through the final leg of your psych internship. We know it can be challenging to finalise the last of your tasks when you’ve just done the Psychological Exam you're tired, burnt out and have little gas in the tank!
Finding More Time - Option 1:
If you have completed your client direct and client related hours, you might consider taking leave from work (e.g., annual leave or unpaid leave) if your circumstances allow. This could enable you to finalise the last tasks, arrange supervision, and tie up all loose ends without being delayed by client work. We recognise that some people may not have leave available or that employers may be reluctant to grant time off. However, taking time off is your best chance to complete your internship rapidly
Finding More Time - Option 2:
If taking leave is too difficult, consider reducing your work week to 3 or 4 days or cutting back your work hours. You may need to think about how to cover reduced wages, but this strategy gives you at least a few more hours each week. The key is to avoid inadvertently doing your paid work or other commitments on your day off, which could distract you from finishing.
Taking Ownership of Your Time
Taking Ownership of Your Time:
You can also work on taking more control of your time.
Calendar Blocking: Allocate specific time slots for task-related activities, as opposed to work or self-care. Use calendar tools (e.g. Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar) to create visual schedules that help you maintain focus and balance.
The Power of 'No': Learn to say no to additional commitments that are not directly related to your internship tasks. This safeguards your time.
Communication: Establish clear lines of communication with your supervisor and manager about your need to focus on your internship.
Do a little every day
Aim to make regular progress with your tasks every day. Even if it's short bursts, this will help you stay on track
Case report writing: Persevere with progressing through the reports a little each day. Revisions and refinement will undoubtedly be needed, but this proactive approach makes the overall workload more manageable
Set a schedule for the rest of your internship. This will help you plan your days around the tasks that need to be completed, making it easier to chip away at them each day.
In Conclusion: Your Gateway to Growth
By taking a proactive, balanced, and strategic approach, you can complete your internship soon!
Provisional Psychologists: Congratulations on your dedication and your accomplishment to get this far. You've got this! For more resources tailored to provisional psychologists and those on the path to registration, visit PsychologySquared's website. We offer study materials, support services, and success strategies to empower you at every stage of your professional journey.
Why is it a problem to prolong Your 4+2/5+1 psychology internship? Part 1 of 2 part series
Why is it a problem to prolong Your 4+2/5+1 psychology internship? Part 1 of 2 part series
The AHPRA guidelines suggest that the 4+2 and 5+1 can be completed within 44 weeks or 88 weeks respectively but little is said about how hard it would be to complete it within those timeframes. In addition, on the pathway to becoming a psychologist little is described on public resources about how to be strategic around getting over the line and how to troubleshoot challenges in getting through the final stretch.
Completing your client direct and client-related hours is a significant achievement, but there are lots of other tasks to complete and failing to finalise your internship can have consequences. While work-life balance is essential, an extended internship period can lead to several challenges worth being aware of. You may still decide that you’re in no rush to finish the psych internship but this article is important in having some perspective around your planning
Reasons for Extended Internships:
Heavy Workload: Balancing client work, paperwork, and supervision sessions, along with meeting the expectations of employers and supervisors, can be overwhelming. Managing client satisfaction and employer demands, in addition to completing logbooks and tasks, is a daunting task.
Challenging AHPRA Tasks: Preparing for the National Psychology Exam or completing Case Reports can be time-consuming and stressful, contributing to delays in internship completion. The case reports are 2500 words (+- 10%) so they can be burdensome to work through. It is important to realise that failing these could delay your internship.
Work-Life Balance: The pressure to complete internship tasks can significantly reduce time for social activities, exercise, and relaxation. Social arrangements, social media, hobbies and interests are all necessary and important to your well-being, and should be managed in your scheduling ideally.
Personal Life Interferences: Unforeseen personal events or issues can hinder task completion efficiency.
Note: It's important not to view an extended internship duration as a failure. Each individual's circumstances are unique, and progress towards becoming a registered psychologist is still being made.
Consequences of an Extended Internship: Delayed Registration: Prolonging your internship can postpone your completion date, affecting your ability to become registered and impacting your career progression.
Additional Requirements: A longer internship may result in extra logbooks, observations, progress reports, and supervision sessions, leading to a sense of professional stagnation and disrupting life plans.
Fatigue: The internship becomes very tiring and the more it is prolonged the more effort it takes to get it all done and the more burnt out you may feel.
Moving Forward:
It's essential to focus on completing your internship efficiently. Stay tuned for strategies to help you successfully navigate the final stages of your internship journey. You can do this, you’re nearly there, but you need to be goal centred to wrap things up.