Dietetic Internship
Early Acceptance/Preselect Option
Eligibility Requirements and Selection
- Completion of (or verified intention to complete) all DPD coursework by May graduation following submission of the application in the fall and Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) verification (or intent to complete) statement issued through Winthrop University. Request a signed paper copy of the statement from the Winthrop DPD director, Mrs. Christine Goodner to include in your early acceptance application.
- Completion of an application to the Winthrop University Graduate School for fall semester (should be submitted prior to the request for early admission) even if applicant has already completed an MS or PhD (may apply for the certiifcate program instead of as a full-time student).
- Score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) of 293 (old scoring 940) total on the verbal and quantitative sections (combined highest scores) and a GPA of 3.2 or higher in DPD coursework.
- Printed copy of the completed DICAS internship application; register and log-on to DICAS and complete/print a paper copy of the DICAS dietetic internship application (the protal closes durign different timeframes in the fall so do not wait until the last minute to print your applicaiton).
- Paper copies of the three references completed by professionals or faculty members using the standardized DICAS reference form (see note below). Include these in the application packet (OR notify the DI director that the individual supplying the reference will mail it directly to the Department of Human Nutrition in care of the DI director). NOTE: When asking an individual to complete a DICAS reference applicants should --in advance-- request that a paper copy of the completed reference be placed in a sealed envelope with signature over seal.
- Evidence of self-directed learning by completion of a minimum of 40 hours of dietetics-related experience, either paid or volunteer, with preference on experience in a healthcare setting and/or direct patient care. The purpose of dietetics-related experience prior to the internship is to develop professional attributes and gain exposure to health-related processes, nutrition education, and management procedures. Hands-on work experience in dietetics-related settings requiring professional communication helps to ease the transition of students from the academic setting to rotations in the professional workplace.
Examples of venues where experience may be obtained include hospital, long-term or rehabilitation facility, public health, community-based program, school food service. The following will not be considered as hours toward the early acceptance option: shadowing a health professional (i.e., observational experiences of an RD at work), completion of dietetics-related experience for which academic credit was received as a component of the DPD program (such as NUTR 490 or NUTR 428), volunteering or employment in a fitness center as an educator or personal trainer, employment as a waitress, cook, hostess in a restaurant or clerk in a nutrient supplement store.
To qualify for the early acceptance option, the experience must have been completed within the last five years and supervised by a registered dietitian or other qualified professional. The 40 hours of experience may be accrued all in one venue or in up to three different venues. Although the experience may be completed in as many as three settings, there are some limits on the amount of experience that may be obtained. The maximum hours considered for these settings are as follows: WU graduate assistant position, maximum of 15 hours; service-learning/international study program, maximum 15 hours; health-related camp, maximum of 10 hours; soup kitchen or feeding program or food bank for maximum of 10 hours in one agency. Preference is given for experience in a helathcare setting and/or direct patient care.
NOTE: Current contact information for the professional(s) who supervised the minimum 40 hours experience(s) and the total number of hours should be provided in the justification.
- Composition of a brief justification listing which work or volunteer activtities provided the minimum 40 hours of experience required for the early acceptance option and the number of hours contributed by each activity if there is more than one venue. The applicant should succinctly describe how the specific experience(s) contributed to the development of his or her communication skills, abilities as a self-directed learner and team-player. The justification should also include the name(s) and current contact information for the individual(s) who supervised the minimum 40 hours of experience(s).
Faculty members in the Department will review the applications for the early acceptance option. Readiness of each applicant for early acceptance will be considered based on the student’s willingness to work as a team-player, capability for self-directed learning, and effectiveness of communication skills as well as on the depth and quality of dietetics-related experience.
Following the faculty's decisions, the internship director will notify interns selected for early acceptance and provide additional instructions. Preselected interns should notify the Winthrop internship director in writing (e-mail acceptable) within 24 hours if they wish to accept a position in the program. Once an applicant has agreed to early acceptance, the name of the preselected applicant is submitted by the internship director to D & D Digital and the preselected applicant is withdrawn from the spring D & D computer matching process.
The internship director will notify all the applicants for the early acceptance in ample time to apply to other programs if needed. Applicants who are not selected for early acceptance are encouraged to apply for Winthrop’s additional internship positions through DICAS for the spring D & D Digital matching process.
Applicants should feel free to contact the internship director between August 15 and May 15 with questions or to meet and review eligibility criteria.