Dietetic Internship Open House 2022

Goal 1: To prepare graduates who meet the requirements for entry-level dietetics practice.

The program goal will be evaluated by:

Program Completion

Expected Outcome – At least 80% percent of program interns complete program/degree requirements within 13.5 months (150% of the program length). 

Graduate Employment

Expected Outcome – Of graduates who seek employment, 90% percent are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.

Graduate Performance on Registration Exam

Expected outcome – One hundred percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.

Expected outcome – 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%.

Employer Satisfaction

Expected Outcome – Ninety percent of employers will state that graduates meet expectations for entry-level dietitian positions and job performance.

Alumni surveys

Expected Outcome – Ninety percent of graduates who respond to a 1-year post-graduate alumni survey will state they were somewhat or well-prepared for an entry-level dietetics position.

Expected Outcome – Eighty percent of graduates who respond to a 1-year post-graduate alumni survey will select “3” or “4” (on a 4-point scale) for how well the internship prepared them for each domain on the RD exam.

Goal 2: To produce practitioners who have the necessary skills to contribute to professional practice in various settings, and who participate in lifelong learning.

This goal will be evaluated by:

Alumni surveys

Expected Outcome – Ninety percent of graduates who respond to a 1-year or 5-year post-graduate alumni survey will report working either full-time or part-time in dietetics in any one of a variety of professional settings.

Expected Outcome – Ninety percent of graduates who respond to a 5-year post-graduate alumni survey will report maintaining their professional development portfolio.

Expected Outcome – Twenty-five percent of graduates who respond to a 5-year post-graduate alumni survey will report being involved in professional organizations, have enrolled in an advanced degree program, worked as a preceptor, and/or have obtained certification in a specialty practice area.

Student Learning Outcomes
The didactic curriculum and the supervised practice will prepare the student to:

• Integrate scientific information and research into practice.
• Develop beliefs, attitudes and behaviors for the professional dietitian nutritionist level of practice.
• Develop and deliver information, products and services to individuals, groups and populations.
• Apply principles of management and systems in the provision of services to individuals and organizations.

Program outcomes data are available on request.

Program Concentrations

The LIU Post DI accepts a total of 20 interns per year into two concentrations— Health & Wellness (H&W; maximum of 8 interns) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), both of which comprise 14 credits: 6 graduate credits in supervised practice and 8 graduate credits in classroom coursework for a total of 1221 hours. The application and admission requirements are the same for both concentrations. Individuals do not apply to a specific concentration; expression of interest for a particular concentration is made after acceptance to the LIU Post DI.

The MNT concentration provides varied experiences in different settings off campus including hospitals, long-term care facilities, renal dialysis units, outpatient (counseling) settings, schools and community organizations. Interns in the MNT concentration spend a longer amount of time in the hospital and long-term care settings (i.e., 17 weeks) and are required to demonstrate competency at a deeper level in the clinical setting. For example, MNT concentration-specific competencies include developing and presenting an inservice to the clinical dietitians at their hospital rotation on a current/emerging clinical nutrition research topic that is relevant to the patient population at the facility. Interns in the MNT concentration are also required to conduct nutrition assessments on patients receiving parenteral nutrition. The latter two assignments demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency in the clinical setting, which is expected of interns in the MNT concentration.

Interns in the H&W concentration focus on preventive measures to help individuals avoid disease and improve wellness through a variety of educational and counseling interventions. Interns in the H&W concentration complete the community, school foodservice and counseling rotations on the LIU Post Campus in collaboration with the counseling center, athletic department, dining services and campus community. Interns interested in the H&W concentration need a strong foundation of oral communication and potential for leadership, organizational skills, and the ability to be a self-starter. Interns in the H&W concentration work as a team as well as individually; they follow their clients weekly as needed, and they spend a shorter amount of time in the clinical settings (hospital and long-term care—i.e., 14 weeks). The H&W concentration-specific competencies include: designing, implementing, and evaluating a workshop on nutrition for athletic performance for a college sports team, that includes team-specific outcomes; and demonstrate effective use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and/or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with clients while managing a caseload usually ranging from 10-15 clients for the semester.

