To whom it may concern:

I teach the course, Research Internship in Clinical Psychology, at Carnegie Mellon University. I am seeking additional research mentors for this summer. You have been recommended as someone who might be interested in mentoring one of the students.

A course description and a copy of last year's syllabus is enclosed. The course involves both didactic and "hands-on" experience. Each week, students spend 4 hours in formal seminars and 20-25 hours participating in psychological/medical research. In addition, they have weekly meetings with the Teaching Assistant. Specifically, students participate in several activities:

1. Seminar in Clinical Research and Practice
2. Seminar in Professional and Ethical Issues in Clinical Psychology
3. Conference with Teaching Assistant
4. Clinical research internship (20-25 hours per week)
5. Additional meetings and activities which vary from year to year

The role of the research mentor is to provide a clinical research opportunity for the intern and to serve as a role model. Many of our students are considering careers in psychiatry, psychology or related professions. Therefore, the opportunity to interact on an ongoing basis with a member of one of these professions can be helpful to them in developing a more realistic perspective on what it is like to be a psychologist or psychiatrist or in a related profession.

In the clinical research context, a primary course objective is to help students to integrate theory and clinical research practice; it is enormously helpful for students to see how theory is applied in the conduct of actual clinical research. As described in the syllabus, classroom activities and course requirements are geared toward ensuring that interns are prepared to participate in research.

Although each placement varies in terms of specific focus and content, students are typically involved in all phases of ongoing research including: conducting literature searches; reviewing patient interviews; assisting in the development of questionnaires; helping to devise coding systems and participating in all phases of data collection, collation and management. Some mentors arrange for interns to observe rounds and to participate in structured interviews.

As a part of the mentoring role, mentors meet with the intern weekly for a minimum of 45 minutes a week. While a few mentors delegate the daily supervision of the intern to a senior member of their project staff, most devote considerably more time to the effort and with auspicious results! A number of students collaborate with and/or work for the mentors at some point after the internship is over.

Feedback from the students reveals that in the past, some mentors have arranged truly exceptional experiences for them. These included:

• exposing them to ongoing research project meetings
• allowing them to observe clinical rounds
• setting-up meetings for the intern with various members of the project staff so that the student develops a comprehensive grasp of the scope of the project and the role of the various research team members
• arranging for the intern to meet one-on-one with mental health professionals from the gamut of mental health professions
• using the weekly meeting times to watch "made for training purposes" videotapes of psychotherapy and to teach the intern about the process of psychotherapy

I am very much interested in exploring the possibility of your serving as a research mentor. If you have any questions, feel free to call me 371-9801 or to e-mail me: lf0j@andrew.cmu.edu. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lynn Friedman, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist