Solid Organ Transplant
This externship is ideally suited for advanced clinical psychology doctoral students seeking comprehensive training in pediatric psychology. Direct supervision will be provided by Kaushal Amatya, Ph.D., pediatric psychologist.
The Divisions of Nephrology and Cardiology provide kidney and heart transplant services to children aged 0-17 and follow-up care to patients up to age 21. The transplant teams are multidisciplinary and include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse educators, dietitians, social workers, child life specialists, pharmacists and psychologist. Psychological services include transplant readiness evaluations, adjustment to diagnosis and treatment, preparation for transplant and follow-up care for adjustment and adherence. Non-adherence to medications and medical recommendations is the primary presentation for therapeutic services. It is prevalent in a significant portion of the transplant population and is associated with poor graft survival and shorter life expectancy. Psychosocial difficulties can lead to or contribute to non-adherence and need to be monitored regularly. Additionally, psychology is involved in dialysis clinic and provides services to children and adolescents receiving dialysis as renal replacement therapy.