The Post-Doctoral Psychology Fellowships in Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology, overseen by Dana-Farber's Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, train candidates who are interested in pursuing a career in pediatric psychosocial oncology.
Designed for applicants who have received internship training in pediatric or child psychology, the program offers a curriculum of specialized learning experiences that allows fellows to enter professional practice at the end of the program with highly developed skills to address the needs of this population.
Fellows have the opportunity to augment their existing skills in behavioral medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, family/systems interventions, and other approaches to help children with cancer and their families. Fellows also develop new skills that facilitate coping, promote adherence, and utilize the strengths of the family and larger systems.
The program places a high value on developing skills in case formulation, treatment planning, and delivery of evidence-based interventions. Fellows come to integrate into their work a biopsychosocial and developmental perspective that focuses on understanding and ameliorating the impact of cancer on the developing child and his/her family.
While fellows are primarily trained in specialized rotations, they also have opportunities during the fellowship year to expand their specialized experience by working with other oncology populations and in other programs, so that they enter the field with a well-rounded experience base.