DI: Program Schedule
Learn about the course of study for the dietetic internship.
Program Schedule
In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) standards, dietetic interns are required to complete 1,000 hours of supervised practice, of which 700 hours must be conducted in a professional workplace setting and 300 hours may come from alternate supervised experiences, including simulated case studies and role playing. the UMass Amherst dietetic internship (DI) provides interns with approximately 900 supervised hours in a workplace setting and nearly 200 hours of alternate supervised practice hours.
Interns will spend approximately 256 hours (eight 4-day weeks) in a food service management (FSM) rotation, gaining managerial experience in a food service environment. Most FSM rotations are located within school or health care systems. Other opportunities for FSM experience may be available and include Meals-on-Wheels facilities and Head Start programs.
Interns will spend approximately 256 hours (eight 4-day weeks) in a community rotation, gaining nutrition and dietetic-related skills in a variety of settings within the community. This rotation offers the most diverse opportunities for interns ranging from the Food Bank of Western Mass to a pediatric endocrine clinic.
Interns will also spend approximately 256 hours (eight 4-day weeks) in a clinical rotation. A pre-clinical workshop is held to review the basics, followed by approximately 96 to 28 hours (three or four 4-day weeks) of simulated, interactive case studies. This prepares the interns for their in-person clinical experience. The interns will also spend 24 hours (one 3-day week) in long-term care (LTC).
In addition to the above main rotations, interns spend 48 hours (two 3-day weeks) at a Veterans Affairs (VA) rotation where they get individual and group counseling experience. They also get to choose a specialty rotation (plan your own, "PYO”) where they will spend 64 hours (two 4-day weeks) working in an area of personal interest. While the interns are encouraged to reach out to the individual preceptors (this encourages networking and fosters initiative), the director has a list of rotation options and contact information from which to choose. It is not expected that the interns facilitate the PYO rotation solely on their own.
The 32-hour weeks do not include travel time, work on projects, or other outside preparation. There will be a two-week break at the end of December through the New Year.