Applying for practicums can be crazy! The deadlines are all over place, requirements vary between sites, and the applications all look different!
Why do deadlines and applications vary so much?
While the internship process is very standardized, the practicum experience is not. Practicums are not currently a requirement for certification and are not endorsed by the ACLP. This leads to a gap when it comes to practicum applications. Practicums can be a very beneficial experience, but each hospital does what works best for them when it comes to deadlines and requirements.
Some hospitals take interns and practicum students, so they have to move their deadlines around so that they aren’t getting applications and interviewing both sets of students at the same time!
The length of the practicum can vary a lot too! Some programs do a full-time three week program where others might do a once per week program over the span of a semester. This causes a lot of differences in deadlines and offer days.
How can I use the varying deadlines to my advantage?
If you want to look at the glass half full, then you can use the deadlines to your advantage. Make a list of the hospitals you are interested in, and make note of the deadlines. Start by applying to the ones with the earliest deadlines and move your way down the list. This can allow you to space out interviews, gain more experience, and slowly get applications in rather than a big push all at once.
Without a set, universal offer date there is a little more wiggle room on how things work.
How did I navigate the challenges of varying offer dates?
I received my practicum offer in a bit of an unconventional way. Like most of you, I had random deadlines for applications and offer dates. After a few interviews, I received an offer from the hospital I was least excited about. Meanwhile, I felt really good about one of my previous interviews. After a stressful day of trying to wait on this other hospital without turning down my one other offer, I decided to reach out to my top choice.
I sent them an email stating that I really enjoyed meeting them and that they were my top choice hospital, but that I had received an offer from another hospital and I really didn’t want to risk turning it down and not getting another opportunity.
To my surprise, they emailed back offering me the position! I was shocked. I didn’t even know you could do that?
All that to say, if you are open and honest things might just work out for you. Had my top choice hospital come back to me and said, we can’t make an offer at this time, I would have gone with the other offer and been ecstatic for the opportunity! But the ability to reach out and just be honest ended with good results.
There are way less rules around practicums, so use this to your advantage!
