ISPP Program
Individualized Supervised Practice Program

The University of North Florida is piloting a new dietetic practice pathway referred to as the Individualized Supervised Practice Program (ISPP), made possible by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Individualized Supervised Practice Program of UNF is essentially a distance dietetic internship track that allows motivated candidates the opportunity to find and utilize facilities/agencies in the candidate's community and other locations, and complete the required supervised practice competencies with minimal supervision. This is a non-degree seeking program offered through the University of North Florida.

Upon successful completion of the ISPP, the candidate will receive a Verification Form documenting completion from the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics. The form will be signed by UNF’s Dietetic Internship Program Director. This signed Verification Form documents that the individual is eligible to sit for the national registered dietitian (RD) exam; no additional graduate credits are needed.  

Who is Eligible to Apply for UNF’s ISPP?

In order to be eligible for admission into UNF’s ISPP, candidates must be:

• Individuals with nutrition-related doctoral degrees from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university without a verification form and needing supervised practice or with a foreign doctoral degree with an official evaluation (i.e. WES, AACRAO) stating equivalency to a U.S. nutrition-related degree.
• Recent and past DPD graduates with verification forms but not matched to an internship. These candidates must have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics that has been approved or accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), have obtained a verification form, and were not matched to an internship.
• We are not currently accepting applications from candidates who wish to do their ISPP experience in Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire and North Carolina.

What Must be Sent to UNF for Evaluation and Admission Consideration?

• For the Candidates with Doctoral Degrees, you must submit for evaluation the following portfolio:
• UNF ISPP Application.
• Three letters of recommendation. References should indicate your ability to work independently and efficiently. Two of the references can come from professors and one from work or other experience.
• Transcripts of a doctoral degree in nutrition or dietetics-related field from a regionally accredited college or university, plus official transcripts of all other college and/or university coursework with final degree posted. Foreign degrees/transcripts must have an official evaluation (i.e. WES, AACRAO) stating equivalency to a U.S. degree.
• A copy of doctoral dissertation.
• Evidence of prior work experience in an area related to nutrition.
• Submit a professional vita.
• Personal statement (see Acceptance Procedure below). 
    
• For the Recent and Past DPD Graduates with a Verification Form, you must submit for evaluation the following as a portfolio:
  • UNF ISPP Application.
  • Three references submitted on Academy standard recommendation forms. References should indicate your ability to work independently and efficiently. Two of the references can come from professors and one from work or other experience.
  • Official transcripts of all college and/or university coursework with final degree posted showing a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Foreign degrees/transcripts must have an official evaluation (i.e wes, aacrao) stating equivalency to a U.S. degree.
  • An original verification form from an ACEND approved/accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) if you are a graduate or Intent to Complete Form if you have yet to graduate.
  • An official copy of GRE scores reflecting a minimum combined score of 298 using the new scoring equivalent on the verbal and quantitative portions of the exam.
  • Evidence of not being matched from D&D systems, for non-doctoral candidates.
  • Submit a professional vita.
  • Personal statement (see Acceptance Procedure below).

Candidates whose DPD verification forms are 5 years or older will take academic refresher courses as determined in the review. Courses may be taken at the undergraduate or graduate level from any accredited college or university [must provide an official transcript(s) to verify the completion of these classes].

Acceptance Procedure

All applicants who apply to ISPP are asked to complete a personal statement. Questions to be addressed in the personal statement include:

• Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession and be a registered dietitian?
• What experiences have helped to prepare you for this profession?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?
• Write 1-2 pages describing relevant work experience; 1000 word limit.

Applicants may be eligible for earned credit toward required hours with supporting evidence in the packet. The acceptance of such learning is subject to the following guidelines:

• Approval will be granted for documented learning only, not for experience per se.
• The documented learning must be clearly germane to the competency statements required by ACEND for completion of a supervised practical experience. Candidate must justify why it should be given competency recognition.
• While the Nutrition & Dietetics Department will provide guidance and assistance, it is each candidate's responsibility to provide documentation that will be the basis for assessment and earned credit.
• Earned credit justification must be submitted and will be approved early enough in the program to allow for planning of the candidate's total supervised practice experience.

