Dietetic Internship FAQs

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Read below for answers about some of the most common questions regarding the dietetic internship program.

When and whom should I ask for recommendation letters?

Depending on the program, you will be required to provide 2-3 letters of recommendation usually from a mix of professors and volunteer/job supervisors. Usually at least one has to be a Registered Dietitian. You will be asked to sign a waiver stating that you will not see what the recommender has written. Therefore, when you approach the recommender, be sure to provide them with an updated resume and a list of addresses of the internships you are applying to, so they can send the letter to the appropriate place once completed. Try to choose professors you have had 2 or more classes with, you have a good relationship with, performed will in their class and think would write you an excellent recommendation. Some professors may turn you down if their volume is too high or they do not feel they could write an excellent recommendation for you based on your performance.

For volunteer/work references, preferably use a place you were at for at least 6 months and is most relevant to the field of nutrition. Ask for recommendations 2-3 months prior to the application deadline, which is about right before the holiday season.

How difficult is it to get an internship?

Currently due to increased interest in the field of nutrition there is about a 50% acceptance rate into an internship. There are more applicants than ever before without any new internship spots available. As with anything, there are fluctuating trends, so in the future there may be less competition.

What do I need to accomplish to be accepted into the internship?

Three words: volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. Okay, that is not all you need to be excepted, but it is extremely important. Grades are also very important, but if someone has a 4.0 GPA and does nothing else they may have a hard time getting accepted. If you have a high GPA >3.5, lots of volunteer experience, and maybe some work experience you have a good chance of getting in. Internship directors want to see that you are able to multitask, so try to diversify your experiences. Also, maintain membership to the ADA and your local dietetic organization (i.e. LIDA for Long Island residents). Keep track of the dates and organizations you volunteered for even if it was only a one-time activity so it’s easily accessible for the application process.

There are so many opportunities to volunteer on Long Island. Hospitals are a great place to get experience especially if you are applying to a predominately clinically based internship. Contact the Clinical Nutrition Manager and nearby hospitals and ask them if you can volunteer at the facility. You will most likely need a resume, interview session and health exam before you can start. Volunteer with your universities nutrition club by participating in as many activities as you can and even running for a board member position. It is a great way to meet other students and have fun while building your resume. Other places to volunteer include, but are not limited to:

• Soup kitchens (The INN http://www.the-inn.org, Farmingdale United Methodist Church Soup Group)


• Food pantry’s/food distribution organizations (Long Island Harvest, Long Island Cares, Rock N Wrap it Up, Rock Can Roll)


• Private practice nutrition offices (look at the LIDA private practice list for someone near you)


• Long Island Dietetic Association (look on our website http://www.eatrightli.org under student volunteer opportunities)


• Sleep away camps involving nutrition such as a nutrition counselor at Setebaid Services, Inc., a camp for kids with Type I Diabetes (http://www.setebaidservices.org) or Food Service Assistant at Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake in California (http://www.campronald.org)


• Anything else you find searching on google!

For work experience:

• Contact private practice nutritionists (some hire students as assistants)
• Personal Training Institute Gym
• Hospitals looking for diet technicians
• Meet with someone at your university/college in the career services center. They can help you with writing a resume, interview skills and finding a nutrition related job.

How do I chose the program that is right for me?

Check out www.eatright.org for all the internships across the country. They are listed by state and provide basic information about the program with links to the programs website. Things to consider are:

• Location: (out of state, local to home) You will make connections through your internship but if you do not plan on living in the area afterwards those connections may not be useful.


• Type of internship: (clinically based, community based, foodservice based) or niche rotation it may offer like sports nutrition or pediatrics. There are certain requirements all internships must meet so you will experience a variety of nutrition topics, but everything can be in one location or several locations.


• Cost: The salary of your first job may not be worth the cost of an ivy-league/tier one internship. You do not get paid higher wages because you went to Harvard or NYU.

How does the computer matching process work?

Computer based matching costs about $50. Sign-up information should be provided by your school. Basically, how it works is, you are able to choose up to five programs and rank then in order of the one you want to attend as first to your least desired choice as last. You can apply/rank only one program if you want but it is not recommended since you are lowering your chances of acceptance. Most people apply to three programs. The internship director then ranks their choices in order of their number one choice to their last choice and puts it in the computer. So you have your list and the programs have their list. When matching day comes the computer matches the students to the program. If the program you ranked as number one has ten spots in their internship and they ranked you in one of those ten spots you are matched and accepted. If the school you ranked as number one does not have you in their top ten you can only be accepted if say one of their ten picks matched with another school and you were listed as their eleventh choice. If all of the programs ten choices were matched and you were not in the top ten you are rejected and then the matching proceeds to your second choice. If the second program you chose has fifteen spots and you are listed in the top fifteen you will match with that program.

You can only match with one program and you will never know what ranking you were in other programs so it is very important to list your choices based on where you really want to attend as well as where you have the greatest chance of acceptance. A good way to tell if you will be a programs top choice is how well the interview went. If you did not even get an interview at a program, because some programs only interview people they are interested in, do not rank that as your number one choice.

How should I dress for the interviews and internship rotations?

Dress professionally of course! Dietitians are a conservative bunch. You will be judged on how you are dressed. Therefore, NO odd piercings except for basic one earring hole, NO pink/blue/purple highlights, NO heels that are greater than 3” high and NO exposed tattoos. Go easy on the make-up and jewelry, but maybe treat yourself to a manicure. What you should wear is a blazer jacket, dress pants, or skirt at knee length with stockings, and hair pulled back if you are prone to playing with it under pressure. Colors to wear are black, brown, navy blue, or gray.

Can I work during the internship?

Usually it is recommended that you do not work during the internship. But let’s face it, it is a tough economy, and most of us are too old, too proud, or not able to rely on our parents for sole-support financially. Definitely work with the financial aid office to help pay for the internship. It is likely that you will be able to loan more than the cost of tuition to help pay for housing and living costs. Also, if you are able to work at your usual job since the internship is local, plan ahead with your boss to adjust your schedule. You will have to cut hours because the internship is a full-time job and you need time to do your assignments, but part-time paid work is still very possible. Consider an internship that pays you, like the US Army internship or Veterans Affairs (VA) internships.

What happens if I am not accepted into an internship?

If you are not accepted cry, get angry, stomp your feet, and then get back to work. You can reapply again next year and be back on track to becoming a Registered Dietitian. You have worked so hard. Do not give up now. First, find out if there were internship spots that were not filled in other parts of the country and apply right away. If you are not willing to do an internship in Arkansas, Nebraska, or even upstate NY because you love Long Island so much, you will have to wait until next year and do the following things described below.

Contact the programs you applied to and ask if they could give you constructive criticism on what you need to be accepted. Maybe your interviewing skills need improvement, or the writing sample was not up to par, or they felt you were lacking experience in a certain area. Look into taking some masters classes to improve your grades and show the internship directors how smart you really are. Spend more time volunteering, or if you never volunteered before start.

For more information on the internship process check out the student section of the American Dietetic Association’s website www.eatright.org