Career Opportunities

The psychosocial oncology post-doctoral fellowship is a training opportunity focused on preparing for a career in health psychology/behavioral medicine with a specific emphasis on psychosocial oncology. The fellowship includes the provision of direct clinical services to a diverse adult oncology population within a community-based cancer center. The post-doctoral fellow will provide clinical services in the ambulatory and acute care setting, including evidence-based interventions for the oncology population and health behavior interventions (e.g., tobacco cessation, CBT-I). Additional clinical training opportunities include consultation on multidisciplinary oncology teams aimed at providing care optimization by addressing the social and behavioral determinants of health that impact treatment adherence and healthcare inequity. There are additional opportunities for minor rotations in areas of Psychosocial Oncology and Health Psychology. The post-doctoral fellow will also gain training in the provision of supervision to psychology interns/externs/psychiatry residents, program development, and research in accordance with training goals.

Faculty:

·      Shannon Virtue, Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist in Psychosocial Oncology; Clinical Lead of Embedded Psychology and Associate Director of Psychology Training

·       Megan McMahon, Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist in Psychosocial Oncology

·       Hillary Howrey, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist and Director Psychosocial Oncology

Program Overview

Fellows work approximately 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, and will spend 50-75% of their time in face-to-face direct service delivery. Most of the training time is spent in the rotation chosen, however there may be opportunities to shadow or complete minor rotations in other areas of the health system. There may be an opportunity for remote work. Our psychosocial oncology fellowship is a full-time, one-year program (minimum 1,500 hours) and designed to meet the licensure requirements for post-doctoral supervised practice.

In addition to clinical work, our fellows participate in weekly post-doctoral meetings. This time is dedicated to post-doctoral didactic training, group supervision, and professional development. Each fellow is expected to complete a scholarly project which allows for the fellow to dive deeper into clinical interest areas of research, quality improvement, community outreach or program development.

Fellows receive a minimum of one hour of individual supervision for every 10 hours of direct clinical time by a licensed psychologist. Track specific group supervision, specialty didactics and Behavioral Heath Grand Rounds are also offered. Fellows also join our faculty in providing supervision, training and didactics, case conference and journal club for psychology interns, externs, and psychiatry fellows.

Start Date:

Flexible start between July 1- September 2, 2025

ChristianaCare

Our mission is one of service. We believe that the key to providing truly great health care is to partner with our patients and their families, building a system of care that is effective, affordable, and valuable to everyone who is touched by it.

ChristianaCare, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, is one of the country’s largest health care providers, ranking 21st in the nation for hospital admissions.  ChristianaCare is a teaching hospital system with three campuses and more than 250 Medical-Dental residents and fellows. ChristianaCare is recognized as a regional center for excellence in cardiology, cancer, and women’s health services.

A not-for-profit, non-sectarian health system, ChristianaCare includes more than 1,100 patient beds, a home health care service, preventive medicine, rehabilitation services, a network of primary care physicians and an extensive range of outpatient services.  With more than 11,100 employees, ChristianaCare is the largest private employer in Delaware and among the top 10 in the Philadelphia region.

ChristianaCare has an extensive behavioral health team that is comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed professional counselors, and psychiatric nurse practitioners who work throughout the health care system to improve the health and well-being of the patients we serve.

ChristianaCare is centrally located between many metropolitan areas. Wilmington is a 30-minute drive to Philadelphia, 90-minute drive to Baltimore, and two hours to Washington D.C. and New York City.  It is close to many Brandywine Valley attractions such as Longwood Gardens, Winterthur Estate and The Delaware Museum of Art. It is also less than two hours from Delaware’s many beautiful beaches.

Salary and Benefits

Psychology post-doctoral fellows will receive a stipend of $64,315, subject to withholding of relevant federal, state, and local taxes. Fellows also are awarded $2,225 stipend for conferences, workshops, licensure study materials and licensure registration cost. Fellows are eligible for 32 days of paid leave and 5 additional days for conference attendance or professional development. Medical, prescription and dental insurances are offered. Full access is granted to our extensive medical library and on-site gym. Fellows are supplied a laptop for use and parking is free.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must have a PhD or PsyD in clinical, counseling, or health psychology from an APA- or CPA-accredited program or regionally accredited institution of higher learning and expect to complete an APA or CPA-accredited internship. Selected candidates for post-doctoral fellowship positions must complete all graduate degree requirements, including dissertation, and provide proof of completion of degree requirements prior to the start of fellowship. Applicants should have specialty training, clinical experience, and/or expressed interest in behavioral medicine. Candidates should be eligible for registration with the DE State Board of Psychology as a Psychological Assistant.

Diversity is one of ChristianaCare’s core values and is essential to achieving excellence in patient care, research, and education. We welcome applications from candidates who share our commitment to fostering a culture of respect, equity, and belonging. ChristianaCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information.

Application Process

Please email the following materials to psychpd@christianacare.org

Please Indicate Your name and PSYCHOSOCIAL ONCOLOGY in the subject line.

1.      A letter of support and recommendation from your current Internship Training Director addressing your strengths and areas of growth and indicting that you are in good standing to successfully complete your pre-doctoral internship (including completion date). If already completed, please include a copy of your pre-doctoral internship certificate.

2.      One additional letter of recommendation in support of your application. These letters should be from clinical or research supervisors and/or professional mentors who can accurately attest to your abilities.

3.      If you have not completed your dissertation at the time of application, we require a letter from your dissertation chairperson describing your dissertation status and timeline. Completion of the doctoral degree, including dissertation defense, is required prior to start of the residency. Failure to complete your degree requirements prior to the start of residency may result in the offer of training being rescinded.

4.      A copy of your curriculum vitae. This should include accreditation status of your graduate program and internship.

5.      A cover letter addressing your clinical and research experiences pertaining to clinical psychology and more specifically to behavioral medicine and psychosocial oncology. Please also describe your goals for our fellowship program.

6.      An unofficial copy of your graduate transcript.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Selected candidates will be invited for a virtual interview with faculty of the program.

For general questions please contact:

Diane McGuffin, Director of Training

Diane.mcguffin@christianacare.org

For psychosocial oncology track questions:

Shannon Virtue: shannon.virtue@christianacare.org