Eligibility and Criteria for Candidates

To ensure that a candidate meets all of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' prerequisites, the candidate must first complete the UNF ISPP Application.  

Curriculum Specific Information

1.  Institutional Food Service, Production, and Management  

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 240 hours) 
• Description: Practicing marketing, procurement, storage, preparation, delivery, service, and management that include retail operations. Interns practice the care and operation of equipment, sanitation audits, HACCP Guidelines, menu planning, customer service, and management activities. Rotation activities include practical hands-on experience as well as investigative research to prepare for in-depth management responsibilities. 

2.  Patient Food Service and Production  

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 120 hours) 
• Description: Practicing menu planning, taking meal orders, tray preparation and delivery, patient promotions, marketing of menus, and all aspects of producing and delivering nutrition to patients. This rotation focuses on food service within an inpatient setting for people who have medical needs related to their diets. Unlike the Institutional Food Service and Production, this rotation also includes retail settings that are not focused on medical needs. 

3.  Inpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy One 

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 160 hours) 
• Description: Practicing the nutrition care process with populations with common medical conditions impacted by diet including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal disorders. 

4.  Inpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy Two  

• Pre-requisite: Inpatient MNT One 
• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 320 hours) 
• Description: Practicing the nutrition care process with populations with more complicated conditions such as renal disease, multisystem organ failure, cancer, and hepatic disease. 

5.  Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy  

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 40 hours)  
• Description: Practicing the nutrition care process with populations with medical conditions impacted by diet that do not require hospitalization. Group MNT activities may be satisfied with the Community Education Rotation activities. 

6.  Community Nutrition 

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 160 hours)  

• Description: Developing skills to provide nutrition services to the community at large through a variety of activities, programs, and services including nutrition counseling, nutrition education, nutrition assessment, and wellness programs. Interns also develop skills in evaluating and applying government program guidelines and policies. During this rotation interns must complete a series of activities and projects:  

• Nutrition Education and Counseling 
• Targeted Community Nutrition 
• Wellness Program 
• Government Public Health Policy 

7.  Child-Adolescent Education  

• CADE-required rotation (Approximately 40 hours)  
• Description: Promoting health and wellness through marketing, education, classes, and events for school-aged children and adolescents. It is similar to the education and wellness activities in the Community Nutrition Rotation, but addresses nutrition related issues that children and adolescents face in their school environment, such as peer pressure, academic performance, athletic achievement, drugs, and alcohol. 

8.  Concentration: Area Chosen by Candidate  

• Elective requirement from a choice of several concentrations 
• Approximately 120 hours 

Anticipated Expenses

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ISPP candidates are NOT eligible for student grants or loans, even if a recent UNF graduate. Please contact Dr. Claudia Sealey-Potts (c.sealey-potts@unf.edu) if you have questions concerning expenses.

The length of the rotation schedules and the activities are provided as a general guide and may be changed based on the professional judgment of the Program Director and taking into consideration prior knowledge and skills of individual candidate. Rotations will include:   

The length of the program is dependent on the candidate’s ability to locate preceptors, obtain approval from the Program Director and complete the required number of practicum hours within a reasonable amount of time.  

Cost of the program through the University of North Florida, Department of Nutrition & Dietetic is as follows:

Pending admission to the program, candidates may consider utilizing the UNF ISPP Checklist to track their progress. This checklist is for personal use only and is not required. 

Application and selection process

The University of North Florida’s Department of Nutrition & Dietetics has agreed to accept five (5) candidates per cohort as part of this model. The potential candidate must submit an extensive list of various materials in a portfolio format to determine eligibility to participate in the program, types of supervised practice experiences that will be required, and previous experiences.    

Program completion

Program completion is reached when the intern has successfully satisfied all rotation learning objectives, and supervised practice hours. Graduates are eligible to receive a verification form and take the examination to become a registered dietitian. The registration exam for dietitians is administered by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition & Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND).