FEATURED TRAINEE - ALEXANDRIA MUENCH, MS
Alexandria is currently a pre-doctoral psychology intern on the Adult Psychology/Behavioral Medicine Rotation at Geisinger Medical Center
HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN BSM?
My interest in BSM began during my third year while doing a practicum rotation in primary care at the VA. I had the opportunity to learn CBT-I and quickly recognized the pervasiveness of insomnia and the need for non-pharmacological treatment options. I also have an interest in psycho-oncology and saw an urgent need for the treatment of sleep and fatigue in cancer populations in addition to general non-cancer populations.
WHO ARE YOUR BSM MENTORS?
My primary BSM mentor is Dr. Michael Perlis. He is the director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been an exceptional mentor and educator and has gone above and beyond to ensure that I am reaching my goals.
WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?
I would ultimately like to be able to provide behavioral sleep medicine interventions (e.g., CBT-I) within an integrated sleep medicine clinic with an emphasis on treating sleep and fatigue issues in cancer. My career goals also include conducting research, with an emphasis on understanding the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms underlying cancer-related fatigue and insomnia in cancer.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?
My dream job is to continue to be able to conduct research while also working on a sleep/psycho-oncology based hospital consult service. The consult service would prioritize teamwork, collaboration and education for both medical providers and patients. The behavioral sleep medicine team would collaboratively workingalongside medical providers to assess and treat sleep disorders.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE FIELD OF BSM IN 10 YEARS?
The field of BSM is already growing so rapidly, however in light of the pervasiveness of sleep disorders there is a need for an increase in training for Behavioral Sleep Medicine providers. It would be amazing to see both Sleep Medicine and Behavioral Sleep Medicine in the curriculums of Clinical Psychology doctoral programs and Medical Schools. It would be phenomenal if in 10 years sleep was prioritized in medical appointments the way pain is now.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AWAY FROM THE OFFICE?
I enjoy spending time with my cat (Oatmeal) and my dog (kava) and spending as much time as I can on the water.
WHAT IS YOUR NEXT VACATION OR DREAM VACATION DESTINATION?
My dream vacation destination is Bora Bora!
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL HOBBIES OR TALENTS?
When I was younger I thought I might be want to be on broadway. I can sing pretty well!
WHAT EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED SHAPE YOUR TRAINING IN BSM?
I have had the benefit of having phenomenal mentors who have pushed me to seek out new opportunities and have been there by my side every step of the way. I would say that, more than anything else, my mentors have done the most to shape my BSM training experiences. Thank you Dr. Perlis, Dr. Vargas and Dr. Shook!
WHAT RESOURCES HAVE HELPED TO ADVANCE YOUR TRAINING?
The resources that have helped me to advance my training are the clinical opportunities afforded by my practicums, the yearly SLEEP conference and the wonderfultalks and conferences that are offered by the BSM and CSCN programs at the University of Pennsylvania.