Some of your regular deerPhD readers may recall that I applied for clinical internship this year (my final year of graduate training). Well, I am very pleased to report that I landed my top choice of internships! That’s right - on August 1st I will begin a 1 year placement at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO.

What does this have to do with hunting? Well, just ask our blogging buddy over at Alpha Trilogy! In addition to furthering my training as a psychologist, I’m super-stoked to check-out the hunting seasons in Kansas and/or Missouri. To my knowledge, Missouri boasts some of the best turkey hunting in the nation, and their deer hunting holds its own as well. If I’m lucky, I might get to tray my hand at some quail hunting.

So, here’s to a new state and new hunting opportunities!

Childrens Mercy, deer, Hospital, hunting, Missouri, Psychology, turkey

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By now many readers of this site know that I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. For my dissertation, I am studying parental influences on children’s risk for injury. I am seeking any and all parents of children between the ages of 2 and 10 to participate. I’m interested in both mothers and fathers, so anyone who participates can encourage his or her spouse/additional caregiver to participate as well. Please know that all responses remain completely confidential, and all participants are entered into a drawing for $30, $50, and $80 gift cards (chances of winning are approximately 1 in 20). If a mother and father of the same child participate, then both are entered into the drawings individually. Winners will be notified by April or May of 2008.

To participate, please follow the instructions below:

1. Please go to the following website: http://ksupsychology.sona-systems.com/
2. In the lower right hand corner of the page, there is a link under New Participant. Please click on this link to register a new account.
   1. Follow directions to register and login
3. Once you login, complete the “Prescreen”; after you complete this section, you can click “Continue”, which will direct you to a page where it says “Study Sign-up”
   1. Click on the link that says “Browse a list of studies…”
4. Select the study named “Child Injury Study” (click on this name)
5. Click on “Participate in this Online Study”
6. Click “Participate”
7. Read the informed consent and then follow prompts to complete the survey.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please send me an e-mail at injurystudy@gmail.com.

Finally, feel free to spread the word (I’d greatly appreciate it!).

childhood injury, injury, parents, research, unintentional injury

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My blogging buddy, Bill Anderson, posted a spoof tax form that reminded me of something similar I’ve seen tossed around the world of academia. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced it a bit over the last 2 months as I search for a clinical internship. You may also have experienced it when applying for jobs — the infamous REJECTION LETTER!!!

We all know that they go something like this, “Dear XXXX, Thank you for your application…blah blah blah…we received applications from many qualified individuals…blah blah blah…we are sorry to inform you that we cannot accept you at this time…blah blah blah.”

When I was in high school applying for college, my buddies and I drafted the following letter in response to us receiving too many rejection letters.

January 29, 2008

NAME OF INSTITUTION

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for taking the time to reject my application to your institution. Please know that I received many qualified rejections this year, and as a result, I am sorry to inform you that I am not able to accept your rejection. Therefore, I will be attending your school this Fall, and I will look forward to continuing my academic career under your supervision.

Until then, best regards…

Applications, internship, Psychology, rejection, University

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This one’s for all you woodworkers out there!

One of my dreams and goals for my future is to design and construct my own woodshop. BigK has some might fine woodworking skills, and he’s taught me some of the basics over the years. I’ve had very little exposure, but enough to know it’s something I would enjoy doing on a daily basis. I’d really like to create furniture for my entire house someday - piece by piece…starting in the bedroom (just like BigK).

Anyways, from time to time I like to read some article online about machines and what not. This evening I found a really cool program you can download to create layouts for your woodshop. It’s called Wood Shop Visio, and it was created by a Harvey Chute.

Enjoy…

Wood Shop Visio, woodshop, woodworking

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They say politics are one of those things you just shouldn’t talk about. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way over the years, but I can’t help myself from making a post about it - particularly as it relates to hunting. Please not that you will NOT find an endorsement of any sort here for any particular candidate. In fact, I won’t even mention a candidate’s name! I’m more interested in the process of voting…so here’s a word of caution for the upcoming election - beware single issues!

