Our Interns

Valery Benitez Santiago, MS
Carlos Albizu University - San Juan
Adult Track

I was drawn to URMC’s internship program because of the broad range of training opportunities and diverse rotations (inpatient, outpatient, research and group therapy) which will allow me to grow and further expand my clinical skills. Their focus on training, interdisciplinary care and multiculturalism, as a Latina, will help me enhance my skills as a bilingual future clinician. Their emphasis on providing an individualized experience was important to me when choosing an internship site and they provided that, as well as room to practice different evidenced-based treatments. I’m excited to be part of URMC’s training program this year to further my professional development.

Tara Bord, MS
Eastern Kentucky University
Child & Adolescent Track

I am very excited to be a part of URMC this year. I enjoy working with children and families from diverse backgrounds. My clinical interests include diagnostic assessments, trauma, and neurodevelopmental disorders. I was drawn to URMC's internship program because of the variety of clinical opportunities that are offered and the emphasis on integrated, evidence-based clinical practice. 

Blair Burgin, MA
La Salle University
Child & Adolescent Track

My clinical interests include working with children, adolescents, and families presenting with concerns related to OCD, anxiety, and tics. The focus on evidence-based practice and opportunities to work on interdisciplinary teams across diverse treatment settings drew me to the internship at URMC. I am excited to expand my clinical skillset and continue developing my professional identity as a member of the URMC community!

Manuel Ocasio, MS
Ponce Health Sciences University
Adult Track

​As a future clinical psychologist, I have always felt the desire to continue learning. URMC seemed like an excellent option because from the interview two things became clear to me. First, the training experience was broad and provided diverse rotations and lots of supervision that would allow its interns the opportunity to hone their clinical skills with diverse populations and settings divided between inpatient and outpatient experiences. Second, I was drawn to the idea of being able to work in clinical settings where I could enhance my bilingual skills as a future psychologist. These two aspects allowed me to appreciate URMC's commitment to both the clinical experience of its interns and the community and how these are integrated during a tailored professional training process.  

Ilenia Perez-Palen, MS
Florida Institute of Technology
Adult rack

The many components that make up the University of Rochester Medical Center Adult Track internship relate to my past clinical experiences. I chose URMC because of the interdisciplinary and multicultural exposure provided to interns. I value how URMC assesses and treats a wide range of culturally and psychologically diverse individuals, allowing for advanced training across various conditions with a multicultural perspective. I have enjoyed the diverse rotations this year, allowing me to experience new populations, theoretical models, and expand my clinical knowledge. I am looking forward to my year at URMC. 

Danielle Scharf, MA
La Salle University
Child & Adolescent Track

​I am super excited to be apart of the URMC community this year! My clinical interests include child and adolescent eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and co-occurring medical conditions. My research interests are related to sociocultural aspects that might contribute to eating disorders and efficacious treatments for those affected.  I was drawn to this internship because of the friendly and collaborative community, the ability to acquire experiences in various settings (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, primary care), and the emphasis on interdisciplinary and evidence-based care.

Daria Williams, MA
University of Indianapolis
Child & Adolescent Track

​I am excited to be doing my clinical internship back in my hometown of Rochester NY. I was drawn to URMC because of the broad range of clinical opportunities that would allow me to expand my practice to child and adolescents in various settings. My clinical and research interests include working with children and adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds presenting with concerns related to depression, suicidality and identity development. Furthermore, improving the accessibility of mental health treatment is important to me so I am excited to be working with school districts in Rochester to provide services to students right in their communities. I am so happy to join the URMC team!