Interview With a Board Certified Specialist

Samantha Glass, PhD, ABPP
Clinical Neuropsychology

Received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her internship at the University of Illinois-Chicago and her fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her professional career began at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis where she gained valuable experience working with a highly diverse and complex patient population. She recently transitioned to the Minneapolis VA where she works with adult and geriatric populations who are referred for outpatient evaluation from a variety of sources. Dr. Glass is also developing her role as a mentor and supervisor by incorporating a larger training component into her practice.

Q.  What motivated you to seek board certification in neuropsychology?
A.  The importance of a standardized assessment of knowledge and peer review process that emphasizes quality and standards of practice has been ingrained in me since I began my neuropsychology training. Board certification has thus always been a goal for me. I truly believe in this model that not only reinforces that I have met standards set forth by advanced neuropsychology practitioners but also provides a public benefit. Just as medicine has a board certification process, I feel that ABPP provides valuable information to the public to help make consumers aware of our level and specificity of training.

Q. Looking back, what misconceptions did you have about the ABPP/ABCN credentialing and examination process that you would like future applicants to know?
A.  I did not have any real misconceptions, just difficulty fully believing certain points that are frequently mentioned by previous candidates and all over the prep materials (i.e., ABCN website, BRAIN website, Oxford book). First off, while the oral exam is by no means a casual walk in the park, I found it to be a truly collegial experience. I felt that the examiners were there to assess my knowledge and observe my process and contrary to my worst fears, I had no sense that they were looking for any excuse to fail me or trip me up. Second, the board certification process does not move quickly and the longer you drag it out, the longer it will take. It is very easy to let a few months slip into a year to find the "perfect" work sample, which is a fruitless task to begin with. There is no "perfect" work sample. You only need to pick cases that best represent the scope of your practice.

Q. What was the most challenging/interesting/surprising aspect of the board certification process?
A.  I think the most challenging part of the process for me was the written exam, both in terms of setting up and maintaining a reasonable study schedule and accepting that I was simply not going to be able to learn everything. I think all neuropsychologists tend to be anxious overachievers, but when you get to the point where you are scouring medical texts to understand the microbiology of cell layers, it's time to take a step back and remember the big picture. Studying with others can be very helpful in both regards (i.e., keeping you on task and for occasional reality checks).

Q. What might you consider doing differently based on what you learned?
A.  As mentioned above, I think that I may have over studied a little bit for the written exam. Even so, I do thoroughly appreciate all the knowledge I gained as this is information that I use very regularly. Everyone will be different in terms of what feels right, but remember that there are no bonus points for a high score. You only need to pass. If you have the time and inclination, go for it, but try not to make yourself crazy either.

Q. What advice would you give to a candidate for board certification in neuropsychology?
A.  Don't do it alone! For the written exam, find at least one study partner and ideally a whole study group. Peers are great for camaraderie, commiseration and accountability. Try to include at least one group member with expertise in a different lifespan area.  If you focus on adult neuropsychological populations, find a pediatric counterpart. You will definitely appreciate the different developmental perspective and also the help with understanding syndromes that you know less about. Also give yourself enough time to enjoy the study process. This is your field and almost everything you are studying will be relevant to your everyday work.
For the orals, practice as much as you can. Maybe start with colleagues and members of your study group to practice timing. Be sure not to underestimate the importance of attention to the clock during the fact finding. Being able to appropriately budget your time takes practice. Also try to do a couple of practice orals with a colleague who is currently boarded and really try to do at least one with someone you do not know. Personally, I would prioritize the fact finding in these practice sessions. But it is a great bonus if you can also get someone to do a practice session with your work samples.