The big issues: they change every year. I think that a lot of people think that issues are the main point to voting - finding out what each candidate thinks about the issues that are most important to you. In this realm, you’ll find websites that outline each candidate’s position on a particular issue, and the politicians will convince you that he or she is the one for you if X, Y, or Z is your issue. Some people have 1 or 2 issues, and others have many, but again - beware the issues.

Why? Well, I love analogies, so here are a few.  Imagine choosing a spouse based on one (or maybe 2 or 3) aspects and disregarding the rest. It doesn’t make any sense - it’s all about the whole package! Similarly, would you order a fine meal because of the potatoes? What if the meat is rotten? Again, it’s the whole package…what some psychologists would call the Gestalt.

History: I think the last election was a good example of issue voting. Many Americans went to the polls with one or two issues in mind (several polls have suggested that this is true). What’s funny is that in just 4 years, those same issues that were once central to the election are hardly mentioned in this go around. I understand that times change - but the vast majority of the voting population is the same. For such a drastic change in issues in such a short time, I’m guessing we’re seeing some political games.

Take-Home Message: Pay attention to issues that are near and deer to your heart, but please consider the whole picture of each candidate as well. otherwise, we’ll vote a president that might do one thing we like, but hate the rest.

Disclaimer: I left this post intentionally vague to avoid a heated debate. If you want more specifics, let me know…

2008, election, president, presidential election, voting

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What a whirlwind this December has been. I know I’m not alone in saying how busy life gets during the Holidays. I think I’m getting to understand why ‘older’ folks say that time only goes faster as we age. Now, I’m definitely going to start claiming that I’m an old-timer, but I am getting older - at least enough so that I understand the veracity of that comment!

That being said, this upcoming week is one I’ve been looking forward to for a several reasons:

1. Ericka’s (my wife’s) Birthday!!! (December 31st) - We celebrated today…details to come.
2. New Year - There’s just something cool about starting over. We all love fresh starts. My mom always says, “I just have a feeling that this next year is going to be a good one.” Mom, I agree!
3. Catch-up time. On Friday, I officially begin my internship interview tour (details to come). In the meantime, I don’t have to be at work, so I’ll actually have some time to play catch-up with school work, dissertation work, research work, and this blog.

Because of #3, there’s a lot to look forward to on this blog, including the long-awaited recipe page, more what would you do scenarios, a lot more on the Psychology of Hunting, and some new and exciting deerPhD features.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful, warm, and peaceful holiday season! Here are a few holiday photos!

 My nephew Zach playing with his presents (kids just make the Holidays better…don’t they?)

Here’s my dog, Phoenix, doing what he does best!

My sister, Tomi, put together the absolute best Christmas Eve Dinner! We had a crown pork roast, roast beef, AND ham (plus all the fixin’s).

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Yesterday, I was tagged with a meme by Kristine from the Outdoor Bloggers Summit and the Hunt Smart, Think Safety blog. Now I’m supposed to share a little about what I do outside of work. Funny thing is that I don’t have a ‘real job’ yet - still in graduate school. That being said, I find I’m most ‘productive’ when I call school ‘work’, so school will have to be my work, and this post will be about my life outside of work.

Like Kristine, work tends to follow me home. I tend to get very involved in some of the papers I write, especially as my mentors encouraged me only to research topics about which I’m passionate. So, sometimes I spend time away from work working on papers that work prevented me from getting to (I know, that was confusing).

Hunting - Kristine said I could mention hunting, but it couldn’t be the only think I mention. So, here it is. You all know that I love the outdoors, be it for a hunting adventure, hiking, fishing, or just sitting under God’s sky.

Family - I am Blessed with an amazing family. Many of you are probably aware that I was recently married. Married life is definitely an upgrade from the life of a bachelor. Ericka and I enjoy doing a lot of different things together. We particularly enjoy going on long walks through new neighborhoods to look at the different houses. We act like we know everything there is to know about real estate, and we judge the architecture, landscaping, and overall appearance of houses - as if anyone cared about our opinions. We often talk about what our home will look like once I’m finished with school. Here are a few pics of the newest members of our families: Phoenix, Zach, & Addy (our dog, nephew, and niece):

Community - Ericka and I are also Blessed to be part of an amazing community. I wrote previously about my friend, Ted. Ted started this community with some of his friends. We’re a group of people who want to live life in the context of other people. We are dedicated to learning continually what it means to follow Christ. When I say learning, I definitely mean learning! Our understanding of scripture has evolved so much in the past few years, and it continues to change as we seek to understand the importance of community in our daily walks. It’s amazing what can happen when we let ourselves be a little vulnerable around people who are truly safe.

