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Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Program

Discover the world-class St. Jude Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Program and its tailored approach to research and clinical pediatric psychological training.

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About the program 

The Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Program, available through the Department of Psychology & Biobehavioral Sciences, offers fellows a flexible training opportunity, tailored to the individual’s academic, clinical and professional aspirations. Fellows work closely with the unique St. Jude patient population, which includes survivors of childhood cancer as well as children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other hematological disorders, infectious diseases such as HIV, and pediatric neurological diseases. 

Fellows benefit from an individualized training team, access to world-renowned interdisciplinary mentors, a top-ranked scientific environment with protected research time and exceptional educational resources for personal growth. Additionally, they enjoy excellent support and benefits, with a competitive salary that is higher than NIH fellowship guidelines.

One- or two-year postdoctoral fellowships incorporating both clinical and scholarly activities are offered. Strong candidates for a clinical-only training program may be considered.

Eligibility 

Applicants must have:  

  • A PhD or PsyD in clinical, counseling or school psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher education  
  • Completion of a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association (APA)– or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)–accredited program is preferred  
  • Completion of a doctoral internship meeting  Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) standards (APA- or CPA-accredited preferred) 
  • All doctoral degree and fellowship admission requirements completed before beginning the fellowship 

How to apply 

Open positions are listed on our career portal. Applicants are due December 1; however, applications will be accepted until positions are filled. 

Applications must include the following materials: 

  • Cover letter 
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) 
  • Graduate transcript 
  • Statement from the graduate program training director verifying the date doctoral requirements will be met 
  • Three letters of recommendation, including one from the internship director 

The pediatric psychology fellowship program at St. Jude is a member program of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

Apply via our career portal

Curriculum overview 

All fellows will work with their primary mentor and an oversight committee to develop an Individualized Development Plan (IDP) that aligns with their career goals and will guide their progress during the fellowship. Research activities and involvement depend on the goals of the individual fellow. While fellows see a variety of referral concerns, fellows who wish to supplement their training may participate in specialty rotations with supervisors who are experts in:  

  • Early childhood assessment and intervention
  • Infectious Diseases/HIV Clinic 
  • Pain service 
  • Transition/teens and emerging adults 
  • Supervision 

Mentors use a scaffolded approach to supervision, beginning with close oversight with increasing independence as the fellow develops and demonstrates proficiency in their research and clinical activities. In turn, fellows may provide supervision to graduate students and pre-doctoral interns in research and clinical activities under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. 

All fellows receive training in outpatient and inpatient consultation, intervention, and risk assessment. Opportunities to engage in clinical activities that are typical of clinical faculty in a medical center (e.g., multidisciplinary team liaison, quality improvement projects, research collaborations, committee work) are available.

For fellows interested in research training, the following opportunities are available:

  • Outpatient and inpatient consultation 
  • Intervention and risk assessment 
  • Grant writing  
  • Study design  
  • Data collection  
  • Data analysis and interpretation  
  • Preparation and publication of manuscripts  
  • Presentations of findings at local, national and international meetings 

All fellows participate in weekly trainee didactics consisting of journal club, group supervision and lectures. Senior fellows are encouraged to present at least once in didactics. In addition, fellows attend weekly Psychology Seminar and are expected to present at Seminar at least once each year. Furthermore, there are multiple seminars available campus-wide that focus on the medical and psychological clinical and research factors in pediatric hematology/oncology and infectious diseases. 

Fellows have weekly supervisory meetings with their primary mentors. Fellows also undergo formal evaluations every three months to assess competencies and knowledge consistent with the APA core competencies guidelines.  

Fellows are expected to produce a minimum of one academic product submitted by the time they complete the fellowship. Additional expectations for scholarly activities are agreed upon by fellows and their primary mentors and vary depending on each fellow’s percentage of research effort. 

Meet the people

Our faculty and instructors strive to prepare trainees for professional practice by promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity to individual differences across clinical, research and educational settings.  

Contact information

Kendra Parris, PhD
Director of Clinical Training
Kendra.Parris@stjude.org

Clinical Education and Training Office
gme@stjude.org