Qualitative study highlights barriers and supports for students applying to psychology internships in Canada, indicating areas for institutional improvement.
Key Points
This study aims to identify the perceived barriers and supports that doctoral students encounter when applying for psychology internships in Canada.
Conducted three semi-structured virtual interviews with ten internship applicants from Canadian graduate programs during the 2023 match process.
Utilized reflexive thematic analysis to examine interview transcripts and identify key themes related to the application process.
Identified five main themes: site information, mismatch between training experiences and site expectations, geographic mobility, financial cost of applying, and social support.
Participants noted that social support networks and an entirely online interview process helped facilitate their applications.