Sports - I am definitely a sports nut, despite my repeated efforts not to pay attention to sports. I’ve tried to give up sports, but just can’t - so I’ve accepted the fact that I will likely, for the rest of my life, read updates on ESPN.com on a daily basis. My hometown is Pittsburgh, PA, so go Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins! I also lived in Columbus, OH for a while, so GO BUCKEYES! I currently live near Cleveland, PA, and I absolutely cannot stand the Browns or the Browns fans who still think they can beat the Steelers! I must admit that the Indians are growing on me, but I still remain true to my Pittsburgh roots! Beyond professional sports, I love it when the Olympics rolls around. I have a major pet peeve about the Olympics - the best sports aren’t on shown on TV enough (for example, biathlon, decathlon).

I have also participated in sports throughout my life. Though formal participation ended when I graduated from college, I try to stay active. Here’s a pic of me after my first marathon a few years ago. Still trying to work-up the nerve for a second run at it!

Reading - I don’t read enough for my own pleasure because I’m usually reading scientific/scholarly papers on the wonders of Psychology. However, when I do make time for pleasure reading, I love it. My favorite books in no particular order:

• A People’s History of the United States (Howard Zinn)
• Mere Christianity; Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)
• Velvet Elvis (Rob Bell)
• The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

Movies: I love a good movie as well, so while I’m at it, here are my favorite movies (again, no particular order):

• Star Wars (the originals)
• A River Runs Through It
• The Natural
• Gladiator
• Boondock Saints
• A Christmas Story (tis the Season!)

Things I want to do before I die: (again, no particular order)

• Adopt a child internationally (currently thinking about China and Guatemala)
• Buy a home on a plot of land, and have my own woodworking shop (another thing BigK’s been teaching me)
• Spend time in another country with my wife
• Go Elk Hunting out west with BigK
• Teach my children (which I don’t have yet) to hunt, fish, and play baseball

Rules, Rules, Rules: According to the rules of the meme, I have to pass it along by tagging 3 other bloggers. I can’t wait to learn more about…

• Arthur (Simply Outdoors)
• Othmar (Outdoors with Othmar)
• Rick (Tails and Trails)

ESPN, life, meme, outdoors, personal, reading, sports, tag

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As some of my faithful readers may know, I’m still a newlywed (I figure I get 1 year of being a newlywed). Well, we had an awesome photographer for our wedding. She created a slide show for the world to see. Click on the picture above if you’d like to see how our big day went down!

marriage, slide, slidshow, Sweet Dreams Photography, wedding

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I’ve been known to send a few thank-you’s from time to time. The problem with formal thank-you’s is that I run the risk of alienating people that I fail to mention. I definitely owe a more thank just a few Thanks-You’s because this week is a big week for this little blog!

Why some more thank-yous? DeerPhD.com just passed 100 in Technorati’s Authority Ranking! As of this writing, the authority ranking is 106!

How did it get there? This is where all of the Thank-You’s come in. Technorati’s authority rankings are based on the number of sites that link to this site. So, I have to send lots of Thank-Yous to everyone who ever linked to deerPhD.com! Obviously, I don’t think I can run down them all, but a few networks/individuals/sites have offered tremendous support for this little sector of the blogosphere. Here are some thank-yous in no particular order. If you are not mentioned explicitly, please know that I am very grateful for the support of every reader that has ever visited this site.:

