Training Program
The UAMS Pediatric Psychology Fellowship Program is a multi-site postdoctoral program consisting of three full-time, 12-month positions, with the fellowship providing 2,000 hours of supervised training (which meets Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers standards and Arkansas Psychology Board licensure requirements for postdoctoral training hours). The Fellowship program is part of a comprehensive interdisciplinary training effort within the Department of Pediatrics at UAMS and involves other trainees such as medical fellows, residents, students, social work interns, and speech/language pathology interns. In addition, psychologists are embedded in other sections within the Department of Pediatrics (i.e., Children at Risk, Adolescent Medicine, Behavioral Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation). The Fellowship is under the direction of the Section of Pediatric Psychology and Schmieding Developmental Center, which consists of 17 doctoral-level psychologists, three postdoctoral fellows and three master’s-level psychological examiners. The fellowship consists of two tracks: pediatric psychology (Little Rock) and pediatric neuropsychology (Northwest Arkansas). Please see our handbook for additional information.
Pediatric Psychology Track (Two Positions)
The Pediatric Psychology Track includes rotations in Arkansas Children’s Hospital outpatient clinics, inpatient consultation and the UAMS James L. Dennis Developmental Center with 60% of the clinical rotations being pediatric psychology focused. Fellows in the Pediatric Psychology Track are housed at the Little Rock site with the Pediatric Psychology Section. Please see the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and James L. Dennis Developmental Center descriptions below for rotation and training details
Pediatric Neuropsychology Track (One Position)
The Pediatric Neuropsychology Track has a focus on assessment with a minimum of 50% assessment per rotation and allows for pediatric and neuropsychology opportunities. This program also satisfies requirements for board certification in pediatric neuropsychology as part of a two year training program through the clinical training and additional structured didactics/seminars. Fellows in the neuropsychology track are housed in Lowell, Arkansas in the Schmieding Developmental Center. Please see the Schmieding Developmental Center description below for rotation and training details.
COVID-19 Specific Updates
Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS are dedicated to providing safe and patient-centered care. While we anticipate services will return to in-person by the start of the training year, UAMS and ACH have worked hard to build telehealth programs that will continue beyond the COVID-19 crisis. There will continue to be a combination of in-person and virtual clinical and educational experiences.
Additional Information
Training Locations and Resources
The Department of Pediatrics at UAMS has over 200 faculty members and provides its clinical services through Arkansas Children’s system, which is the sixth largest pediatric hospital in the nation and provides outstanding clinical facilities. Working at both UAMS and ACH, fellows also have access to both the UAMS and ACH medical libraries, employee health, fitness center and campus resources. Fellows share dedicated office space in the section where faculty offices are also located. Fellows receive administrative support from the psychology fellowship coordinator and office manager. The fellows are provided laptops with carrying bags, docking stations, desks, additional filing cabinets, pagers, telephones, business cards and access to a variety of training materials including books. Fellows receive training in Epic Hyperspace, the electronic medical record system used on campus.
Little Rock
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the primary pediatric medical center and only pediatric Trauma 1 facility in Arkansas. Known for being one of the largest pediatric medical providers in the country with 359 beds and spanning 36 city blocks, ACH proudly provides world-class medical care to children and families throughout Arkansas and surrounding areas. Pediatric Psychology Fellows cover several outpatient medical clinics including Cardiology, CPAP Adherence, Pulmonary/CF, GI/Liver, High-Risk Newborn, Audiology and Hearing Impairment, Weight Management, Sleep, Burn/Plastics, and Chronic Pain. Also, fellows cover the Inpatient Consultation/Liaison Service for all of ACH. Fellows may select from various elective experiences, which include developmental disabilities, research, medical crisis and loss and various pediatric subspecialty outpatient clinics. ACH takes a patient-family-centered care approach that includes several patient and family-led initiatives and an extensive Family Engagement Center. For more information on specific clinics, resources and programs please see the Arkansas Children’s website.
UAMS James L. Dennis Developmental Center
The James L. Dennis Developmental Center is an outpatient interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment center that serves a variety of patient populations with a focus on children with developmental, learning, and/or behavioral problems from birth through 18 years of age. In the DDC, fellows can participate in psychoeducational assessment, autism spectrum disorders, behavioral assessment, multidisciplinary team assessment, and psychotherapy. For more information on specific clinics, resources and programs, please see the UAMS James L. Dennis Developmental Center website.
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
The Pediatric Psychology track is partially funded by a grant to the Partners for Inclusive Communities. Fellows in Little Rock participate in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities interdisciplinary training program. The LEND program is federally funded through the Maternal Child Health Bureau. The purpose of the LEND program is to provide trainees with experiences to competently apply knowledge and skills to the care of persons with developmental disabilities and their families; effectively participate in an interdisciplinary process of designing, evaluating, and implementing programs; and effectively work in an interprofessional team. In addition to these clinical and training experiences, the fellows are encouraged to initiate research and/or participate in ongoing faculty research efforts. For more information please see the AUCD LEND website.
Living in Little Rock
As the capital city of Arkansas, Little Rock provides many of the benefits of living in a large city, without the negative aspects such as traffic congestion and high cost of living. The population of the greater Little Rock area is approximately 500,000. Fellows enjoy spending time outdoors at Pinnacle Mountain, the River Trail, and Eureka Springs. There are numerous community events and among Fellow favorites are Trivia Nights, Science After Dark, Brew at the Zoo, Shop and Sip, Arkansas Travelers baseball games, and food festivals. The resort city of Hot Springs is a one-hour drive from Little Rock and the Ozark Mountains are a two-hour drive. Stretching along the Arkansas River, Little Rock is truly a wonderful place to live, work and play. Little Rock is also home to the Clinton Presidential Library. The city sits among the gently rolling hills of central Arkansas. Summers can be hot at times while winter remains mild for the most part, with occasional snowfall. Arkansas boasts all her beauty in spring and fall with endless flowers in the spring and vibrant colors in the fall. The weather during these seasons can truly be described as perfect.
Lowell, Arkansas
UAMS Schmieding Developmental Center
The Schmieding Developmental Center is an outpatient interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment center also serving a variety of patient populations with a focus on neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental assessments, complex learning problems, multidisciplinary team assessments, medical psychology, and concussion management from birth through 18 years of age. The outpatient clinics operate similarly with a medical psychologist and resident providing support in these clinical settings as requested by subspecialists. Get more information on clinics and programs at the SDC website.
Living in Northwest Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas is the fastest-growing area in the state. It also offers many benefits of living in a big city such as performing arts, concerts, a minor league baseball team, and is home to the Arkansas Razorbacks with great opportunities to enjoy collegiate sports in the SEC. Bentonville is becoming a culinary and art destination and is home to Crystal Bridges and a growing number of restaurants and art galleries.
Bentonville also hosts a film festival in May, attracting top celebrities and independent filmmakers around the nation, while Fayetteville has a nationally renowned local theatre featuring original works as well as touring acts. The temperatures remain moderate much of the year and residents enjoy four seasons, and many outdoor activities including water sports, hiking, biking and an amazing system of walking trails that connect Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas, is ranked the fifth best place to live by U.S. News & World Report.