General Information
Recognizing the importance of integrating health and behavior, the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) provides a Health Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship in Primary Care. This training program is based on a cognitive-behavioral orientation and strongly emphasizes a scientist-practitioner model. By demonstrating the capacity of psychologists to be behavioral science experts and important change agents within health care settings, this program is designed to optimally prepare early career psychologists for positions in an academic healthcare center. A strong emphasis is placed on fellows learning to become effective members of transdisciplinary primary care teams.
The Fellowship program has existed since the 1998-1999 academic year under the same Fellowship Director, Patrick O. Smith, Ph.D., evolving into a two-year position with two fellows working in a staggered vertical team design. This design allows for the recruitment of one new fellow per year, who functions as a "Junior Fellow" during their first year and upon matriculation to the second year, becomes a "Senior Fellow."
Curriculum
Clinical Experience
Our training setting offers a wide range of exciting experiences in clinical health psychology. Fellows provide outpatient clinical services in the Department of Family Medicine's two outpatient primary care residency training clinics and inpatient care at the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center (MBMC). Within the outpatient clinics fellows function as behavioral health consultants in treatment teams comprised of family medicine faculty physicians, social workers, nursing staff, family medicine physician residents, pharmacy residents, and medical students. Direct consultative services are provided with patients in exam rooms, keeping the fellows fully embedded in the primary care culture. Fellows conduct behavioral assessments and provide brief problem-focused, empirically supported interventions, such as health promotion activities, specific manualized psychological treatments, and behavioral interventions targeted at increasing medical adherence. These activities often result in treatment recommendations made to the primary care team, ensuring the provision of comprehensive services. In addition, fellows also provide informal or indirect consultation during which they do not see the patient but guide a clinician during the assessment and treatment process.
At MBMC fellows also provide behavioral health inpatient consultation-liaison services to two un-referred call Family Medicine inpatient teams in this 500-bed community hospital. These teams typically include two faculty physicians and six to eight physician residents. Inpatient consultation usually involves the provision of bedside assessments and recommendations, although some cases might require inpatient treatment by the fellow. Many of the patients treated in the inpatient setting are then followed up in one of our outpatient clinics, increasing the continuity of care.
Regular supervision of the fellows' patient care is a crucial component of developing advanced clinical skills. Each fellow receives a minimum of three hours of individual "face-to-face" weekly supervision by a licensed psychologist. In addition, fellows also participate in two hours of group supervision a week utilizing a vertical team approach. The Senior Fellow's provision of orientation and peer mentorship to the Junior Fellow adds another dimension to the program's training experience.
Teaching Experience
Fellows contribute to the education of physician residents and medical students by direct, indirect, and interactive instructional techniques on a variety of behavioral and health topics. Within the family medicine residency program, fellows are directly involved in the behavioral science curriculum design and implementation across the 36-month residency training sequence. These activities include facilitating resident support groups, providing a variety of mini-lecture presentations, teaching patient-physician communication/interpersonal skills training, and co-supervising resident cases with physician faculty. External to the Department of Family Medicine the Senior fellow administratively coordinates a campus wide physician impairment and wellness presentation series with 27 residency programs. In addition to these primary training responsibilities fellows have been involved in the development and implementation of a tobacco treatment specialist workshop and the Behavioral Science course in the School of Dentistry. Opportunities may exist for fellows to supervise pre-doctoral psychology students pursuing externship experiences within the Department of Family Medicine. Additionally, some past fellows who wished to extend their teaching training taught undergraduate or graduate courses at local colleges or universities.
Research Experience
Since this training program's conception, fellows have been actively involved in conducting tobacco research. Two additional areas of research development focus on the role of the behavioral clinician's role in organ transplant and the promotion of scholarship among family medicine residents and faculty. Fellows also may develop independent research projects, subject to approval by the Fellowship Director and Institutional Review Board. For example, past fellows have published their work following studies evaluating the difference in graduate and undergraduate education of physician impairment and wellness. Additionally, fellows are granted library privileges at both UMMC and MBMC and may supervise student externs in research activities. Fellows are encouraged to participate in presentations at local, state, and national conferences and depending upon level of involvement, travel allowances for conferences may be provided.