• Skinny Moose Media: My blog is part of the Skinny Moose Media Network. Being in this network has been an awesome experience. Owner, Steve Remington, does everything he can to keep us bloggers going by covering all of the behind-the-scenes work. I’ve had a great experience here, and I look forward to continued blogging in this network.
• Outdoor Bloggers Summit: OBS got me up and running during my first week of blogging. The founding members are extremely supportive to new bloggers. They promise to give you a link if you reciprocate. OBS is a great networking tool, and I can honestly say that OBS makes my blogging experience much more enjoyable. Be sure to check-out their site for information on the first annual Outdoor Bloggers Summit in 2008!
• Kristine: Most of you probably know Kristine. She blogs for the Hunt Smart, Think Safety Blog, which is hosted by the parent company, Gun Safety Innovations. Kristine deserves an award for “Most Active Commenter”. Anywhere I go, I see comments from Kristine. She has been a continual supporter of deerPhD.com, and she is a founding member of OBS.
• Arthur: Arthur blogs at Simply Outdoors. He has a huge and innocent passion for hunting. He shares great stories and photos on the site, which is run by himself, and his brother, Jeff.
• Matt: Matt is the host of the Bright Idea Outdoors Blog. He often shares stories of his adventures with his children, and he offered what I believe is one of the most important works by a blogger: Does blogging put our families at risk?
• Rick: Rick is a fellow Skinny Moose Blogger. He doesn’t know it, but I often think of him as my blogging uncle. He is very supportive of deerPhD.com, and he is a frequent and talented blogger.
• Othmar: I think we all know Othmar. He runs several sites/blogs. He’s an outdoor speaker, and he was extremely supportive of my blogging pursuits from day 1. I’ll never forget the first time I received an e-mail from Othmar. Just knowing I was on his radar made me think that I had “made it”! This guys is an extremely talented writer with a huge heart.
• Mike Hanback: Mike runs what very well may be the most frequented outdoor blog. A true professional hunter, he write and blogs for Outdoor Life. I am very grateful to Mike for linking to my site a few weeks back when he did a post about Buck Fever. This one link drove hundreds of readers to my site.

Bug Buck Zone, deer, deerPhD, Hanback, Othmar, Outdoor Bloggers Summit, Skinny Moose, Thank you

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I was gone,  now I’m back. I promise to get to e-mails and previous comments sometime today/tonight. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.

As some of you may know, I call this blog deerPhD because I’m pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology. One of my missions is to provide hunters with psychological tools they can use to prevent/confront Buck Fever. However, it seems that all of this has been on hold for a little because of school. This month has been very busy with respect to school. So, in the event that anyone is interested, I thought I’d shed some light into what exactly I am trying to do in school:

1. TEACH: I have a huge passion for teaching. My life has been shaped, in part, by extraordinary teachers, and I want to be a similar influence in the lives of others. I believe teaching happens both in and out of the classroom, and I want to excel in both arenas!
2. RESEARCH: I’m currently developing 2 lines of research that fall under the umbrella of child development. One area concerns children’s injuries, which, believe it or not, are the leading cause of death in the United States. I am studying factors that influence children’s risk for injuries. The second area concerns exercise and dieting. I am interested in factors that predict healthy versus unhealthy eating/exercise behaviors. My current studies are with college males, and I’m hoping to study this area in young children as my career continues.

Will I ever get a job? Great question! As part of my degree, I have to complete a one-year clinical internship. I am currently emersed in the application process. After interviews, all of our information goes into a computer, and out pops our “match” (where we will be going on internship). Basically, I could end-up anywhere in the US. It’s a fairly exciting/nerve racking/stressful experience.

At the completion of the internship year, I’ll venture onto the job market and see what happens. My dream job is to be a faculty member at a college/university, where I can share the wonders of psychology with aspiring students.

Wherever I end up, you can be sure that I’ll find my way into the wilderness…

In the event that anyone is interested, I am studying children’s injuries for my dissertation. Did you know that injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the United States? More children die each year due to injuries than the next ten causes combined!!! Also, virtually all injuries can be prevented one way or another. So, I’m hoping my dissertation will help us do just that.

More specifically, I received a grant from the CDC to study how parents can protect their children from injuries. Hopefully, someday I will bridge my love of hunting with this ongoing research. I’d love to explore questions such as: what factors predict hunting injuries? How best can injuries be prevented (like using a Gunslinger!!!)? What are the best methods for teaching children safe hunting skills?

I’m so immersed in this research at the moment that I just had to share. One of my last hurdles to that PhD…

graduate, internship, PhD, Psychology, school, student

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