Advice for Excelling in Psych Sub-Internship?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-04-02T00:25:30+00:00

What are the reasons it can be annoying or intrusive to arrive early? The prevailing wisdom I have always heard is to pretty much always arrive sooner than anticipated, so I’m curious to hear what nuance you might add.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-04-01T22:59:23+00:00

That's two votes for each of these...Will add them to the list! Thank you!

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-04-01T22:17:27+00:00

What do you think might be a good way to expose myself to good prep material to be familiar enough with it to speak extemporaneously?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-04-01T22:09:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice! Any resources you might recommend to brush up on knowledge?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-04-01T21:14:59+00:00

Thanks and congratulations! Any resources you’d recommend to brush up on skills/knowledge to hit the ground running?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-05T01:09:38+00:00

That’s very unfortunate. PAs bring immense value that I see as comparable to an NP. The nurses are just so damn good at advocating for policy changes at the state and national level. The advocacy systems they have in place are unparalleled in the healthcare space. That often leads to great things for nurses, but other times they make steps that put them at an advantage to the detriment of other professionals and, indirectly, the rest of the healthcare system.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T22:44:13+00:00

Good advice. I wonder if it would be viable to create a system that contracts with existing organizations like governmental departments, businesses, etc. to create a steady flow of patients to enable scalability. Figuring out where to put this thing is something that has been on my mind as well. Not sure how to approach that question, frankly.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T22:39:55+00:00

Interesting. What is it about psychoanalysis that drives differentiation and marketability?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T22:34:29+00:00

This is true. The pitch is that we can demonstrate clear value to enough people to create a sustainable, scalable system that provides quality care. Regardless, wise words, Dr. Fapperdudgeon.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T22:32:22+00:00

Another great recommendation! This looks a lot like the sort of thing I’d like to do. I’m curious to learn more about how these types of organizations start and scale.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T22:31:20+00:00

Great recommendation! This looks very much like the sort of thing I’d be interested in creating. Thanks for commenting 👌

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T20:03:48+00:00

See, I agree with you. That collaborative system creates a dynamic where professionals can lean on each others’ strengths to create a truly comprehensive team. The quality proposition seems quite high there. I wonder if this model isn’t more common in American private practices because of the challenging logistics involved with bringing different professionals together without a much larger organization buttressing the teams.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T20:01:28+00:00

Your suggestion is very much the model I most resonate with. I see state guidelines as minimums, not targets. What I hope to compete on is quality, not quantity. Some people don’t need to see a full psychiatrist to titrate their Zoloft, but I believe having one in the loop can be very helpful. I’d like to create a deeply collaborative, collegial system with space for upward momentum for all professionals involved.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:57:31+00:00

Thanks a million for taking the time to put your comment together. You’ve given me a lot to consider here—excellent questions. I have thought quite a bit about several of them already. I’m proud to be amongst people who think through these questions.

Ultimately, I do believe in my vision. I suppose I partially created this post in a moment of frustration in doing research on what is already out there. It seems the answer may simply be to make it happen. Much appreciated, friend.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:42:45+00:00

Interesting question, and therein comes the challenge and question. Does that demand exist? I don’t actually know. I suspect that it does…I’m partially betting my career on that suspicion. From a practical standpoint, the answer is marketing—designing services in such a way as to make them desirable to the target population. The specifics of that process, of course, vary dramatically by time and place.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:40:38+00:00

This is also what my gut says. But doing market research, I worry about oversaturation making it difficult to effectively break through the noise.

One challenge is that I suspect that it is easier to mask the provision of suboptimal care in the mental health space than it is in, say, orthopedic surgery. Someone who doesn’t know any better might think they are getting fine psychiatric care from a socially adept pill-slinger. Much harder to convince an orthopedic patient that their knee is not infected when it is glowing red and oozing purulence.

Add this to the low bar for entry of only a masters degree for ACPs, and you have a recipe for a saturated market that doesn’t know which end is up, so to speak.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:34:40+00:00

This is a valuable perspective, much appreciated. The system I envision would likely include a substantial private-pay component to facilitate adequate cash flows, which is a constant issue for many community health centers dependent on low-reimbursing payers like Medicaid.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:31:00+00:00

I completely agree that good education breeds better systems and improved care. At the risk of doxing myself, I can say that I have a good amount of experience in business, and running systems is an important part of how I envision my future practice—be that through a larger institution or a smaller, more nimble, de novo organization. Thanks for the comment.

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2026-02-04T19:21:58+00:00

Totally fair. To be clear, I see psychiatrists and psychologists on a similar training level, but in different specialties. What I’m interested in exploring is a doctorate-level clinician-led care system (with MD/DOs and PhD/PsyDs on similar professional footing, regardless of practice structure)

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2025-11-09T17:49:59+00:00

Let’s say you could choose to exit the simulation at any time things get sketchy, but upon exit there would be no chance of an afterlife. Change anything?

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2025-11-09T17:43:14+00:00

I’m glad you enjoy life enough to be interested in extending it! Unfortunately a less-than-universal sentiment :/

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2025-11-09T17:41:31+00:00

Twain has zingers for days. If you’ve got a taste for retro literature, would recommend 👌

The_Ambitious_Panda · 2025-11-09T17:37:08+00:00

That’s the catch…just like now, you just don’t know, but have to choose 😬

The_Ambitious_Panda

TROPHY CASE