Lifespan Neuropsychology Fellow

2026-2028 Lifespan Clinical Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Position

@ MercyOne Neuropsychology Clinic in Clive, Iowa

MercyOne Neuropsychology Clinic (Mercy One Medical Center) is now accepting applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology for the 2026-2028 training cycle.

Setting & Fellowship Overview: For over 200 years, MercyOne has been a leading not for profit provider in medical care to families in the Des Moines Metropolitan Area and surrounding counties. Now as a member of Trinity Health, MercyOne providers award-winning health care to our communities.

The Neuropsychology department is an integral component of our medical group located in Clive, Iowa (just outside of Des Moines, IA). We service a diverse population and provide outpatient neuropsychological evaluations to individuals ages 4 and up, presenting with a variety of issues such as neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disabilities, brain injury, dementia, movement disorders, and comprehensive medical needs, among others.

Our neuropsychology fellowship is geared towards a lifespan training model, with intensive training in neuropsychological assessment and evaluation across the lifespan (ages 7 through geriatrics). Fellows will gain experience in working with a variety of neurodevelopmental and acquired disorders such as ADHD, learning disabilities, TBI/concussion, stroke, dementia (of various etiologies), movement disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, and other neurologic conditions (e.g., epilepsy, MS, neoplasms, etc.), in addition to various psychological and co-morbid disorders. The primary goal is to provide fellows with well-rounded training and experience required to become independent and competent clinical neuropsychologists. As such, our fellowship is structured to be consistent with the Houston Conference standards and is designed to fulfill requirements for licensure as a psychologist in Iowa and for board certification in Clinical Neuropsychology.

In accordance with Houston Conference guidelines, the fellow receives intensive training in the science and practice of clinical neuropsychology, including opportunities for assessment and intervention. Research opportunities will be limited. We carry two postdoctoral fellows, starting on alternate years. Training differs across the two years in content, population, autonomy and to a degree, complexity, though the training program will flex to meet each fellow’s individual training needs. Each fellow's training is individually designed to meet the fellow’s specific interests and professional goals. Fellows conduct a minimum of three full neuropsychological assessments per week.

Training

Year 1:

The fellow will generally complete AT LEAST 3 lifespan outpatient evaluations weekly during the first year.

Patients will be seen as part of our MercyOne Neuropsychology Clinic. In our lifespan outpatient clinic, patients are referred from a variety of sources (both internal and external) and have varying presenting problems, some of which include neurodevelopmental disorders, neoplasms, movement disorders, neurodegenerative disease, memory disorders, seizure disorder, head injury, and stroke. The fellow will be responsible for and receive supervision in battery selection, clinical interview, assessment, scoring, interpretation, report writing, and feedback with patient, family, and treatment. Adult reports are tailored to be efficient and to the point (typically four pages in length). Pediatric reports tend to be longer (ranging 6-9 pages in length).

In addition, neuropsychologists within our clinic also collaborate with the neurosurgical team to provide pre- Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) evaluations and other pre-treatment evaluations and offer valuable insight into the appropriateness of surgical candidates on the basis of their cognitive status.

Year 2:

In the second year, the fellow will be responsible for at least 4-5 outpatient evaluations.

A strength of our program is the extensive areas of practice of our training faculty and large hospital system – we can carve out unique opportunities based on fellows’ interests. This may include forensic exposure, interventions (such as CBT or cognitive rehabilitation), and inpatient consultations.

Supervision

Supervision is a key component of training. Fellows can expect detailed, developmentally appropriate supervision geared at increasing autonomy and competence while also emphasizing professional development and skill acquisition. Outpatient case work will generally involve a planning session before the patient arrives, check-ins (as needed) during the testing day, and an hour per case of direct supervision after testing is completed. Group supervision/case presentations will also be provided weekly. The crux of supervision changes as the trainee develops, and supervisors regularly meet to ensure supervision is appropriate for stage of training and individual needs. Honing succinct and efficient report writing skills is an area of emphasis. Adapting report writing style to referral needs (i.e., inpatient medical, outpatient, consultation, etc.) is a key outcome. Successful trainees are comfortable working in multiple settings, with different (but overlapping) expectations. Feedback is another major area of emphasis for the program. In addition to direct feedback to referral sources, thoughtful feedback sessions with patients and families are designed to improve understanding of the clinical picture, with a focus on recommendations and attention to removing barriers to ongoing treatment.

