psychosocial oncology fellowship
The Psychosocial Oncology Postdoctoral Fellowship is comprised of three primary components including; clinical training, didactic education in clinical health psychology, and scholarly research and/or program development/evaluation. This clinically focused training experience aims to develop the knowledge and skills necessary in providing evidence-based, culturally appropriate psychosocial clinical care to adults with cancer.
Clinical activities at the University of Colorado Hospital, CU Medicine ambulatory specialty clinics on the Anschutz Medical Campus and via telehealth are designed to prepare trainees for specialty clinical practice in psychosocial oncology by practicing in different modalities including individual counseling, assessment, group therapy, inpatient consultation-liaison, and psychoeducational group classes.
Additionally trainees will receive mentorship in psychosocial oncology research specific to underrepresented populations and other areas of clinical interest. Trainees will also have the opportunity to participate in didactic education, clinical research, quality improvement initiatives, and examination and board preparation for the Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
Applicants must complete an online application and upload all supplemental materials. Comprehensive directions are included in the online application.
Important Dates
- Application Open: September 1, 2026
- Virtual Open House: Date and time TBD
- Our faculty will be present to discuss fellowship training opportunities and to answer questions ahead of the application deadline.
- Email [email protected] to RSVP and receive the Zoom link.
- Application Deadline: November 23, 2026
- Virtual interviews will be scheduled the second week of December.
- Offers extended the week of December 14, 2026.
- Training Start Date: September 1, 2027
Please note, our program does not follow APPIC Universal Hold or Notification Process.
Apply Now
- Applicants must be enrolled in a PhD or PsyD program in clinical, counseling, or health psychology from an APA- or CPA-accredited program or regionally accredited institution of higher learning.
- Applicants should be enrolled in or have completed an APPIC, APA or CPA-accredited internship at the time of application.
- Applicants currently on internship will intend to have this completed by the program start date.
- Selected candidates for clinical health psychology postdoctoral fellowship positions must complete all graduate degree requirements, including dissertation, and provide proof of completion of degree requirements prior to starting the fellowship.
- The University of Colorado has a strong commitment to recruiting applicants of diverse backgrounds and identities, although all applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States at the time of fellowship.
The following documents are required with all applicant submissions:
- Brief cover letter indicating your interest in the Psychosocial Oncology Fellowship and how training in this program and track relates to your career goals.
- Updated Curriculum Vitae
- Completed Online Application
- Three reference letters emailed by writer to [email protected] per instructions on application form.
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salary and benefits
In conjunction with the NIH NRSA Stipend Levels trainees will receive the stipend rate of a Postdoc 0, subject to withholding of relevant federal, state, and local taxes. As a post-doctoral fellow, trainees are eligible for the benefit programs normally provided to postdoctoral fellows/trainees under the standard University of Colorado benefits programs, including health and life insurance. Liability insurance is provided by the Division of Medical Oncology.
The University of Colorado Cancer Center (UCCC) is the only National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Rocky Mountain region. A team of psychologists integrated into UCCC supports the unique psychosocial needs of adult patients facing hematological (blood) and medical oncology (solid tumor) cancers. The team provides individual counseling, pre-stem cell transplant assessments, couples and family counseling, group therapy and psychoeducational classes aimed at improving quality of life for individuals and families facing cancer.
This training track has shared supervision and clinical training between the Divisions of Medical Oncology (solid tumors) and Hematology Oncology (blood cancers, stem cell transplant), thus providing a distinctive breadth and depth of experience in psychosocial oncology. Hematology efforts include completing pre-transplant assessments, inpatient and outpatient psycho-oncology care, and establishing an individual case load. Medical oncology efforts include completing new patient intake assessments, carrying a therapeutic individual caseload, leading therapy groups, leading psychoeducational classes and inpatient consultation-liaison care. The fellow would spend four days per week providing clinical care.
The psychosocial oncology fellow also has the unique opportunity to participate in a research project or program development project during their training year. Prior students have assisted with data analysis and paper writing, served as interventionists on federally funded grants and/or developed novel clinical programs and conducted quality improvement efforts to examine their efficacy.
This training track has shared supervision and clinical training between the Divisions of Medical Oncology (solid tumors) and Hematology Oncology (blood cancers, stem cell transplant), thus providing a distinctive breadth and depth of experience in psychosocial oncology. Hematology efforts include completing pre-transplant assessments, inpatient and outpatient psycho-oncology care, and establishing an individual case load. Medical oncology efforts include completing new patient intake assessments, carrying a therapeutic individual caseload, leading therapy groups, leading psychoeducational classes and inpatient consultation-liaison care. The fellow would spend four days per week providing clinical care.
The psychosocial oncology fellow also has the unique opportunity to participate in a research project or program development project during their training year. Prior students have assisted with data analysis and paper writing, served as interventionists on federally funded grants and/or developed novel clinical programs and conducted quality improvement efforts to examine their efficacy.
We follow a developmental approach to training. Fellows begin by shadowing and training on psychosocial oncology via readings, lectures and webinars. The fellow then begins to practice independently with direct supervision, ultimately working to independent practice and managing an inpatient and outpatient caseload. We are committed to graduating health psychologists prepared for independent practice and will work with each fellow on their specific training goals.
They will also participate in monthly clinical case consultation, bimonthly patient loss support consultation and will attend the weekly BMT/Hematology Pre-Transplant/Pre-CAR-T “Pipeline” and "Patients of Concern” meetings. We have a large team of clinical health psychologists and researchers from whom fellows can receive specific supervision or mentorship.
There may be opportunities to mentor Psychology Interns on Minor Rotation with Medical Oncology or Hematology. This is dependent on the Minor Rotation matching and the level of interest of the fellow.
The fellow will provide care to patients in-person at the Anschutz Cancer Pavilion or University of Colorado Hospital or via secure telehealth platform. Group therapy and classes are also held via secure telehealth platform providing the fellow with training in multiple clinical modalities. Individual assessment or therapy appointments are 60 minutes in length and group therapy and psychoeducational classes are 90 to 120 minutes in duration.
Psychosocial services are provided on a multi-disciplinary team in collaboration with oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, nutritionists, and genetic counselors. Fellows have the opportunity to participate in oncology/hematology Grand Rounds, multidisciplinary clinics and tumor boards to further their integration and experience in oncology.
The following are common health psychology concerns addressed by the psychosocial oncology team in individual or group modalities. The fellow can expect a similar range of clinical presentations in their clinical work.
- Adjustment to illness
- Fears of cancer recurrence
- Relationship challenges and changes as a result of medical treatment initiation or termination
- End-of-life and existential concerns
- Chronic pain
- Insomnia
- Sexual health changes and challenges
- Management of pre-existing mental health conditions in addition to managing complex medical conditions
- Capacity to consent to treatment
- Cognitive challenges subsequent to cancer treatment
- Fatigue
- Caregiver support
Post-doctoral fellows are invited to attend various Grand Rounds series held through the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
Clinical Health Psychology fellows also have protected time (approximately four hours per week, which can be increased per the fellow’s level of interest in research) to complete a scholarly project related to their clinical interests and specialization supervised by training faculty. Examples include initiatives or research on a clinical health psychology topic, patient, provider and health systems outcomes or quality improvement in a clinical setting.
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