Education, training and practice of clinical neuropsychologists in the United States of America

Objective: This invited paper is intended to give an overview regarding the education and training pathways for the practice of neuropsychology in the United States. It is also meant to describe the types of activities engaged in by neuropsychologists, a description of their work settings and the amounts/ways in which they are compensated for their work. Method: The authors reviewed the literature and relied on their professional and organizational experiences to collect the necessary data. Results: The United States has well-defined pathways for one to follow to gain the experiences and knowledge necessary to practice clinical neuropsychology in a competent way. Compensation varies widely among workplace settings but overall neuropsychologists appear to be well-paid. Challenges now and in the foreseeable future include a need to develop tests that have better ecological validity and that better reflect the demographics of a changing population, and an increasing need for neuropsychologists to identify key roles as members of integrated care teams. Conclusions: The United States has played an important role in the development of the practice and science of neuropsychology. Its continued success will, at least in part, depend on innovations in test development and application, and further demonstration of its relevance to health care and academic settings.