The LIU Post DI is affiliated with more than 80 facilities on Long Island and the NYC boroughs. Sites include hospitals, community centers, long-term care facilities, dialysis and ambulatory care units, and food service organizations, providing a variety of experiences to give the intern a broad view of the field of dietetics. Each intern completes eight rotations tailored to individual preferences and past experiences. A research project completed on campus and graduate coursework complement the supervised practice.

Students may choose to complete only the Advanced Certificate program and are not required to complete the M.S. in Nutrition. 

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Phone: 1-800-877-1600 extension 5400
Website: eatright.org/ACEND

Tuition and Fees for the Dietetic Internship*

Tuition per credit (subject to change)	$1,274
Tuition for 14-Credit DI Certificate of Advanced Studies	$17,836
University Fee (per semester)	$977
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Student Membership	$58
Books and Supplies (estimate)	$400
Lab Coat/Name Tag (estimate)	$60
Background Check/fingerprinting (some facilities require)	$150
Campus Health Insurance**	$3,348

*Reflect 2020-2021 fees.  

**All clinical students, residential students, and intercollegiate athletes are automatically enrolled in the Aetna Health Plan but can waive participation online if they have comparable coverage under a family plan or other policy. All remaining students are not automatically enrolled but eligible to purchase the same Plan on a voluntary basis for the entire policy year. Health insurance usually covers physical examinations with copay or a deductible expense.

Financial Assistance
LIU Post’s Financial Assistance Office, located in Kumble Hall, provides assistance for students who need loans, grants and work-study to pay for tuition and other college expenses. It also provides one-on-one financial aid counseling and information about obtaining scholarships and other financial assistance. To apply for financial aid, you must annually file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is processed and a Student Aid Report (SAR) is generated and mailed or e-mailed to the student. New York State residents should also file the Tuition Assistance (TAP) Application which can be accessed at the completion of the online FAFSA application.

Dietetic Internship Academic Calendar

The LIU Post DI includes graduate coursework and supervised practice experiences that are completed in 40 weeks. The program begins in September with Orientation and NTR 611- Concepts for Nutrition Practice, which are combined over nine days. The supervised practice hours total 1221, which includes 1152 hours in rotations (32 hours per week for 36 weeks) Tuesday through Friday from mid-September to early June, and 69 alternate practice hours in NTR 611, 615, 616, and 626. There is a two-week vacation from mid-December to early January. Holidays that fall on regularly scheduled supervised practice days are made up as negotiated with preceptors. The DI seminars—NTR 615 (fall) and NTR 616 (spring)—meet every other Monday; Advance Counseling Skills-NTR 626-meets as a hybrid. The face-to-face sessions of NTR 626 fall on the same Mondays as the DI seminars, allowing interns a full day off on alternating Mondays. Interns who have already completed a graduate-level counseling course equivalent to NTR 626 may substitute it with another graduate nutrition course.

Course	Title	Credits
NTR 611	Concepts for Nutrition Practice (Fall)	1
NTR 613	DI Clinical I (Fall) – Supervised Practice	3
NTR 614	DI Clinical II (Spring) – Supervised Practice	3
NTR 615	DI Clinical Seminar I (Fall)	1
NTR 616	DI Clinical Seminar II (Spring)	3
NTR 626	Advanced Counseling Skills (Fall)	3

Concentration:	Concentration:
MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY	HEALTH and WELLNESS
Medical Nutrition Therapy	Medical Nutrition Therapy
Hospital (12 weeks) Renal (2-3 weeks) Long Term Care (5 weeks) Counseling & Education (2 weeks)	Hospital (10 weeks) Renal (2 weeks) Long Term Care (4 weeks)
Food Service Systems Management	Food Service Systems Management
School Food Service (3 weeks) Institutional Food Service (4 weeks)	School Food Service* – (part of campus rotation) Institutional Food Service (4 weeks)
Community	Health and Wellness
Community Agency (4-5 weeks)	Campus Nutrition (13 weeks): Counseling and Education (5 weeks); Community (5 weeks); School Food Service – *Campus Dining (3 weeks)
Research Research (3 weeks)	Research Research (3 weeks)

