NYU Dietetic Internship

The mission of New York University's Dietetic Internship is to provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for practice as entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.

Academic Course Work

Enrolled interns must complete five graduate courses (12 credits) before entering supervised clinical practice. You must receive a B or better (no pass/fail permitted) in each required internship course in order to be placed in the 27-week supervised practice component.

These courses are:

• NUTR-GE 2000.02 New Graduate Student Seminar: Nutrition Section (0 credits) (F, Sp)
• NUTR-GE 2190.01 Research Methods (3 credits) (F, Sp)
• NUTR-GE 2037 Medical Nutrition Therapy (4 credits) (F, Sp)
• NUTR-GE 2037.002 Medical Nutrition Therapy Recitation
• NUTR-GE 2196 Nutrition-Focused Physical Assessment (2 credits) (F, Sp)
• NUTR-GE 2198 Nutrition Counseling Theory & Practice (3 credits) (F, Sp)

Supervised Clinical Practice

Interns complete supervised clinical practice rotations in clinical nutrition therapy (13 weeks), community nutrition (3 weeks), clinical nutrition management (1 week), food service management (6 weeks), NYU Pediatric Dental Clinic (1 week), and staff relief (3 weeks) – a total of at least 1,200 practice hours along with classroom instruction.

If you begin the academic component of the dietetic internship in the fall semester, then you begin the on-site component around January/February. If you begin the academic component of the dietetic internship in the spring semester, then you begin the on-site component around July/August.

Concurrent with supervised clinical practice, interns register for the remaining 6 credits of the 18 credits required for the Dietetic Internship in two consecutive semesters:

• NUTR-GE 2146 Clinical Practice in Dietetics I (3 credits)
• NUTR-GE 2147 Clinical Practice in Dietetics II (3 credits)

Intern Schedule

The NYU Dietetic Internship includes one full semester (either Fall or Spring term) of coursework on the University's calendar, followed by six months of supervised practice (on-site supervised component), in which interns maintain a 37.5-hour workweek. The demanding nature of the program requires dietetic interns to be flexible: internship hours can vary from week to week and can start early in the morning.

If you begin the academic component of the dietetic internship in the fall semester, then you begin the on-site component around January/February.  If you begin the academic component of the dietetic internship in the spring semester, then you begin the on-site component around July/August.

Note: While in the on-site component of the internship, dietetic interns follow their respective hospital's calendar regarding holidays. Personal days must be approved by the on-site clinical nutrition manager and any sick or personal days must be made up for. 

Goals, Objectives, and Outcome Measures

Concentration area: Medical Nutrition Therapy

The NYU Dietetic Internship provides students with a well-rounded internship experience, providing exposure to many different opportunities and career options in the field. Our focus is on medical nutrition therapy in the clinical setting; interns meet the majority of program goals and required competencies on-site with one of our major medical center partners.

Goals

The goals of the NYU Dietetic Internship are to provide students with:

• Skills and knowledge to meet entry-level performance requirements of the profession
• Opportunities to integrate theory and professional practice
• Preparation to contribute to professional practice and research
• Direction and leadership to meet future career challenges

Program Objectives

The program objectives are to provide dietetic interns with the following knowledge and skills:

• Perform and supervise nutrition assessments
• Plan and evaluate nutritional care
• Develop educational nutritional care
• Develop educational materials for patients and clients
• Teach nutrition to individuals and groups
• Evaluate food service systems
• Present case studies
• Assess community nutrition resources
• Conduct research on current issues in nutrition
• Meet the requirements to take the registration examination for dietitians, which are set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)

Program Goal 1

The program will prepare DI graduates to be competent entry-level dietitians.

Outcome measures over a 5-year period:

• 95% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion
• The program's one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80% 
• At least 80% of program students complete program/degree requirements within 18 months (150% of the program length) 
• Of graduates who seek employment, 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics related fields within 12 months of graduation 
• At least 85% of employers who responded to the NYU Post-DI Employer Survey will indicate on a Likert scale (of 1-3) that program graduates will receive a 2 or above (satisfactorily) prepared for positions in entry-level dietetics
• At least 80% of dietetic interns will achieve an overall performance rating of above average/very good (4) or better (on a Likert scale of 1-5) on the Dietetic Intern Final Evaluation that intern has achieved entry-level competence 

Program Goal 2

The program will prepare DI graduates to successfully attain advanced degrees and work in a variety of professional settings. 

Outcome measures for Program Goal 2:

• 85% of DI graduates will obtain the master's degree in nutrition; the average length of completion will fall within 2 years of graduation from the DI
• 80% of DI graduates will indicate in the 1-year post-DI alumni survey that they felt comfortable seeking employment in diverse settings 

Program goal attainment is based on student performance and achievement of all program goals.

Outcomes data measuring achievement of program objectives is provided for ACEND reviews and is available upon request. If you would like this information, please contact Acting Program Director Vanessa Rissetto at vma209@nyu.edu.