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Objective: Attaining competence in assessment is a necessary step in graduate training and has been defined to include multiple domains of training relevant to this attainment. While important to ensure trainees meet these standards of training, it is critical to understand how and if competence shapes a trainees' professional identity, therein promoting lifelong competency. Methods: The current study assessed currently enrolled graduate trainees' knowledge and perception of their capabilities related to assessment to determine if self‐reported and performance‐based competence would incrementally predict their intention to use assessment in their future above basic training characteristics and intended career interests. Results: Self‐reported competence, but not performance‐based competence, played an incremental role in trainees' intention to use assessments in their careers. Multiple graduate training characteristics and practice experiences were insignificant predictors after accounting for other relative predictors (i.e., intended career settings, integrated reports). Conclusion: Findings are discussed about the critical importance of incorporating a hybrid competency‐capability assessment training framework to further emphasize the role of trainee self‐efficacy in hopes of promoting lifelong competence in their continued use of assessments. Significance Statement: This study examines health service psychology trainees' intention to engage in psychological assessment and the incremental role of self‐reported competence. Findings highlight the significance of self‐reported competence above performance‐based competence in assessment when predicting long‐term professional identity, which in turn promotes lifelong competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The predoctoral internshipAQ4 training year is the capstone training experience for health service doctoral students. Previous research has explored what applicant characteristics are desired by internship sites and has not thoroughly explored differences between types of sites or criteria importance at different stages of applicant consideration (interview vs. ranking). Aims: We evaluate current perceptions of doctoral student internship applications by training directors. Materials and Methods: Internship training directors of APA‐accredited sites report on the importance of different application materials during interview and ranking decisions. We also compare these rankings across site types. Results: Results indicate that internship sites were generally consistent in their criteria rankings; however, there were also some differences. Intern applicant "fit" continues to be the most important criteria by which applicants are judged at all stages of consideration. Qualitative analysis found that "fit" varied by site across themes of treatment, applicant, and site characteristics. Discussion: We discuss implications in their preparation of internship applications. In addition to the practical guidance for students, we discuss how program changes can increase applicant site competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]