Health Psychology Fellow - Focus on Oncology

This fellowship focuses on psychosocial oncology. Tell me about your experience working with patients who have cancer.

What they are checking: Whether they have foundational oncology exposure and real interest in the fellowship's main emphasis.

How do you communicate findings to physicians and nurses who need quick, practical recommendations?

What they are checking: Whether they can translate psychological findings into clear, useful notes for a medical team.

The fellowship includes teaching and research. What research interests would you bring?

What they are checking: Whether they have scholarly interests that fit health psychology and will engage in departmental research.

Tell me about a time a patient's distress affected you personally. How did you take care of yourself?

What they are checking: Whether they have healthy ways to manage the emotional load of oncology and end-of-life work.

What are your professional goals after this fellowship year?

What they are checking: Whether the fellowship fits a clear career path in health psychology, which shapes training priorities.

A patient is not taking their medications as prescribed, and the medical team asks you to help. How do you approach it?

What they are checking: Whether they explore real barriers with the patient and work with the team rather than labeling the patient noncompliant.

How would you approach a pre-transplant psychological evaluation?

What they are checking: Whether they understand what transplant teams need, such as adherence risk, support systems and substance use history.

Walk me through how you would treat depression in a patient who is also dealing with a serious medical illness.

What they are checking: Whether they can separate medical symptoms from depression and adapt therapy to a medically ill patient.

What evidence-based approaches do you use for chronic pain management?

What they are checking: Whether they know approaches like CBT for pain and acceptance-based therapy and can apply them.

How would you evaluate a patient before bariatric surgery?

What they are checking: Whether they understand eating behaviors, mental health and readiness factors that affect bariatric outcomes.

Inpatient consults can be short and interrupted. How do you adapt your therapy approach to a hospital bedside?

What they are checking: Whether they can deliver focused, brief interventions in a medical setting rather than traditional 50-minute sessions.