Supervised Practice

The BYU DI provides at least 1000 hours of supervised practice distributed as:

• Clinical (~396 hours; 11 weeks)
• Management (~384 hours; 11 weeks)
• Community and Wellness (~136 hours; 4 weeks for MS/DI option, ~ 264 for MPH/DI option)
• Graduate Project/Research (~128; spread throughout program MS/DI option)
• Leadership and Professionalism (~48 hours; spread throughout program)

The majority of hours are in professional work settings, 40 hours are alternate practice experiences.

The program arranges all supervised practice sites for interns in the MS/DI option and the majority for interns in the MPH/DI option. Interns in the MPH/DI option are responsible to make arrangements for at least 192 community based hours which can be counted towards both the MPH field experience and DI supervised practice requirements.

Clinical (Medical Nutrition Therapy)

The clinical experience occurs in two main segments. During the fall semester the intern completes the first hospital based clinical rotation. This experience includes medical, surgical, oncology, orthopedics, cardiac, diabetes, and nutrition support. The second clinical experience takes place in winter semester. In addition to strengthening skills gained in the first clinical rotation, the second experience may include pediatrics, burns, critical care, bone marrow transplant, renal, newborn intensive care, rehabilitation, and other advanced clinical topics. (CRDNs*: 1.1-1.3, 1.5, 2.1-2.8, 2.10-2.12, 3.1-3.10, 3.12- 3.14, 4.4, 4.9, 4.10, 5.1-5.5, 5.8)

Management

The management experience occurs in two main segments. During a fall or winter semester the intern works in the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Food Production Management Lab (FPML). Each intern functions as the manager of a subsystem in the lab. Interns participate in menu planning, procurement, production, staffing, scheduling, marketing, monitoring costs, quality assurance, and productivity measures. Another management rotation takes place at a large facility in Provo, Salt Lake, or Ogden. During this segment interns are involved in administrative activities and management projects, participate in financial management, personnel selection, training, personnel management, and evaluation. The large scale management rotation may be in foodservice, clinical nutrition management, or other dietetics related management. (CRDNs: 1.1-1.5, 2.1-2.5, 2.7-2.8, 2.10-2.12, 3.7-3.14, 4.1-4.8, 4.10, 5.1-5.8)

Community

The community experience exposes the intern to a variety of populations and agencies. Interns may experience any of the following: WIC, health department, child nutrition program, corporate/community wellness, correction facilities, or other community agencies or facilities. (CRDNs: 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3-2.6, 2.8-2.13, 3.1, 3.7, 3.11-3.13, 4.1, 4.4, 4.10, 5.1-5.4, 5.8)

Leadership and Professionalism

Leadership and Professional activities provide opportunities to develop leadership potential and professional growth. Professional activities happen throughout the internship and include attendance at professional meetings, participating in public policy issues, conducting interviews, and visiting sites to connect food production to nutrition. (CRDNs: 1.2-1.3, 2.1-2.3, 2.8-2.10, 2.13, 3.7-3.10, 3.12, 4.1, 4.6, 5.1-5.4, 5.7-5.8)

Graduate Project/Research (MS/ DI option)

Interns complete a graduate project with a faculty member on a variety of topics. The project includes a prospectus and final project written/oral report and is completed over the course of the program. (CRDNs: 1.1, 1.4-1.5, 2.2, 2.7, 2.11, 3.8, 5.1)

*CRDNs: Competencies for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. A full list is found in the Intern Handbook.

Academic Experience

The internship has a strong didactic component. Each supervised practice rotation is combined with classroom study to complement what interns are experiencing at practice sites. The Curriculum schedule outlines course work for the internship.

Assessment of Prior Learning

Significant paid work experience, comparable to a planned internship experience, could fulfill part of a rotation requirement. Interns must demonstrate proficiency in rotation related competencies (CRDNs) to obtain prior learning credit. Coursework or experiences required by a Didactic Program in Dietetics will not be counted towards prior learning credit. No core program classes or assignment will be waived. Only a portion of rotation hours in each rotation category may be awarded (see credit criteria.) the following credit criteria will be applied.

• Community: 1+ year (full-time or equivalent) work experience in child nutrition (school or WIC), health department, commodity associations, etc. = up to 2 weeks prior learning credit.
• Foodservice management: 1+ years (full-time or equivalent) work experience in a food service management role = up to 4 week prior learning credit
• Clinical: 1+ years (full time or equivalent) work experience as a clinical dietitian in another country, in a trauma 2 equivalent or higher level hospital = up to 5 weeks prior learning credit.

The detailed Assessment of Prior Learning Policy is found in the Intern Handbook.