• 
  Grading, Graduation and/or DI completion requirements, DI retention and remediation  

To successfully complete the internship, the intern must satisfactorily complete all assigned supervised-practice rotations (NTR 613 and 614), clinical seminars (NTR 615 and 616) and pass two graduate courses (NTR 611 and 626). Satisfactory program completion indicates an overall “B” average in all required graduate classes listed above. Each intern must have an exit evaluation with the Clinical Instructor, which includes a review of short-term and long-term goals. The intern’s resume, ePortfolio and completed assignments for all rotations must be received by this time in order for the intern to receive a Verification Statement. Upon completion of this program, the intern will receive a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS). The intern can apply these credits towards the M.S. degree in Nutrition at LIU Post. Twenty-eight (28) additional credits are required to complete the M.S. degree in Nutrition. 

Each intern in the LIU Post DI will be graded on their academic and clinical work. 

The grading policy will follow the LIU policy for grades, as stated in the 2020-2021 Graduate Bulletin. 

For more information on graduation and completion requirements, see the DI Manual.

Admission Requirements

• Applications to the LIU Post DI must have a baccalaureate degree and completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) (https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accredited-programs/didactic-programs-in-dietetics) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• The minimum GPA requirements for the LIU Post DI are 3.0 overall, and 3.0 in DPD courses.
• Students with international status are not eligible for the LIU Post DI.
• The GRE is not required.
• Each intern should have a car since approximately 90% of the supervised practice sites are in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Steps in the Application Process:

1. Dietetic Internship Application

The LIU Post DI participates in the spring match with the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) for fall entry. The DICAS application opens in December; the application deadline is February 15th. Requirements for admission to the Dietetic Internship include prior completion of the ACEND (https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/accredited-programs/didactic-programs-in-dietetics DPD academic requirements. There fee is $45 fee for the first application and $20 for each additional application.

The following information is required for the DICAS application:

• Official Undergraduate transcripts for proof of baccalaureate degree or master’s degree and Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) requirements. Applicants who will have not completed their degrees prior to admission deadlines should submit a transcript without the final semester's grades. Such applicants may be accepted pending receipt of their final degree noted transcripts. Submit one copy of official transcripts from all other institutions attended, including other graduate programs.
• Three letters of recommendation (two from faculty; one from a work employer)
• One copy of Declaration of Intent to complete the degree and minimal Academic Requirements or one copy of the Verification Statement 
• Personal statement to include the following:
  • Why you want to enter the dietetic profession
  • Discuss experiences that have helped you prepare for your career
  • Your short and long term goals
  • Your strengths and weaknesses or areas needing improvement                                                                                                                                                         Why you are interested specifically in the LIU Post DI

2. Computer Matching Process

Complete the computer matching process with D & D Digital ($55 fee).

3. LIU Online Application for Admission

Applicants must complete the LIU Online application. The application can be obtained by selecting the Apply Now button in the lower left hand corner of this page. You can also request that a graduate application be mailed to you by calling 516-299-2900 or e-mailing post-enroll@liu.edu.

• For the field “Campus,” select “LIU Post”
• For the field “I’ll be entering as,” select "Graduate"
• For the field “I’ll be starting my studies,” select “Fall “
• For the field “Intended major,” select “Dietetics (DI Internship) CAS
• When you reach the payment section of the application, you can use a waiver code by requesting one through Deborah.Salvatore@liu.edu.
• It is not necessary to send credentials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) to the Graduate Admissions Office at the LIU Post. All credentials will be forwarded to LIU Post by the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS).

Following initial screening of applications, individuals may be invited for an interview.

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For additional information about the LIU Post Dietetic Internship, see the DI MANUAL.