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Curriculum and Completion Requirements

DI CERTIFICATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CALENDAR

The Dietetic Internship Certificate Program runs from the first week of September through the end of May, which includes orientation, a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice, and a weekly dietetic internship seminar during the fall and spring semesters.

Time off for religious holidays/observances can be arranged according to the policy and procedures of the rotation facility and with the approval of the Dietetic Internship Director and the Intern’s preceptor. In addition, students may take up to 3 personal days which must be pre- approved by the Dietetic Internship Director and the Intern’s preceptor.

Note: Duration of the program may be subject to change based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in availability of rotation sites, absence or non-availability of preceptors, or failure of an intern to satisfactorily complete the work and/or time commitment for any rotation, which may result in a substantial delay in program completion.

ORIENTATION WEEK

The internship begins with a one-week orientation to the program.

*Distance interns will participate in orientation activities virtually.

Orientation activities include:

1.          Overview of the School and Program

2.         Review of the DI Policies and Procedures Handbook

3.          Collection and review of all required documents (if not previously submitted)

4.          Paperwork for first rotations (assignments, schedules, processing through volunteer office)

5.          Review of pre-rotation study materials and resources

6.         Semester schedule (mandatory meetings, DI seminar dates, etc.)

7.          Overview of supervised practice rotations (what to expect, professional conduct, pre-rotation assignments and curriculum, journals, competencies, evaluations)

8.          Guest speakers as applicable

SUPERVISED PRACTICE ROTATIONS

Following orientation, interns begin their full-time supervised practice rotations. There are three major rotation areas:

1.      Food Service Management rotation:5-6 weeks (minimum of 150 hours)

2.      Medical Nutrition Therapy rotation:10-12 weeks (minimum of 350 hours)

3.      Community Nutrition and Public Health rotation:16-18 weeks at minimum of 2 rotation sites (minimum of 500 hours)

The number of hours of full-time supervised practice per week varies from site to site, depending on the schedule(s) of the site. Although dietetic interns must complete a minimum of 1,000 hours, they may choose to complete additional weeks/hours at assigned or additional rotation sites if time allows within the DI timeframe.

During rotations, interns begin by observing and assisting staff members and progress through increasingly more responsible activities.

Experiences are sequenced to allow for the development of competencies and interns are expected to demonstrate near entry-level competency at the end of each rotation.

During the supervised practice hours, dietetic interns also participate in departmental in-service programs, rounds, staff meetings, case study presentations, journal clubs, and professional development workshops.

Constructive performance appraisals during supervised practice rotations encourage self-improvement.

Preceptors provide informal and formal feedback during each rotation, as well as at the rotation’s conclusion.

In addition, the Internship Director periodically meets with each intern to discuss his or her overall progress in the program.

WEEKLY DIETETIC INTERNSHIP SEMINAR

When the interns participate in the supervised practice portion of the internship, they simultaneously attend the weekly evening DI seminar taught by the DI Director during the fall and spring semesters.

During the seminar, direct experience is supplemented with informal discussions on topics in food/nutrition, guest lectures, preparation for the Registration Examination for Dietitians (e.g., study guides, review questions, practice exams), and career development (e.g., resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, preparation of the CDR continuing education portfolio, networking, salary negotiations, etc.). The seminar also provides an opportunity for support and shared learning and students are able to discuss their internship experiences with the Internship Director and classmates.

Throughout the year, interns attend local dietetic association meetings and participate in activities that encourage professional development. In addition, the Hunter Nutrition Program sponsors on-campus meetings and workshops. Each dietetic intern is encouraged to become an affiliate member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Associate membership in The American Public Health Association (APHA) and student membership in the Greater New York Dietetic Association is also recommended.

DIETETIC INTERNSHIP COURSES

The following courses will be taken by all Dietetic Interns.Students will register for NUTR 700 and NUTR 701 in the fall, and for NUTR 702 and NUTR 703 for the spring.The DI seminar course, which meets weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters, is designed to provide didactic experiences that support and enrich the supervised practice component of the Dietetic Internship.

 NUTR 700             Seminar in Dietetics Practice:·Discussions and presentations of topics of current interest in the practice of dietetics and public health nutrition. This course meets weekly during the fall and spring semester.

 NUTR 701             Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Clinical Supervised Externship in clinical dietetics, and classroom discussions of readings and field experiences.

