Revised December 16, 2024
2025-2026
The Emory University School of Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology is based in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics and the Division of Neurosciences & Rehabilitation Medicine (Division of Neuropsychology and Behavioral Health). The program has been in existence since 1979. The program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The two-year, neuropsychology positions in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Neuropsychology Division of Neurosciences have been reviewed and approved for affiliation with APPCN. In addition, the American Board of Forensic Psychology offers a waiver of the five-year requirement for applicants who successfully complete our approved formal postdoctoral residency training program in forensic psychology; our forensic psychology positions have been determined to meet the criteria for the experience waiver.
The program leadership includes a Director of the Postdoctoral Residency Program (Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP) and three Associate Directors (Dorian A. Lamis, PhD, ABPP – Associate Director for Grady Health System and Emory Healthcare - Brain Health Center; Erica D. Marshall-Lee, PhD, ABPP – Associate Director for Advocacy and Diversity; David J. Marcus, PhD, ABPP – Associate Director for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Neuropsychology Training). There is also a Postdoctoral Residency Steering Committee, which includes the program’s leadership team along with faculty supervisors associated with each of the positions and two postdoctoral residents.
The Emory University School of Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program in Health Service Psychology is rich in resources as it is embedded within Emory University, a leading academic institution. It prepares trainees for Health Service Psychology – Clinical at an advanced level of competence. The competencies that are the focus of the residency include (1) professionalism (professional values, attitudes and behaviors), (2) communication and interpersonal skills, (3) individual and cultural diversity, (4) ethical and legal standards, (5) integration of science and practice, (6) assessment, (7) intervention, (8) consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills, (9) research, (10) supervision and (11) advocacy.
The residency program includes positions at a university affiliated public health system in downtown Atlanta (Grady Health System); through a children’s hospital system (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta); and through an academic health sciences center (Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health). All psychologists are faculty members in the medical school and are detailed in the attached compendium. In addition, various physicians contribute to the residency as conference leaders, presenters and supervisors and appear in the attached compendium. The experiences of the postdoctoral residency training are determined largely by the setting(s) in which the resident is involved. The strength of this academic health sciences center postdoctoral residency lies in the diversity of opportunities available, the priority placed on teaching and training and the rich clinical-research environment.
The residency program strives to provide exemplary postdoctoral training consistent with a scientist-practitioner-educator-advocate model. The training is developmental and contextual in nature and centered on the individual needs and goals of each postdoctoral resident. There is a shared value on social justice among the faculty and the residents and a genuine commitment to honoring diversity and inclusiveness. See Diversity Engagement: Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on our website, which underscores our community’s values about individual and cultural diversity and our approach to engaging in conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. While our expertise is in developing health service psychologists for leadership roles that combine clinical service, research, education and advocacy our ultimate commitment is to help our residents define, articulate and progress towards their own chosen career path.
The faculty associated with the residency program, as well as the administration of the relevant departments and programs, highly value postdoctoral education and training. The program is consistent with the Emory University School of Medicine’s emphasis on training leaders who demonstrate outstanding ability in service including community involvement and advocacy, scholarship and education/training.
The residency program is typically a one-year full-time experience, with exceptions made for personal reasons (e.g., birth of a child, family leave). However, both the Adult Neuropsychology residency position in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Pediatric Neuropsychology position at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are two-year full-time experiences, consistent with the guidelines set forth by the Association of Postdoctoral Programs in Clinical Neuropsychology (APPCN). By the completion of the residency, all residents have the requisite 2000 hours, minimum of three hours per week of face-to-face supervision (at least two of which are individual supervision) and direct service experiences needed for licensure in the State of Georgia, as well as all other jurisdictions that fall within the rubric of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.