Didactics

MercyOne offers a rich spectrum of educational and academic activities such as:

• Psychiatry and Neurology Grand Rounds
• Journal Club
• Neuropsychology Group Supervision
• Standardization and Test Administration
• Ethical Foundations
• Rotations in specific medical disorders
• Forensic Issues Services
• Oncology Series

Teaching/Tiered Supervision Opportunities

The fellow may have the opportunity to be involved in training neurology and psychiatry residents and fellows, present in Psychiatry didactics and Grand Rounds.

Graduation Criteria

Successful completion of the training program is indicated by the following accomplishments:

• The fellow can provide neuropsychological services to patients on an independent basis.
• The fellow is eligible for licensure in the state/province in which he or she intends to practice.
• The fellow meets criteria for certification in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Fellow Selection

This fellowship is recruiting one postdoctoral fellow for the 2026-2028 training period, WE WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE APPCN MATCH PROCESS. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews are conducted in January and will be held over Zoom.

Qualified applicants will have successfully completed a PhD or PsyD in clinical, counseling or school psychology including an APA/CPA approved internship. If the internship does not have a concentration or emphasis in neuropsychology; it will be incumbent upon the applicant to demonstrate comparable pre-internship experiences and coursework.

Salary is competitive ($53,000) with full health benefits and paid time off (vacation/sick; conference release time) included. Some support is offered for preparation for licensure. We request the following materials from applicants via email.

· Cover letter or letter of interest

· A curriculum vitae

· 3 Letters of recommendation (sent separately to Dr. Wargo

· A graduate transcript

· 2 Sample reports demonstrating your skill sets in different settings

· Before starting the fellowship, we will need confirmation from your program (or via transcript) that you have completed all requirements for graduation.

Questions about the fellowship are welcomed and can be addressed via email to Catherine Wargo, PsyD, ABN at catherine.wargo@mercyoneiowa.org.

Fellowship Faculty

· Catherine Wargo, Psy.D., ABN (Training Director)

· David Paul, Psy.D.

· Sarah Tartar, Ph.D.

MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center is a Level II Trauma center that has been faithfully serving the community since 1893. We operate 4 not for profit Catholic Medical Centers and two specialty Hospitals with a total of 875 beds. And we are ONE of many here in Iowa. Our parent organization,  MercyOne Iowa has 420 care locations including 18 owned Hospitals and 25 affiliated Medical Centers meeting the needs of Iowans across the state. For the second consecutive year  MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center has been named to the Becker’s Healthcare list of “100 great hospitals in America”. Once again  MercyOne is one of only two hospitals in Iowa to make this prestigious list.

Greater Des Moines is consistently ranked nationally among the best places to live with low cost of living and strong job market.  Spend Saturdays at the nationally renowned Downtown Farmers' Market and afternoons strolling in the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Bike to the job you love and come home to the community of friends and family. Enjoy abundant trails for walking, running and biking. Surrounding suburbs are known for top-notch schools, clean and safe neighborhoods.  Cultural events, music and art festivals, the Iowa State Fair and Iowa Cubs games at Principal Park are just a few attractions Des Moines has to offer. This is a place where culture flourishes and opportunities can grow, where a work/life balance can be achieved, where education is unmatched and award-winning arts and entertainment is always just around the corner. Live life without compromise.

Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. We serve people and communities in 22 states from coast to coast with more than 90 hospitals and 100 continuing care facilities – including home care, hospice, PACE and senior living facilities and programs that provide nearly two and a half million visits annually. Trinity Health employs more than 133,000 colleagues, including 7,800 employed physicians and clinicians. 

Our mission: We, Trinity Health, serve together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence within our communities. We support this mission by living our core values of Reverence, Commitment to Those Who are Poor, Justice, Stewardship, and Integrity. Committed to recruiting talented physicians, we are looking for physicians who share our values and want to help us fulfill the health care needs of the communities we serve.

At Trinity Health, we value the physician relationship and focus on partnering with our physicians. Whether you are a practicing physician looking to relocate or a medical resident, we offer opportunities with the flexibility to fit your individual needs. If you would like to be part of Trinity Health, we encourage you to explore this opportunity at www.trinity-health.org.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to submit your CV, please email Trinity Health Recruitment at docopps@trinity-health.org.