Dietetic Internship Program

The University of North Florida dietetic internship is a 16 month applied supervised practice program in dietetics. The program is coordinated with a Masters of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. The program provides generalized preparation in dietetics with our chosen emphasis in evidence-based practice. The educational experiences of classes and rotations focus on developing values, interrelationships and management of resources to prepare the practitioner to assist others in meeting the challenges of their social and physical environments. The curriculum encourages the development of a disciplined mind, critical and creative thought, skill in human relationships and communication, flexibility, lifelong learning and professional competence.

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General Information

Mission Statement

Through excellence in teaching, research, and service, the UNF combined Master of Science and Dietetic Internship Program will provide a high quality 1200 hour supervised practice experience and related graduate coursework that prepares entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist who will secure employment in dietetics and pursue professional development and service.
Program Goals & Outcomes
1. GOAL #1: To prepare graduates to be competent, entry-level dietitians possessing the skills necessary to practice in a variety of food and nutrition-related practice areas.
  1. Program Objectives for Goal #1:
    - Outcome 1.1 - The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionist is at least 80%.
    - Outcome 1.2 - 90% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion
    - Outcome 1.3 - At least 80% of graduate responses will indicate scores of “3” or higher where “3= adequate”, “4= more than adequate” and “5= Excellent” on survey question related to preparation for entry-level practice in dietetics on a one-year post graduation survey.
    - Outcome 1.4 - At least 80% of program interns complete program/degree requirements within 24 months (150% of program length).
    - Outcome 1.5 - At least 90% of responding employers will rate entry-level performance of program graduates as a 3 or higher where 3 = “adequately skilled”, “4 = highly skilled or “5 = Outstanding” on employer surveys (based on a 5-point scale)
2. GOAL #2: To prepare graduates to meet the needs of the Jacksonville community, the state, and the nation for registered dietitian nutritionist.
  1. Program Objectives for Goal #2:
    - Outcome 2.1 - Of the graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
    - Outcome 2.2 - Of the graduates who seek employment, 25% will be employed in nutrition and dietetics-related field in the Southeast region.
3. GOAL #3: To prepare graduates to develop skills that foster an evidence-based approach to dietetic practice along with life-long learning habits.
  1. Program Objectives for Goal #3:
    - Outcome 3.1 - At least 90% of the graduates will indicate on annual surveys participation, leadership and/or lifelong learning.
    - Outcome 3.2 -100% of program interns will incorporate evidenced based knowledge into their academic assignments.
    - Outcome 3.3 - 100% of the program intern will successfully complete an evidenced based clinical case study during internship with a score of 3 or better with “3 = meets entry level expectations” or “4 = exceeds entry-level expectations” (based on a 4-point scale).
    - Outcome 3.4 - At least 80% of responding employers will rate program graduates as a 3 or higher where 3 = “adequately skilled”, “4 = highly skilled or “5 = Outstanding” on the question of ability to incorporate evidence-based knowledge into practice on employer surveys (based on a 5-point scale).
Program Outcomes
UNF’s MS/DI program has an ongoing assessment process on the outcome of its program. Data on outcomes are available. To obtain information on available program outcome send a written request to the Program Director. Please contact Dr. Claudia Sealey-Potts at c.sealey-potts@unf.edu to request data.
Accreditation

The UNF Dietetic Internship has been granted full accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND); http://www.eatright.org/ACEND/ of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606, (312) 899-5400. Email: ACEND@eatright.org. Upon completion of all program requirements, graduates are eligible to receive a verification statement and to take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists.

Course Specific Information

Curriculum & Sample Schedule

The program is 16-months or 4-semesters in length. The internship rotations are coordinated with the graduate course work. All classes are delivered via a hybrid or distance learning format and interns are in rotation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Interns will also provide nutritional education and counseling several Fridays each semester at health clinics for the medically underserved.

The first semester is spent gaining valuable supervised practice experience in Foodservice Management. The rotation includes food production and procurement, food service systems, personnel management and employee education. The experiences culminate into an intern planned and supervised theme meal. The course work completed in the fall is Nutrition & Metabolism, Methods of Nutrition Assessment, Clinical Nutrition and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Clinical supervised practice rotations are completed in Spring semester. Interns will gain experience in a variety of areas including medicine, surgery, cardiology and diabetes. Together with the clinical practice rotation (internship), the coursework completed include Nutrition and Dietetic Research, Public Health Biostatistics, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Coursework completed during the summer semester includes Epidemiology, and Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics. Interns will complete Nutrition Education & Counseling, Professional Seminar,Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics in the fall semester. Community rotations are completed in the summer or last semester and include the WIC program, Duval County Schools, private practice dietitians, UNF Health Promotion & Wellness, Community Wellness, extended care, and Cooperative Extension. Advanced rotations are completed in the summer or fall semester and include clinical staff relief, pediatrics, diabetes, critical care, and renal. Rotations will be adjusted according to interns' areas of interest. Students have an option to study abroad.

