or health psychology which can supplement normal training with a pediatric twist. Another aspect of graduate training is external practicums in settings such hospitals or clinics. Gaining experience working in these areas is essential in order to be prepared to obtain a job after graduate school. In order to help standardize the training each psychologist receives, the Society of Pediatric Psychology task force developed a list of 12 training areas necessary for a specialty in pediatric psychology: Lifespan development Lifespan developmental psychopathology Child, adolescent, and family assessment Intervention strategies Research methods and systems evaluation Professional, ethical, and legal issues pertaining to children, adolescents, and families Diversity issues and multicultural competence Role of multiple disciplines in service delivery systems Prevention, family support, and health promotion Social issues affecting children, adolescents, and families Consultation-liaison (CL) roles Disease process and medical management After graduate school, there are many choices in order to determine the field best suited to one's interests. Some individuals will engage in a fellowship which will allow for increased knowledge in specific areas of clinical psychology and research and may yield more job opportunities. A postdoctoral fellowship may also provide supervised clinical hours which are required in order to become independently licensed in a state. Finally, some pediatric psychologists will go on to engage in clinical practice while others will not. In order to practice as a clinical psychologist one must obtain a doctoral degree from an approved program, complete a required amount of supervised clinical hours, pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), and be knowledgeable of all state regulations. Pediatric Psychologists may choose to become certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and can apply for advanced credentials through the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (ABCCAP) or the American Board of Clinical Health Psychology (ABCHP). Research The main goal of pediatric research is to understand child development occurring with health-related issues. Using ecological systems framework, pediatric psychologists discover the ways in which health issues might affect children and their families and ways to promote physical health and psychological adjustment in pediatric-health populations. Important issues currently addressed in pediatric psychology research across various diagnoses include: Cultural and diversity issues Evidence-based practice Inpatient pediatric consultation-liaison Adherence to treatment regimens Chronic and recurrent pain Management of pain and distress due to medical procedures Pharmacology and psychopharmacology Medical traumatic stress Palliative care, end of life,