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Human Nutrition - Dietetics Internship

The mission of the University of Michigan School of Public Health Dietetics Internship (UMSPH DI) is to develop competent entry-level dietitians by providing a quality supervised practice experience incorporating:

Critical thinking skills
Current practice skills
Compassion and cultural competence
High level of ethical and professional practice

The goals of the dietetic internship are: (1) to provide a professional environment for practice and experience to enable dietetic interns (DI) to develop knowledge and skills in the areas of core competency with a community based emphasis; (2) provide interns with opportunities to practice critical thinking; and (3) remain responsive to the evolving role of dietitians and nutrition practice by providing supervised rotations in areas of emerging practice.

This internship provides a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised experience in the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS), and other area community sites. Interns may add on additional elective rotations if desired and as availability permits. Rotation sites include: Washtenaw County Women Infant Children Program; Dexter Public Schools; VA Medical Center Ann Arbor; and Forest Health Medical Center, Ypsilanti Michigan. Didactic work is often assigned with various practice rotations; UMSPH DI’s are also invited to attend UMHS lectures, seminars and grand rounds. The UMSPH DI maintains two start dates for the year, July and January. A sample rotation schedule is available. The UMSPH DI is an accredited full-time or part-time internship.

The UMSPH DI program has established a Prior Learning Assessment Policy in which documented supervised hours outside the dietetic internship may be approved toward the UMSPH DI supervised practice hours.

For further information, please review the UM SPH DI Handbook.

Internship Information

The following table outlines the anticipated 2012 dietetic internship costs:


Internship Fee	$7000
Housing (per month rental)	$750-$800
Transportation (personal automobile is strongly recommended but not mandatory; therefore no fee for automobile insurance is cited)	$75

Meals are not included at any rotation site. Ann Arbor, MI is a moderately priced mid-west city and food/meal costs are priced accordingly. Dietetic interns are provided medical professional liability coverage by the University of Michigan while acting within the scope of their duties for the University. This internship does not require any book purchases and a personalized white laboratory coat is provided to all admitted interns. Dietetic interns are not students at the University of Michigan and do not qualify for school-sponsored financial aid, health services, or counseling. Interns are strongly encouraged to seek outside scholarship opportunities; please contact the DI director for specific questions regarding loan deferment. Medical insurance is not provided by the UMSPH DI. Limited medical coverage is available through GradMed.

Pre-Select Process

The UM SPH DI participates in the pre-select option to computer matching. To be selected via the pre-select process, applicants must be:

Graduates of the University of Michigan School of Public Health DPD program
Current UM SPH students enrolled in the DPD program who plan to complete the program by May, 2012

For those who plan to participate in the pre-select process, the following application packet must be submitted by January 13, 2012. Please include the following:

Application and Recommendation
Declaration of Intent of Verification Statement
Personal Statement (1000 words or less) discussing why you want to enter the dietetics profession, your short- and long-term goals, strengths and weaknesses, and experiences that have helped you prepare for your career
3 Letters of Reference (include academic advisor, professor and professional)
Official transcripts
GRE score

The applicant will be notified on or before January 31, 2012 confirming her/his acceptance or rejection into the program through this process. There is NO COST to the applicant in the pre-select process. Please note that applicants selected through this process do not participate in computer matching. If the applicant is not accepted through the pre-select process, he/she may apply to any other dietetic internship through the computer matching process. For more information about computer matching contact D&D Digital Systems at dnd@sigler.com or (515)292-0490.

For students who have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics at the U-M SPH, a distance internship option, either full-time or part-time, is available. This track will use current technologies for information and communication. The application material is the same as the pre-select option application packet. Please add the title "DISTANCE APPLICANT" to the top page of the application.

At the time of acceptance into the internship, you will submit:

Signed preceptor documentation forms, supervised practice forms and facility affiliation agreements for all facilities in which the student has projected planned experiences. Several backup facilities are strongly recommended.
A plan to complete and evaluate competencies for all rotations that is approved by the Dietetic Internship director.
E-mail address and proof of Internet access.
Signed agreement to attend the mandatory one week orientation in Ann Arbor, Michigan beginning the Monday of the second week of July or January.

You are strongly advised to contact the director of the Dietetic Internship program before applying in order to receive any updated information.

Application Process

The UMSPH DI will be participating in the 2012 DICAS match process.

For candidates outside the pre-select process, UMSPH DI is using the on-line centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed at https://portal.dicas.org, e-mail DICASinfo@DICAS.org for further information. The on-line application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2012. The fee to use DICAS is $40 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application.

When completing the application form, applicants must include the name and contact information (specifically an e-mail address) for each reference. This will trigger an e-mail message requesting completion of a reference form. The form will be completed on-line. Students submitting more than one application will need to use the same individuals as references for each application.

Applicants who apply to internships using DICAS will be asked to complete a personal statement. Questions to be addressed in the personal statement include:

Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
Discuss experiences that have helped to prepare you for your career.
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
What are your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement?
1000 word limit

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to:
DICAS-Transcript Dept.
PO Box 9118
Watertown, MA 02472

Applicants must also register online for computer matching at www.dnddigital.com and select dietetic internship priority choices by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15. There is a $50.00 computer matching fee.

A nonrefundable fee of $75 is required to apply to the UMSPH DI. This fee must be postmarked by the DICAS application deadline. Please send check or money order payable to the Unviersity of Michigan to the following address:

Kelsey Hargesheimer
Department of EHS, Program in Human Nutrition
UM School of Public Health
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029

For further information about the UMSPH DI, please contact

Theresa Han-Markey, MS, RD
Dietetic Internship Director
Department of EHS, Program in Human Nutrition
UM School of Public Health
1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
hanmark@umich.edu

Computer Matching

Applicants participating in computer matching should request instructions and register on-line at: www.dnddigital.com Paper applications are also available at this website. Applicants may request this material from any CADE-accredited/approved Didactic Program in Dietetics program director or from D&D Digital Systems, Inc.
Applicant is responsible for telephoning D&D Digital Systems if he/she cannot access the site to view personal matching results on the specified dates. Telephone: 515-292-0490
Applicants who receive a computer match and a Dietetic Internship appointment are responsible for accepting or rejecting the match by telephone or fax on the designated appointment date
Applicants who submitted a Declaration of Intent with an internship application must obtain a Verification Statement from the DPD Director prior to beginning the Dietetic Internship.

For additional information on the application and computer matching processes, visit the American Dietetic Association web site. Click on Fact Sheets. Click on Computer Matching Policy and Procedures.

Selection criteria

Completion of a minimum of 24 hours toward a masters degree
3.0 (B) or better grade point average
GRE score (Verbal/Quantitative) above 50th percentile, if available (GRE is STRONGLY recommended though not required as part of the application process)
Recommendations with More Than Satisfactory or better ratings
Past employment or volunteer experiences that will enhance your capabilities as a Registered Dietitian and illustrate your interests in the field of dietetics

Quick Links

The next offering of the UMSPH Dietetics Internship will be July 2012.

UM_SPH Dietetic Interns - Class of 2012