Throughout the program, each intern will focus on a research area. Interns need complete case studies and course assignments in their research area. The coursework, supervised practice and research area will culminate in the final semester as part of the Professional Seminar class when interns will present on their research at a professional meeting.

Program Info
Variable	Fall	Spring	Summer	Fall
Internship Rotation Tuesday-Thursday each week	Food Service Management	Clinical	Advanced Clinical or Community	Community or Advanced Clinical
Program of Study All classes are taught using hybrid or distance learning models	HUN5265 Methods of Nutrition Assessment (1 credit) HUN6249 Nutrition and Metabolism (4 credit) DIE6248 Clinical Nutrition (3 credits) DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics(3 credits)	HUN6910 Nutrition & Dietetics Research (3 credits) PHC6050 Public Health Biostatistics I (3 credits) DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)	HSC6509 Nutritional Epidemiology (3 credits) DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)	HUN6612 Nutrition Education and Counseling (3 credits) HUN6911 Nutrition and Dietetics Seminar (3 credits) DIE6940 Clinical Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics (3 credits)
Total Hours	11	9	6	9

Program Completion

Program completion is reached when the intern has successfully satisfied all rotation learning objectives, supervised practice hours and graduate coursework. Graduates are eligible to receive a verification statement and take the examination to become a registered dietitian. The CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics https://www.cdrnet.org/
Transportation

Due to travel distance between affiliated facilities and the university, interns are required to have a reliable form of transportation, a valid driver's license, and liability insurance.

Application Procedure

Requirements
A maximum of 15 interns are selected during match period annually. Applicants must meet the following minimum criteria:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited DPD didactic program in dietetics (DPD)
2. DPD verification statement
3. Minimun 3.0 GPA
4. GRE score greater than 298 in the new scoring system (verbal and quantitative combined), 3 or greater on the writing portion. Due to ongoing COVID restrictions and/or limited GRE testing sites, the MS/DI and ISPP program will waive GRE Scores for this Spring 2021 application cycle.
Application Process
The application is a two step process:
1. Apply to the UNF Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietetic Internship Program via the Graduate School.
2. Apply to the UNF MS Dietetic Internship through the DICAS system. UNF Dietetic Internship participates in the on-line centralized internship application, DICAS, which is also found at https://portal.dicas.org/. The on-line application must be completed by February 15. The fee to use DICAS is $45 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application. You must include the following materials in your DICAS package:
  - Application letter. Three pages, typed, double spaced, with 1 inch margins, your letter should describe your professional goals, why you are an excellent candidate for a combined Master's degree and internship program, and how your personal attributes would contribute to the program and the profession. (Note: The MS coursework uses the hybrid and DL learning model, but the supervised practice/dietetic internship activities will be mainly in Jacksonville, FL, and in nearby areas.)
  - Official transcript(s) from all universities and colleges attended.
  - Declaration of Intent to Complete a Degree and Didactic Program in Dietetics or Verification Statement of Program Completion.
  - Three references submitted on Academy standard recommendation forms. References should be from two professors and one work reference.
  - Applicants must also register for Spring Computer Match online using the D&D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service at www.dnddigital.com (3100 S. Riverside Dr, P.O. Box 887; Ames Iowa, 50010 (515) 292-0490) and select dietetic internship priority choices by February 15. There is a $55.00 computer matching fee.
Application Review

Applications of qualified candidates will be reviewed by a committee and scored on GPA, GRE score, work experience, volunteer experience, reference letters and letter of application.

DI Director and selection committee will process the applications prior to match date. Top candidates will be notified about the next steps in the admission process.

Interviewing

Interview

Top candidates will be interviewed in person, by phone, or skype using a performance-based interviewing tool.

Appointments

Appointment Procedure

D&D Digital will provide all applicants their personal matching results via posting on the D&D Digital Online Dietetics Internship Matching Service website at www.dnddigital.com/ by April 7th.
Appointees to the UNF Dietetic Internship Program are to contact the Dietetic Internship Director to accept or reject the appointment by 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on appointment day.