Internship Program Description
The internship program at Andrews University is an accredited supervised practice experience accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Though considered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to be a Distance Dietetic Internship, the program works with a certain designated facilities. When applying, the applicant will prioritize three locations in order of preference. The experiences are supervised by Registered Dietitians. The internship is a full-time program involving 40 hours per week, and in some instances, may require multiple locations. Our internship program has a Medical Nutrition Therapy emphasis as 65% of our program is spent in clinical nutrition.
Persons who successfully complete the internship are prepared for entry-level positions in Dietetics and are eligible to write the registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The pass rate of our students is excellent, as over 85% successfully pass this exam.
The eight month program (from late August to beginning of May) consists of:
- 3 days of orientation at Andrews University (All interns accepted into our Dietetic Internship program are expected to attend the this orientation session that is usually held during the 3rd week of August.).
- 1 month of Community Nutrition Rotation
- 2 months of Food Service Administration Rotation
- 5 months of Clinical Dietetics Rotation
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Cost of Orientation
| Transportation to AU | $25 - $300 Depends on the type of transportation ( car, airplane) |
| Meal cost for 3 days | $30 - $50 |
| Travel to clinical site | $10 - $15 |
| Lodging for 2 nights | $100 - $150 |
| Total | $165 - $515 |
Computer Matching
A computer matching process will select dietetic interns. All applicants to dietetic internships must participate in computer matching. Applicants may obtain information on the computer matching process from any approved didactic program in Nutrition and Dietetics, or they can visit D&D Digital Systems' website at http://www.dnddigital.com for instructions to prioritize their DI preferences.
Registration for the computer matching process must be done by the designated deadline(See website for the specific deadlines www.dnddigital.com). There is a $50.00 charge for computer matching that is due with the applicant's prioritized ranking.
The address for D&D Digital Systems is:
D&D Digital Systems
304 Main St.
Ames, Iowa 50010-6148
Phone: 515-292-0490
Fax: 515-663-9427
Email: dnd@sigler.com
Website: http://www.dnddigital.com
Locations
Hospital options are available at the geographical locations listed below. Each intern will be placed at only one location for the entire period that she/he is completing the internship. We request that each applicant submit three locations in order of preference. We can't guaranty 1st location option.
- Franklin, OH
- Ft. Worth, TX
- Grandville, OH
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Hinsdale, IL
- Kettering, OH
- Orlando, FL
- South Bend/Goshen, IN
- St. Joseph, MI
- Tavares, FL
Masters Degree
Students may choose to enroll concurrently in a Master's Degree (MS) in Nutrition & Wellness program. Concurrent enrollment alllows the students to earn eight graduate credits towards the MS program. For these eight credits it is required to enroll for 4 credits in the fall semester and for 4 credits in the spring semester. There is not additional class time during the internship. Retroactive graduate credit is not available. Acceptance to the graduate program is a separate process and requires separate application with proper documentation (Ex. original transcripts).
Handbook
The student admitted to the program will receive from the program director the Dietetic Internship Handbook containing program guidelines, evaluation instruments, and reporting forms to be used during the 8-month internship.
Entrance Exam
Once you are admitted to the program, a multiple choice comprehensive test of 100 questions will be administered during the orientation week. The passing score is 75%. In the event that an intern does not pass the test , they will be given one more opportunity to take the test at the end of the orientation week. Passing this test is a requirement for continuing in the Internship Program. The students that don't pass the second time are eligible for 100% tuition refund. Travel expenses to AU orientation are not reimbursable.
Online Tests
During the internship there will be four tests online (http://aumoodle.andrews.edu) for each intern to complete. The first 3 tests follow the Community Nutrition, Food Service and the Clinical Dietetics rotations. The passing score is 80% for each test. At the conclusion of the DI each intern will take a 100- question RD-like exam on Moodle. The passing score for this exam is also 80%. All 4 tests must be passed successfully for the intern to have their name forwarded to CDR for permission to take the RD exam. Failure in any one of these tests will mean that the intern must complete a review course before Internship Program (IP) is considered completed. The student is responsible for the cost of the RD review. Please check for prices below.
The options available for this review course are:
-
Inmans Review Course
Website: http://www.inmanassoc.com/review.htm
Phone: (508) 583-6117 -
Breeding and Associates
Website: http://www.dietitianworkshops.com/training.php
Phone: (859) 623-5895 -
DietitianExam.com
Website: www.DietitianExam.com
For More Information Please Contact:
Maggie Hernandez, Internship Program Director
Phone: 269.471.3372
Email: magaly@andrews.edu
Department of Nutrition & Wellness
Phone: 269.471.3370
Email: nutrition@andrews.edu