Dietetic Internship Program

Faculty

Lisa Brown, Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Dietetic Internship Coordinator

Teresa Fung, Professor

Sharon Gallagher, Associate Professor of Practice

Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras, Ruby Winslow Linn Professor and Chair

Kathrina Prelack Assistant Professor, Nutrition

Description

The Department of Nutrition offers an accredited dietetic internship program to prepare baccalaureate nutrition graduates for entry-level dietetic practice and eligibility for the registration examination. The emphasis of the eight-month program is on community dietetics practice, health promotion, and wellness.

Up to ten students are accepted into our full-time internship program. Our students benefit from rotations in acute care, food service, public health, community health, state government-based or non-profit nutrition, counseling and education and research and professional practice.

You'll focus on community nutrition, and health promotion and wellness. Our students build on evidence-based research — highlighting culturally and economically sensitive standards of practice, nutritional care and disease prevention.

Because of new operational standards of practice, the field of dietetics is constantly evolving. Our students complete this program as entry level practitioners ready to take the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam — and practice in community nutrition, health promotion, acute care and food service management.

Learning Outcomes

Requirements for entry into program

Our Dietetic Internship Program is designed for students who hold an undergraduate degree and have completed the didactic course requirements (through an accredited DPD program) as required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

Delivery Mode or Modes Available (full-time, part-time, locations, technologies, etc.)

Concentrations, specializations, etc.

Acute Care/Clinical Rotation (10 weeks)

Interns are placed in a hospital setting, preferably a community teaching hospital. Affiliating hospitals offer a variety of services to ensure a well-rounded and varied experience. Interns gain experience in nutrition screening, charting, developing nutrition care plans, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and interacting with patients and health care professionals. They start their experience by working on simpler tasks and advancing to more complex tasks as their experience proceeds. In addition to a strong inpatient component, most affiliating agencies offer a wide variety of outpatient preventative health and educational programs on topics such as weight management, healthy heart, bone health, women’s health, pregnancy, lactation and childcare and alternative medicine.

Food Service Rotation (6 weeks)

Students are assigned to a community-based food service location to complete their food service requirements. The location may be a school food service, community hospital, long term care food service, or any other community-based organization that will provide an appropriate experience. Students learn how a foodservice operation functions and begin to develop managerial skills through observation and practice. Students also become familiar with the nutritional procedures and forms that are required by state and federal mandates in various facilities.

Public Health Rotation (4 weeks)

Students spend time at the local department of public health or the regional office of the USDA so that they can observe and participate in policy development, education and training, program development and implementation, the legislative process, and research and epidemiology as it relates to nutrition and physical activity. The programs emphasize development of strategies and programs for health promotion and disease prevention for children, adolescents, adults, elderly and families. Some of the nutrition-specific programs administered by the department of public health could include maternal and child health education, healthy start, W.I.C., diabetes control, food stamp outreach, growth and nutrition, women’s health, fitness and physical activity promotion, and osteoporosis prevention.

Community Health Center Rotation (4 weeks)

Interns rotate at a Boston area community health center which provides a multi-ethnic supervised practice experience. The assigned community health center is generally a non-profit, community-based organization that provides primary and preventive health care services to their communities, particularly the vulnerable and underserved populations. Students gain proficiency in providing nutrition counseling and education in an outpatient or community setting, with both individuals and groups, and become active participants in public health initiatives such as W.I.C. (Women, Infants and Children), Maternal and Child Health (MCH), and special programs that assist elders in leading independent lives.

State Government/Non-Profit Nutrition Initiative Program Rotation (4 weeks)

Students are assigned to a 4-week experience in which they observe and participate in various activities involved in a federal and/or state funded nutrition-related programs. Examples of appropriate programs include food banks, congregate meal programs, home-delivered meal programs, AIDS clinics, and other nutrition-based programs for the homeless, pregnant women and their families, and the elderly. Statewide or local programs focusing on childhood and adult obesity are another possibility or an elderly nutrition program supported by federal and state funds. Student are placed in a site where they will be involved in observing and participating in the implementation of key nutrition services and policies including provision of nourishing meals to all individuals throughout the lifespan, nutrition screening, assessment, education, and counseling to ensure that individuals achieve and maintain optimal nutritional status.

Nutrition Counseling and Education Rotation (4 weeks)

Students are assigned to a four week experience in which they will observe and participate in client and patient nutrition education and counseling. Students can spend their time with a private practice dietitian, a fitness or wellness facility with a nutrition component run by a registered dietitian, a corporate wellness program, a medical practice, eating disorder program, diabetes management program or any other site that focuses on preventative medicine, disease management, and overall health and wellness. Activities in this rotation include developing and presenting educational seminars, participating in community education programs, developing educational tools, and writing nutrition and exercise-related articles for the lay public.

Capstone, placement, internship, practicum, etc.

Licensure, certification, etc.

Our students complete this program as entry level practitioners ready to take the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam

Dual (and other) degree options (With what other degree programs may this program be combined?)

Other program information