Dietetic Internship
About the DI Program
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited Dietetic Internship (DI) at Boston University is a six-credit, 29-week, full-time program designed to provide you with critical thinking skills and prepare you for entry-level employment as an RDN. The clinical sites provide excellent opportunities to observe and participate in a wide variety of specialty areas of practice such as nutrition support, pediatrics, oncology, nephrology, cardiology, diabetes, surgical care, out-patient counseling, food service, and management.
Schedule
The DI begins in January or June once you complete the five-semester academic program. However, if your MS graduation is delayed for any reason (such as a medical leave of absence), the date of the placement in the DI will be based upon dietetic internship site availability. The Director, Dietetic Internship and the Director, Programs in Nutrition will initiate the process of assessing and reviewing your prior learning in these courses before beginning the Dietetic Internship program. This full-time course requires tuition payment as well as a nonrefundable $1,000 fee to the internship site during the first two weeks. You may need a car to get to your DI site, as some sites are approximately 40 miles from Boston
Clinical Education Sites
The program includes rotations in clinical and food service management, medical nutrition therapy across the lifespan, and nutrition application in the community setting. Students observe and participate in a wide variety of specialty areas of practice such as pediatrics, oncology, renal, cardiology, diabetes, geriatrics, and nutrition support. We have a variety of dynamic clinical education sites at locations such as:
- Boston Medical Center, Boston
- Good Samaritan Medical Center, Brockton
- Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton
- Quincy Medical Center, Quincy
- Lowell General Hospital, Lowell
- St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston; Beverly Hospital, Beverly
- Emerson Hospital, Concord
- U. Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester
- Beverly Hospital, Beverly
Our DI is also associated with other area facilities for specialized rotations, such as:
- Children’s Hospital, Boston (pediatrics)
- Franciscan Children’s Hospital, Boston (pediatrics)
- University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, (pediatrics)
- Newton High School and Perkins School for Blind (pediatrics)
- DaVita Health Care (renal)
- Joslin Diabetes Center
- The Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center (an outpatient clinic specializing in obesity, diabetes, cardiac care)
After successfully completing the DI, which includes documentation of completing dietetic competencies and the MS+DI program evaluation, you will receive the DI Verification Statement acknowledging you have met the competencies for the supervised practice component of entry-level dietitian education programs as mandated by ACEND.
The DI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: 312-899-0040 ext. 5400.
Please note:
- Students who are admitted into Sargent College routinely participate in clinical education experiences as a part of the respective program curricula. Most clinical education facilities require criminal background checks to determine students’ eligibility for participation. History of a criminal background may disqualify students from participating in these experiences which are required for successful completion of the degree program.
- Students may have to provide documentation of medical exams or immunizations before clinical education experiences.
- Students should anticipate the need to complete clinical experience related requirements, which cost an average of $80 per experience. This estimate does not include transportation and housing costs. Questions regarding requirements for specific sites should be directed to the Clinical Education Services Office (clined@bu.edu; Sargent room 218).
Questions?
For more information, contact Dietetic Internship Director Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND at 617-353-7470.