Dietetic Internship Program

About the Program

The Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness (FNW), located in Tallahassee, Florida, manages the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Dietetic Internship Program.

The Dietetic Internship Program is a nine-month program (September – May) accepting two to three interns per year. The program is based upon the Eligibility Requirements and Accreditation Standards (ERAS) of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy).   The internship provides students with supervised practice and didactic experiences that meet ACEND Competencies/Learning Outcomes for Dietitians requirements. An area of concentration for entry-level practitioners in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs, and School Food Service Management is provided through this internship. Students who successfully complete this nine-month program are eligible to take the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s (CDR) Registration Examination for Dietitians. Please see Admission Requirements to determine your eligibility for the program.

Employee applicants are eligible to apply after six months of employment in a team or team support position with the Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness. Eligible employee applicants applying for pre-select positions must submit their completed application materials by January 4. Pre-select applicants will be notified of their selection into the dietetic internship by January 18, and must notify the program director by 5 p.m. on January 20 of their acceptance of the position. If there are no eligible employee applicants, the program will notify non-employee applicants by February 2 of the number of positions available through the computer match.

Program Mission, Vision, and Goals

Mission

The mission of the Dietetic Internship Program is to provide quality supervised practice and didactic training with a focus in USDA Child Nutrition Programs and School Food Service Management.

Vision

Students will develop the expertise and skills necessary to apply the nutritional knowledge and theory of their didactic education to the work environment.

Program Goals

The goals of the Dietetic Internship Program are to:

  1. Prepare dietetic interns for the challenges unique to child nutrition in a school setting
  2. Prepare dietetic interns for entry level positions in dietetics and to successfully complete the Registration Exam
  3. Prepare dietetic interns to perform the variety of tasks that are required for operating successful food service departments

Program Outcomes

Outcome measures include Program retention and completion rates, pass-rate on the Registration Examination for Dietitians, rates on employment in dietetics, including school food service, and responses on graduate and employer surveys.

All graduates have been retained and have completed the internship. Most of the graduates have been employed in dietetic positions within six months of program completion, with a large percentage of graduates employed in school food service positions, including school food service directors and nutrition educators. Graduates and their employers positively rank the program’s ability to prepare graduates for entry-level practice.

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Application Requirements

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Admission Requirements

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Completion Requirements

Satisfactory performance on all required assignments, projects, curricula, rotation objectives, case studies, presentations, and exams and compliance with agency policies and procedures are required for the completion of the Dietetic Internship Program. In addition, interns must demonstrate behaviors consistent with the "Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics," and they must have good communication, customer service, and employability skills.

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Student Costs

The following costs are expected to be covered by the dietetic intern:

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Program Schedule & Components

The program begins the day after Labor Day and concludes the Friday before Memorial Day.

Clinic Rotation - Thirteen Weeks - Facilities

Food Service Rotation - Eight Weeks - Facilities

Community Rotation - Sixteen Weeks - Facilities

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Accreditation Status

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service's Dietetic Internship Program has been granted initial accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

For more information on ACEND, please contact the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, by phone at 800-877-1600, Extension 5400, or on the World Wide Web at www.eatright.org/acend.

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Contact

Food, Nutrition and Wellness
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
600 South Calhoun Street, Suite 120
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Direct Line: 850-617-7400
Toll Free: (800) 504-6609