Nutrition Ink Dietetic Internship Program (NIDIP)

Program overview

The Nutrition Ink Dietetic Internship Program is a full-time, 1,000-hour program with a program-specific concentration in medical nutrition therapy for nutrition support. Because it is a distance program, you can complete it from anywhere in the United States. As a full-time intern you secure your own preceptors and practice sites, and participate in the internship a minimum of eight hours a day, five days a week, in addition to completing assignments. The program accepts 35 interns each year and requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised dietetic practice.

Recognizing that individuals have different interests and priorities, the program offers an elective in a specialty area of your choice and a research project that may be done in any of the major rotations. You will learn from, interact with and counsel a diverse population across the lifespan, for a variety of medical conditions and in a variety of settings. Interns may receive credit for previous work or volunteer experience, on approval of the internship director, to complete the program early.

Orientation takes place online over the summer, and interns receive summer assignments to submit before rotations can begin. Participation in the online orientation is required unless a note from your healthcare provider excuses you for medical reasons. Prospective candidates should have basic computer skills including internet, email, scanning documents, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.

Rotations traditionally start in September, but you may begin any time after orientation if you need the flexibility, and all rotations end on June 30. Beginning rotations in foodservice and community nutrition let you build a foundation in the less complex learning experiences; as you demonstrate growth, autonomy and responsibility, the experiences increase in complexity through the clinical rotation, the MNT concentration in nutrition support, and the research and medical library rotation.

Mission

The Nutrition Ink Dietetic Internship Program provides a quality education to graduates in meeting and maintaining standards of excellence by working with people of various racial, ethnic and diverse backgrounds, and demonstrating the knowledge and practical skills to become competent and productive entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists.

Goals and outcomes

Goal 1: Graduates will be competent entry-level registered dietitians.

1. At least 80% of graduates will score a 3 or 4 (on a 4-point scale) for agreeing they are a competent entry-level dietitian on the end-of-program survey.
2. At least 80% of graduates who respond to the one-year post-graduate survey will score a 3 or 4 (on a 4-point scale) for agreeing that "the program provided me with the tools to be a competent dietitian."
3. Program completion: at least 80% of program interns complete program requirements within 15 months (150% of program length).
4. Graduate employment: of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
5. Graduate performance on the registration exam: at least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion, and the program's one-year pass rate (graduates who pass within one year of their first attempt) is at least 80%.
6. Employer satisfaction: at least 80% of employers who respond to a survey on program graduates in their first year of employment will rate their satisfaction with graduate preparation for entry-level practice as 2 or higher (averaged on a 3-point scale).

Goal 2: Graduates will practice with cultural sensitivity to the community's diverse population.

1. At least 80% of graduates will score a 3 or 4 (on a 4-point scale) for agreeing they are able to practice with cultural sensitivity to the community's diverse population on the end-of-program survey.
2. At least 80% of employers who respond to a survey on hired program graduates in their first year of employment will rate the graduate's ability to work effectively with clients of different cultures, ethnicities or backgrounds as 2 or higher (on a 3-point scale).
3. At least 80% of program graduates confirm that they feel competent to work with clients of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Program outcomes data are available to the public on request.

Policies

The program policies delineate the responsibility of each intern throughout the program and are the criteria used to determine continuance in the program. They are provided to interns at orientation.

Program requirements

Admission

To be considered for acceptance, candidates must present a verification statement from an approved Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) showing coursework completed within the last five years, and must have earned a master's degree or have been accepted into an accredited master's degree program. Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4-point scale), a minimum science GPA of 3.0 and a minimum DPD GPA of 3.0. It is the policy of the program to provide equal opportunity to all applicants for admission. All applicants apply through the DICAS online system.

The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) requires a minimum of a master's degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). CDR also requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited dietetic internship at NIDIP are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. See the Academy's licensure map and statutes by state (opens in a new window) and ACEND's information for students (opens in a new window) on educational pathways to becoming an RDN.

While state interpretations of statutes may vary, it is ACEND's considered opinion that the program meets the educational requirements for dietetics licensure and certification in all states. However, completing an ACEND-accredited academic program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure or certification as a dietitian in any state. Individuals should review their state's licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license.

Master's degree partners

We have partnered with the following universities, which offer an MS degree with an online curriculum. Select a logo to visit the program.

Graduation

Once accepted to our distance-learning program, all learning experiences specified in the program curriculum must be completed at a level of sufficient competency. Interns receive frequent evaluations and feedback from Nutrition Ink staff and the program director and should always have a current assessment of their performance. Interns who fulfill all program requirements receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the national examination for registered dietitians. Graduating interns must also:

• Pass the assigned unit exam modules with a score of 70% or more.
• Complete rotations by the end of June. On a case-by-case basis, the program director will review written requests for an extension beyond June and written requests for leave of absence.
• Fully prepare for each rotation and satisfactorily complete the requirements listed on the evaluation documents for each rotation.
• Complete all rotation assignments by the established deadlines.

Steps to becoming an RDN

This program fulfills the supervised practice portion of becoming an RDN.

1. Meet all admission requirements.
2. Complete all graduation requirements.
3. Pass the registration exam.
4. Achieve state certification or licensure, if applicable.

Costs

Item	Cost
Application fee	Free
Tuition (includes non-refundable $1,000 deposit)	$8,900
Program extension, up to 15 months	$500 per month for the first 3 months; $1,000 per month for the last 2 months
Drug screen and background check	Included with tuition
Orientation	Online and free to attend

The program provides an ID badge, general and professional liability insurance, and the certificate of completion. Interns should budget for books and supplies, meals during the internship, transportation, required health insurance, equipment, a mobile phone and internet access, Academy student membership, student district membership, a professional meeting, and payment transaction fees. No federal financial aid is available for this program; scholarships may be available from outside organizations.

Refunds

If an intern withdraws from the program, the intern is entitled to a full refund of tuition paid, minus the tuition deposit, up until one month before the first day of orientation. There is no tuition refund if withdrawal or dismissal occurs after that time. An intern who plans to attend and is allowed to return the following year is considered a new applicant.

Rotations

Rotation	Hours	Weeks
Orientation	varies	summer, online
Foodservice management	160	4
Community nutrition	160	4
Clinical, with MNT concentration in nutrition support	560	14
Elective	80	2
Research and literature review	40	1
Rotations, full time	1,000	25
Time flexibility		up to 18
Total program length	1,000	25–43

Full-time rotations take 25 weeks. The 18 weeks of time flexibility let you complete a master's program at the same time, take vacation weeks or start rotations early, so the whole program is completed in 25 to 43 weeks.

Prior learning credit of up to 250 hours (25% of the requirement) may be granted on approval of the program director. See the suggested rotation schedule (PDF) and the program brochure (PDF).

How to apply

All applications go through DICAS, the centralized application service for dietetic internships. Create your DICAS account, add the Nutrition Ink Dietetic Internship Program to your application, and submit by the DICAS deadline. Application deadlines follow the DICAS calendar. Rotations traditionally start in September, and interns may start any time after orientation.

Program director: Matt Malouin, MS, RD, matt@nidip.org
Program coordinator: Elissa Lerma, elissa@nidip.org
Phone: (951) 849-5150

Downloads and media

• Program brochure (PDF, 8 pages)
• Suggested rotation schedule (PDF, 2 pages)
• Hear the program director and coordinator on the RD2BE podcast: watch on YouTube (opens in a new window), listen on Spotify (opens in a new window) or Apple Podcasts (opens in a new window).
• Follow the program on Instagram (opens in a new window).

ACEND, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995; 800-877-1600 ext. 5400; eatrightpro.org/acend (opens in a new window).