How long is your program? What is the emphasis of your program? How is the Dietetic Intern's time scheduled? Do you schedule classes during the internship? What are joint classes? What projects are scheduled during the year? Are graduate credits available? What does it cost to attend the NIH Dietetic Internship? What financial assistance is available? How do NIH graduates perform on the registration exam? What do NIH interns do after they graduate from the internship? How many applicants do you have for your four openings? What characteristics do you look for in an applicant? What if I would like to visit the Clinical Center? How do Dietetic Interns find housing?   (back to internship navigation) How long is your program? The NIH Dietetic Internship is approximately 10 months long. Back To Top What is the emphasis of your program? The program meets all of the general requirements of the American Dietetic Association but also provides emphasis areas in Nutrition Therapy and Nutrition Research. At the Clinical Center, Dietetic Interns have the opportunity to see firsthand the design, implementation, analysis and publication of clinical research trials. Back To Top How is the Dietetic Intern's time scheduled? Shifts and days on duty will vary with rotations. Interns will be scheduled on duty five days per week, and rarely work weekends. One day per week is usually dedicated to classes, presentations, and field trips. The other four days are typically devoted to clinical, research, community, and/or food systems rotations. Interns should expect to spend additional time outside of class and rotations completing assigned readings and working on projects. Interns usually receive one week of winter vacation and one week of Spring vacation. Government holidays or alternate days off will be scheduled depending upon the rotation. Back To Top Do you schedule classes during the internship? NIH Dietetic Interns attend routine (usually weekly) classes that focus on strengthening clinical, food systems, and management skills. Interns also participate in joint classes with Dietetic Interns from other programs in the metropolitan DC area. Classes held outside of NIH provide Dietetic Interns with exposure to the varied opportunities available in the field of nutrition. Field trips are planned to take advantage of the resources in the Washington, D.C. area such as the Food and Drug Administration, Capitol Hill and local community nutrition programs.NIH Interns also have the opportunity to attend The Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR), a study curriculum on how to effectively conduct clinical research. The program trains researchers in how to design a successful clinical trial by focusing on epidemiologic methods, study design, protocol preparation, patient monitoring, quality assurance and FDA issues. Other areas covered include data management and ethical issues, including protection of human subjects. The course is offered yearly at the NIH Clinical Center. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the course, including a final exam. This class is of particular interest to health professionals training for a career in clinical research. For additional information on this class, please refer to: http://www.cc.nih.gov/training/training/ippcr.html Back To Top What projects are scheduled during the year? There are approximately 8 major projects assigned during the year. Interns will: Develop a Nutriton Education Poster Prepare an in-depth Clinical Case Study Give a Six Minute Presentation Participate in a Structured Debate Develop a Patient Education Material Manage Nutrition Month activities Develop and present a nutrition education program for an area elementary school In addition, interns write a short paper (2 to 3 pages) during each clinical rotation on a topic assigned by their preceptor and complete other worksheets or assigments relevant to each rotation. Back To Top What are joint classes? Six metropolitan area dietetic internships (NIH, Walter Reed, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins Bayview, University of Maryland Medical Systems in Baltimore, and University of Maryland, College Park) plan a series of joint classes for all area interns. Past joint class topics include: Community Food Bank: Poverty, Hunger, and NutritionFood and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)Critical Care DayLong Term CareDisordered EatingResearch DayFDA Day Career Day Back To Top Are graduate credits available? The NIH Dietetic Internship program does not provide graduate credits. Back To Top What does it cost to attend the NIH Dietetic Internship? There are no application fees, tuition, or other fees charged for the NIH Dietetic Internship and no stipend is provided for the interns. However, interns are responsible for costs of their living arrangements, food, medical insurance, and professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance costs approximately $45.00 per year. The cost of personal health insurance can vary widely, depending upon the company it is purchased from and the extent of coverage. Each intern must provide proof of professional liability insurance coverage and health insurance prior to the start of the program. During the year interns have the opportunity to attend many educational programs and conferences sponsored by the NIH that are free to NIH employees and our interns. On