Professional Development
The professional development domain of the training program is designed to synchronize the clinical, teaching, and research experiences and prepare the fellow for their future career as a psychologist. Much of the group supervision focuses on topics related to ethics, campus citizenship, collegial communication, guild participation, curriculum vitae development, job searching, career mentorship, job negotiation, and financial planning. Across the two-year training period, licensure preparation and attainment, as well as national credentialing are encouraged and supported. The Department purchases a preparatory study program for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). Fellows usually begin their EPPP preparation in the latter half of their Junior year with the goal of passing the written examination and being able to sit for their oral examination (Mississippi requirement) as they begin their Senior year. The fellowship director aids fellows with the licensure application process, development of EPPP preparation goals, and the provision of study time. Another feature of the program includes being encouraged to apply for loan repayment and the Pittsburgh Mind-Body Center annual summer institute. Our previous fellows have been successful in both of these competitive applications processes. Finally, some past fellows who wanted to expand their knowledge base took courses offered on the UMMC campus, such as advanced pathophysiology.
Benefits/Compensation
Salary
Junior Fellow - $37,550/year
Senior Fellow - $39,428/year
Appointment date is usually between July 1st and September 1st with some flexibility.
Leave
The fellows receive 18 days personal leave and 12 days sick leave each year, as well as 11 holidays which includes your birthday and your anniversary with UMMC. Administrative leave is also provided for professional activities, such as conference, continuing education, and job interviews.
Uniforms
Two monagrammed white lab coats are provided by the department at no charge.
Parking
Free parking is provided at the Family Medicine Outpatient clinics and at the community hospital, MS Baptist Medical Center (MBMC).
Educational Resources
All new fellows are provided a personal digital assistant with selected software for their personal and professional use. Books and journal articles are provided throughout the fellowship. Email, Internet access, and full library access to journals are provided at no cost through UMC Intranet Services.
EPPP materials, including CDs and books, are provided to fellows to aid in preparation for written licensure examinations.
Health Insurance
Fellows are eligible for comprehensive health insurance for a nominal fee and have the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for family members at a reduced rate. There are additional insurance benefits for purchase.
Present and Past Fellows
Current Fellows
Kathy L. Crockett, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: Jackson State University; Mississippi State University
Email: kcrockett@familymed.umsmed.edu
Glenna S. Rousseau, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: Auburn University
Email: grousseau@familymed.umsmed.edu
Former Fellows
Penni L. Smith, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Southern Mississippi
Present Position: Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology/University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS
Molly Clark, PhD.
Doctoral Training; University of Southern Mississippi
Present Positions: Staff Psychologist
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Administration Medical
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior/University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS
Shazia Frothingham, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Southern Mississippi
Present Position: Didactic Trainer
Mississippi State Hospital
Whitfield, MS
Shannon B. Moss, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Southern Mississippi
Present Position: Director of Behavioral Medicine
Department of Family Medicine/Baylor College of Medicine
Garland, TX
Lisa Diefenbach, Psy.D.
Doctoral Training: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Present Position: Outpatient and Partial Director
Community Guidance Center
Indiana, PA
Natalie W. Gaughf, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Southern Mississippi
Present Position: Assistant Professor
Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences/University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, MS
Seth Kunen, Ph.D., Psy.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Wisconsin-Madison; George Washington University
Present Position: Director of Mental Health & Responsible Health Authority
Jetson Center for Youth & Juvenile Justice Program/Louisiana State University Health Science Center
Baton Rouge, LA
Ronda K. Niederhauser, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: California School of Professional Psychology
Present Position: Private Practice
Colorado Springs, CO
Bradford Applegate, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: Louisiana State University
Present Position: Partner
Behavioral Healthcare Associates, LLC.
Lansdowne, VA
Mindy Ma, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of Miami
Present Position: Assistant Professor/Coordinator of Psychology
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kim Suda LaHaise, Ph.D.
Doctoral Training: University of North Dakota
Present Position: Clinical Psychologist
Inpatient Psychiatry/MeritCare Health System
Fargo, ND
How to Apply
Applicants must have or be near completion of a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited program in either clinical or counseling psychology including an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship to apply. However the successful applicant must have completed the doctoral degree before being eligible for employment. Applicants who are committed to a scientist-practitioner model, have a clinical background in behavioral therapies, and have an interest in health related research are preferred.
A letter of intent describing personal training objectives, a curriculum vita, any representative publications, and three letters of recommendation should be sent to the following address:
Patrick O. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor and Fellowship Director
UMMC, Department of Family Medicine
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216
E-mail: posmith@familymed.umsmed.edu
Phone: 601.984.5425
Fax: 601.984.6835
Helpful Websites
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Baptist Health Systems
Jackson MS Visitors and Convention Bureau
Mississippi Division of Tourism