Interview With a Board Certified Specialist

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Specialist of the American Board of Professional Psychology in clinical neuropsychology, Director of Neuropsychology Clinics and Training in the Mental Health Care Group of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System, and an Associate Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Conjoint Associate Professor of Neurological Sciences in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center of Rush University Medical Center. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a specialization in neuroscience from Duke University, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. He received training in clinical neuropsychology and neuroimaging through various programs of Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital. He continued his clinical neuropsychology and neuroimaging activities during his internship and postdoctoral fellowship years at University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the San Diego VA Healthcare System, and as a junior faculty member of the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Han is interested in the study of factors that affect cognition and decision-making in aging. He also has special interests in using novel neuroimaging and statistical approaches to better understand these factors.  Dr. Han is the recipient of the Paul B. Beeson NIH K23 Career Development Award in aging research, which is supported by the National Institutes of Aging, the American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR), the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Starr Foundation. He is actively involved in peer review of grants and manuscripts, and has committee or mentorship roles in the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN), the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN), and Division 40 (Society for Clinical Neuropsychology) of the American Psychological Association.

Q. What motivated you to seek board certification in neuropsychology?
A.  I first learned about board certification as a practicum student from my first mentor in clinical neuropsychology, Dr. Aaron Nelson, ABPP-CN, who is the neuropsychology director at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  I remember vividly a conversation with him where he expressed one of the biggest challenges to the profession of clinical neuropsychology was standardization of practice excellence.  As a young, impressionable, and developing clinical neuropsychologist, his words had a big impact upon the development of my own views of the profession.  Mentors at other stages of my training, Dr. Mark Bondi, ABPP-CN, and Dr. Marc Norman, ABPP-CN, both at UCSD, also stressed the importance of board certification.  When I was a staff clinical neuropsychologist at Rush, Dr. Chris Grote, ABPP-CN, was another strong advocate for board certification.  These were mentors and colleagues that I wanted to professionally emulate, so I knew board certification would be a professional goal. 

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 felt like my understanding of credentialing was generally accurate given the strong mentorship I received about the process.  I will say that as a supervisor of practicum students, clinical interns, and postdoctoral fellows in clinical neuropsychology, I come across a number of misconceptions about the process among trainees.  One misconception is that some believe their training experiences alone would be enough to pass the credentialing process.  The process is rigorous, and preparation is required.  The BRAIN listserv (brain.aacnwiki.org) is a tremendous resource for preparation.  Another misconception I often hear is that some do not believe it is important.  It is becoming more common that board certification is a prerequisite for getting or maintaining employment, particularly among clinical positions.  In some instances, such as the VA system, it also leads to greater income generation.        

Q. What was the most challenging/interesting/surprising aspect of the board certification process?
A.  For me the written exam was the most challenging aspect.  I felt like my knowledge of behavioral neurology, psychometrics, and pediatric neuropsychology expanded significantly during my preparation for it.  The most interesting aspect was the oral exam, which I felt was simultaneously both challenging and supportive of my developed abilities as a clinical neuropsychologist.  

Q. What might you consider doing differently based on what you learned?
A.  I would allot more time in preparation for the written exam.  The questions often are complex and involve integration and application of multiple knowledge bases. 

Q. What advice would you give to a candidate for board certification in neuropsychology?
A.  My strong advice is to seek out as many mentors who have gone through the process as possible and ask for their advice.  Dr. Mark Bondi, ABPP-CN, was particularly supportive in helping me navigate through the early stages of the process, and Dr. Chris Grote, ABPP-CN, was particularly supportive in helping me navigate through the end stages of the process.  I am very grateful for their help and guidance.   
 
Q. ABCN encourages applications from under-represented minority groups in neuropsychology.  What advice would you give a minority applicant?
A.  I would strongly encourage applicants from an under-represented minority groups to apply early and to seek out mentors to help guide them through the process.  The more neuropsychologists from under-represented minority groups that become board-certified, the more they are able to exert their influence in the profession.   
 
Q. What did you learn about yourself, or in what ways do you see yourself differently having completed the board certification process?
A.  Attaining board certification is the highest credential for a clinical neuropsychologist.  In a sense, there is no higher badge of honor for a practicing clinical neuropsychologist.   

Q. What have you found most valuable or rewarding about board certification?
A.  Board certification is a significant reason why I was appointed Director of Neuropsychology at the VA Long Beach.  All clinical postdoctoral fellowships funded by the VA have to pursue APA accreditation, and APA stipulates that an APA-accredited neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship needs to have someone ABPP board-certified. 

Q. How has your professional life changed since attaining board certification?
A.  As I stated above, my current position as Director of Neuropsychology at the Long Beach VA was a direct result of being board-certified.  I also enjoy the network of AACN colleagues and mentoring others through the process. 
 
Q. What is the most interesting/challenging/rewarding/fulfilling aspect of your work as a neuropsychologist?
A.  I think the most interesting part about being a clinical neuropsychologist is being able to understand and explain the association of cognitive and psychological symptoms to a clinical condition when there might be some uncertainty.    
 
Q. What would readers be most surprised to learn about you?
A.  In an alternate universe I would be lead guitar player in an 80’s hair-band.  I’ve been in bands that have played in front of large groups of people and have written and recorded my own music.