occasion Interns may also want to attend other nutrition conferences and programs that charge for students and interns. Interns may be able to attend such programs if their schedule permits, but each intern would be solely responsible for the cost of these programs. Back To Top What financial assistance is available? Financial assistance is available to Dietetic Interns through the American Dietetic Association Foundation's scholarship program. For further information, scholarship opportunities, and applications, contact the American Dietetic Association Foundation. The Edith A. Jones Scholarship is a scholarship granted only to interns accepted to the NIH Dietetic internship. Contact the American Dietetic Association Foundation for information and an application. Back To Top How do NIH graduates perform on the registration examination? NIH Dietetic Interns have all passed the registration exam on their first attempt! Back To Top What do NIH Dietetic Interns do after they graduate from the internship? Graduates of the NIH Dietetic Internship are employed in a variety of work settings: 30% are employed in Clinical Dietetics 18% are employed in Community Nutrition & Long Term Care 15% are working in Nutrition Research 6% work in the field of Sports Nutrition/Fitness/Wellness 6% have gone into Business & Public Health 9% are enrolled in (or have graduated from) Graduate School 9% attend (or have graduated from) Medical School 6% Other Are there any career trends? Over the past several years, we have found that new RDs have highly marketable job skills. We encourage our graduates to market the skills developed during the internship as well as the knowledge obtained during their didactic career to obtain exciting and challenging jobs. For example, our graduates have worked for organizations such as the Institute of Food Technologists, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Ross, Novartis, the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, and the American Cancer Society. One former graduate is a Sports Nutrition Consultant. Other graduates work as bionutritionists for GCRCs. Several graduates have pursued careers in clinical nutrition, and a few have become physicians.In the clinical field, some of our graduates work in general dietetics; others work with Nutrition Support Teams; and still others specialize in pediatrics, renal nutrition, or clinical management. Several former interns have joined the NIH Clinical Center's staff of Clinical Research Dietitians.Several former interns have joined the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, which offers opportunities to work with agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services including the Indican Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the Food Safety Information Service, and NIH. This is truly an exciting time for new graduates of dietetic internships, and we encourage our graduates to aspire to exciting careers in dietetics. Back To Top How many applicants do you have for your four openings? During the last application cycle there were 40 applicants for the four available openings. Back To Top What characteristics do you look for in an applicant? Applicants should have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants should have three strong letters of reference from individuals who can support the applicant's critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and motivation. The letter of application should follow the required format and discuss all of the listed criteria. Applicants should have at least 400 hours of work experience in the field of dietetics over the previous five years. All relevant experience (paid and unpaid), including work in any field of dietetics, nutrition, and food service, will be accepted. Experience working in acute health care settings is very beneficial as the program immediately places interns in rotations where they will interact with patients. Experience in research is not necessary. Back To Top What if I would like to visit the Clinical Center? Several tours and information sessions are scheduled this fall. These tours are not interviews; rather they are opportunities to see the NIH facility and ask questions about the program. Please email Merel Kozlosky, MS, RD, CNSD, the Dietetic Internship Director @ kozloskym@cc.nih.gov if you would like to attend one of the tours or arrange for an individual visit. You may also call Merel @ 301-451-5884. Schedule Activity Day Date Time Tour and Information Session Friday November 16, 2007 2:00 to 4:00 PM Tour and Information Session Friday December 14, 2007 2:00 to 4:00 PM Back To Top How do Dietetic Interns find Housing? Interns are responsible for making their own housing arrangements. Rent in the Washington D.C. area is comparable to that of any large metropolitan area. Public transportation is available to the Clinical Center campus, but a car is needed for optional rotations. Housing websites http://www.rent.net http://www.theapartmentconnection.com http://www.recgov.org http://www.relocationcentral.com/directory/us/md/rockville-area/apartments Public Transportation websites http:// www.wmata.com (METRO subway) http://montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dpwt/transit/default.asp (Ride-on bus) Back To Top
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Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7511