 NUTR 702             Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Food Service Supervised Externship in food service and personnel management, and classroom discussions of readings and field experiences.

 NUTR 703             Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Community Supervised Externship in community nutrition, and classroom discussions of readings and field experience

MS-DI PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Students enrolled in the MS-DI Program must complete all of the requirements of the Dietetic Internship Certificate outlined above, which grants at total of 12 graduate credits. along with an additional 24 graduate credits (8 courses) in our MS program. Completion of this 36 credit MS-DI program allows graduates to obtain the Verification Statement and become eligible to sit for the RDN exam. Students have the option to take these courses during the summer prior to the start of the DI, during the DI fall and spring rotations, and after completion of the DI.

Curriculum Outline

Dietetic Internship Courses (12 credits total)
NUTR 70000 Seminar in Dietetics Practice
NUTR 70100 Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Clinical
NUTR 70200 Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Food Service
NUTR 70300 Pre-Professional Practice in Dietetics: Community

NUTR Core Courses (6 credits total)
PH 75000 Biostatistics or equivalent
NUTR 72500 Nutrition Research

NUTR Specialization/Major Electives (5 classes - 15 credits total)
NUTR 71500 Food Service and Management
NUTR 72000 Community Nutrition Education
NUTR 73300 Nutrition and Human Development
NUTR 73100 Advanced Nutrition I
NUTR 73200 Advanced Nutrition II
NUTR 73400 Clinical Nutrition I
NUTR 73500 Clinical Nutrition II
NUTR 74600 Nutrition and Disease
NUTR 74700 Advanced Nutrition and Assessment Lab (1 credit)
NUTR 74800 Assessment and Counseling
NUTR 75600 Food Science and Environment
NUTR 75700 Food Science and Environment Lab (1 credit)
NUTR 77000 Topics in Nutrition (1, 2, or 3 credits)
NUTR 78301, 02, 03 Independent Study (1, 2, or 3 credits)
Other NUTR or Biology or other electives approved by advisor

NUTR Culminating Experience (3 credits total)
NUTR 78000 Capstone or NUTR 79000 Thesis

PRIOR ASSESSED LEARNING

The Hunter College Dietetic Internship participates in the Prior Assessed Learning program recognized by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

The Prior Assessed Learning (PAL) program is designed to grant varying degrees of internship credit in specific rotations of the internship based on the qualified applicant’s learning, as demonstrated through paid work or volunteer experiences.· Experiences considered for PAL must meet competencies required by ACEND that are equivalent to an entry-level dietitian.· Dietetic internship credit is given for learning and gaining knowledge through the work experience of a professional career.· The credit is not for work experience, but is given when an applicant demonstrates an increase in knowledge and learning.

PAL will not be granted as a replacement for any of the didactic portion of the dietetic internship (i.e., interns must attend the orientation and weekly intern seminars throughout the fall and spring semesters).

Experiences submitted for PAL will have taken place after completion of all DPD courses.

PAL credit will not exceed 500 hours.

The tuition and fees for the Dietetic Internship will remain the same, regardless of the amount of PAL granted.

Submission of a request for PAL credit does not guarantee that such credit will be awarded, in full or in part as requested.

Decisions regarding the awarding of PAL credit are at the discretion of the DI Director.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss potential PAL experiences with the DI Director prior to preparing and submitting the application materials.

Application Information for PAL:

Prospective·applicants should request a PAL application packet from the Dietetic·Internship Director via email at ama0026@hunter.cuny.edu.

Experiences submitted for PAL evaluation must be classified as: Community Nutrition, Food Service Management, or Medical Nutrition Therapy.

Projects, reports, presentations, and educational materials produced by the applicant which demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills will be evaluated for PAL credit. Job descriptions, performance evaluations, letters from clients, and so on, can be used as supporting documentation of knowledge and skills, as applicable.

All materials must be typewritten. Applicants will indicate which of the 2022 ACEND competencies have been met by each experience submitted for evaluation.

For best planning of the internship experience, application for PAL credit for experience completed before the summer·should be submitted by May 1st, and communication about subsequent experience(s) should be maintained with the Program Director.

Additional documentation / clarification of activities must be provided to the DI Director upon request. Failure to do so in a timely manner may preclude obtaining PAL credit.

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