Q. ABCN encourages applications from under-represented minority groups in neuropsychology. What advice would you give a minority applicant?
A.  I find it difficult to offer advice in an area where everyone's experiences are so unique and where my own minority status is not so readily apparent. But I can speak out of my own experience. Generally people are very surprised to learn that I am Hispanic, raised with both heavy Mexican and Cuban influences. My ethnic background is not immediately obvious because I have albinism. Despite my Latin roots, I appear to be Caucasian and thus am not familiar with the day to day experience of being perceived as an ethnic minority. I am, however, very familiar with the daily experience of an individual living with a disability. Another feature of albinism is that I am legally blind. I am not totally blind and do not require a cane, but I must hold regular print fairly close to read it. I do not drive and I will not recognize you waving to me from across the room.
It has taken some time, but I have come to appreciate more and more that I am not going to change anyone else's mind about me, only they can do that. All I can do is be myself and have faith that my professional interactions and clinical work will speak for themselves. I think that a particular area of personal difficulty has been in overcoming my own preconceived notions as to what I am, or am not capable of. The best solution has been to push myself and to challenge my self-imposed limits. Feedback and support from friends and colleagues has proved invaluable in this regard. Through this process I feel that I have worked to become the best neuropsychologist I can be right now. There is always room for growth over time and I look forward to being able to continue to refine my skills while still working to the best of my capabilities in the moment.

Q. What did you learn about yourself, or in what ways do you see yourself differently having completed the board certification process?
A.  An increased sense of pride and self-confidence have been great gifts courtesy of the board certification process. I now feel quite honored to consider myself part of a broader community of nationally-recognized neuropsychology specialty providers. I will also say that as someone who has recently been on the job market, I feel that board certification bestowed an increased sense of confidence in my abilities, allowing me to more easily present myself as a capable provider and potential asset to new employers. I also believe that having the knowledge that I had already demonstrated a nationally-recognized level of competence, could only serve to improve my position as a qualified candidate in the eyes of potential employers.

Q. What have you found most valuable or rewarding about board certification?
A.  I feel a great deal of satisfaction in having accomplished a goal I set for myself way back in graduate school. I take pride in being recognized by more experienced practitioners in my field as conducting a solid practice. I am honored to now call myself a board certified neuropsychologist, practicing at the highest level of standards in my field.

Q. How has your professional life changed since attaining board certification?
A.  My confidence in my skills as a neuropsychologist has definitely increased. I am also more comfortable acknowledging when I do not know something and accepting that as reasonable because I feel fully confident in my ability to seek out relevant information as needed. The board certification process definitely widened my knowledge base but amazingly enough, being boarded does not mean I have mastered the field of neuropsychology! Rather, board certification indicates that I have the skills necessary to be a competent practitioner. I think one of the most valuable lessons we can learn is to understand our own knowledge and competencies and be able and willing to seek out additional information or consultation when we move beyond those limits.

Q. What is the most interesting/challenging/rewarding/fulfilling aspect of your work as a neuropsychologist?
A.  I began my graduate training on track to be a researcher. I love being presented with a problem or question, strategizing ways to go about answering that question, collecting data and then making sense of it all. When I found that the clinical world rather than academia was my calling, little did I know that neuropsychology would fit me perfectly.  I relish the puzzle that each patient represents. All aspects of my evaluation represent a piece of that puzzle and every day I get to dive into the fun challenge of putting it together and revealing the hidden picture. But I always remember a very wise statement a mentor shared with me early in my training: While we are neuropsychologists, we are first and foremost psychologists. For all the fun and excitement in the puzzle and its solution, I feel the true value comes from taking that information and making it meaningful to my patients and their families. I find it very satisfying to help them understand how neurological functioning translates into everyday functioning and the various factors that mediate that relationship. 

Q. What would readers be most surprised to learn about you?
A.  I had not even heard of neuropsychology until rather late in graduate school and I was very concerned about my ability to "catch up" and be competitive with those who had been immersed in the field from the beginning of their graduate training.  There also was the not so small problem of administering tests with my visual disability. Thus in pursuing a career in clinical neuropsychology, I did have some very concrete obstacles to tackle. I also faced the challenge of overcoming my own perceived limitations, and at times, the limitations others would try to impose upon me. My path to becoming a board certified neuropsychologist has not been easy by any means, but few things worth attaining ever are.