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Dietetic Internship/Food & Nutritional Services

The Nutritional Services Management Team of Sodexho/Southcoast Hospitals Group invite you to consider our unique program in dietetic education. Our program has the dual advantages of being based out of a community hospital group and backed by the resources of a major food service management company.

Started in 1989 as an Approved Preprofessional Practice Program (AP4), our program is now a fully accredited internship. The program has an emphasis in medical nutrition therapy, with the majority of time spent in direct patient care.

Sodexho has contracted with Southcoast sites for over 30 years, and the senior food service management team has also been extraordinarily stable. Southcoast is now the largest community hospital-based health system in Massachusetts, but has maintained a family atmosphere and remarkable community responsiveness.

Each Sodexho internship is unique in character. The distance-learning option is offered ONLY by the Lexington, Mass., based program.

Clinical experiences at Southcoast include open heart surgery, diabetes, rehabilitation, hemodialysis, critical care, pulmonology, oncology, surgery, bariatric surgery, geriatrics, mental health, orthopedics and gastroenterology. Interns also rotate through long-term care facilities, and gain competency as consultant dietitians in this setting.

Ambulatory nutrition experiences at Southcoast include the cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, oncology clinic, hospice, one-on-one nutrition counseling, weight management programs, community nutrition classes, the diabetes management program, and dietitian home visits with Home Health Services.

Additional community experiences include the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, community benefit programs and Fall River WIC Program.

Management, administration, and production experiences are also important to our goal of training well-rounded dietetic practitioners. Students gain skills in production planning, cash operations, catering, scheduling labor hours, quality improvement, and budgeting; culminating in a menu special planned, marketed and served to both patients and retail customers.

Classroom training is provided weekly, with "class day" being the time for students to participate in dietitians' meeting, Journal club, and classes planned by staff dietitians, physicians, and outside speakers. Professional workshops are also frequently planned into the agenda. Case studies and group participation are used to emphasize "hands-on" practical and applicable learning.


Program Philosophy


Program Goals

    1. Graduates will be well-rounded dietetic practitioners who are comfortable and confident in clinical, community, and management settings.

    2. Graduates will have developed a strong clinical knowledge base, and begun to establish life-long habits in self-assessment and professional development.

    3. Graduates will have strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills: able to sell their ideas, document professionally, and counsel for behavioral change.

    4. Graduates will recognize and leverage resources: organizations, people, computers, literature.

    5. Graduates will be multiskilled practitioners, appreciative of the roles of other disciplines, most comfortable with collaborative practice, and a wide variety of practice settings.


About Our Graduates

    Our recent interns come from the Simmons College Masters Program, University of Utah, Keene State College, Framingham State College Masters Program, University of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University and University of Vermont.

    Although a great number of our students come into the internship directly from college, for others it is a second career. Previous experience of this year's interns include nursing, nutrition research, pharmaceutical sales, real estate, entrepreneurship, food service management and teaching animal behavior.

    Recent graduates have started their careers as clinical dietitians, consulting dietitians, diabetic educators, outpatient dietitians, pharmaceutical representatives, in community outreach programs and as food service managers. Approximately 50 percent are working for Sodexho.

    Graduates from previous classes remain involved in our program through precepting regular or optional rotations, through presenting at class days and through helping new graduates to make job contacts. We are also fortunate to have three of our own graduates on staff.


About the Southcoast Area

    Fall River, New Bedford and Wareham are communities with a rich heritage and a promising future. Visitors to the area are attracted by beaches, boating and factory outlets. Cultural attractions include the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Zeiterion Theater, New Bedford Symphony and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Boston, Cape Cod, Providence and Newport, R.I., are all less than one hour away. The cost of living in the Southcoast area is very reasonable.


Program Information

Accreditation Status:

Credentialing Process for Dietitians:
    Completion of a didactic program provides the foundation knowledge and skills necessary as a base for "hands-on" learning. The internship program builds on this foundation to provide practitioner competencies for entry level dietetics practice. This internship includes additional depth in nutrition therapy competencies. Successful completion of the internship results in eligibility to take the dietetic registration exam.
Entrance Date & Program Length:
    Program begins early in September and lasts approximately 9 months, or 40 weeks plus 1-2 weeks of vacation.
Program Fee:
    $6,000 fee, payable in 3 installments.
Additional Costs:
    Affiliate membership in the American Dietetic Association, at $49/year, is required. Some basic reference books costing approximately $200 are also required. Students are responsible for paying for their own meals.
Living Expenses:
    Rental housing is generally available in the area at reasonable rates.
Transportation:
    Students are responsible for their own transportation and must have a reliable vehicle in order to participate in rotations at various sites. Car insurance is mandatory in the state of Massachusetts.
Hours:
    Students generally work a 7 to 8 hour day during affiliations, usually starting at 7 a.m, 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. Some production and management rotations begin as early as 5:30 a.m. or run as late as 8 p.m. Community programs may also occur in the evenings. Students should plan for an additional 1-2 hours/day for readings and assignments. Most interns are able to accommodate part-time jobs on evenings and weekends into their schedule.
Weekends, Holidays & Vacation:
    Weekends are generally not included in rotations. Students have the holidays observed by Southcoast as days off. Thanksgiving and the following Friday are holidays. Religious holidays can be scheduled with the program director. All students will be on vacation from Christmas through New Year's.
Insurance:
    Students are responsible for providing their own health and accident insurance. Students are responsible for their own safety during affiliations and travel time. Professional liability insurance is provided by the program.
Dress Code:
    St. Luke's Hospital will provide one white lab coat for each student. Students are responsible for laundering. Usual attire will be business clothes, closed-toed shoes, white lab coat and name tag. While working in production areas, students will wear non-skid, flat shoes, and appropriate casual clothes.


Admissions

Requirements for Admissions:

    1. Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

    2. Completion of an ADA-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics.
Interviews & Visits:
    You are encouraged to visit the program to help you determine if you wish to apply. Speaking to preceptors and current students, as well as seeing the facility, will help you make this decision. You are also welcome to call with any questions. Getting familiar with the program always helps with writing your application letter! We may also request a personal interview with you as part of the selection process. Letting us know you're interested increases your chances of being selected!
Deadline for Application:
    February 15, 2008, is the postmark deadline for submitting applications.
Notification of Our Receipt of Your Application:
    If you wish to receive a notice of receipt of your completed application, enclose a self-addressed, stamped post card in your application packet, or send your application by certified mail.


Application/Selection/Acceptance Procedures

Your Responsibilities:

  • February 15: Postmark deadline to submit application packet to Sodexho/Southcoast Hospitals Group internship. Postmark deadline to submit mark/sense cards with internship/AP-4 prioritized choices to D&D Postmark deadline to submit ADA Scholarship Applications.

  • Postmark deadline for Computer Matching Material. Either send preference and release cards with a check or money order for $50 to D&D Digital by receipted mail or register online at www.dnddigital.com and enter contact information, Dietetic Internship preferences and pay the $50 fee by credit card.

  • Postmark deadline to submit ADA Scholarship Applications.

  • March 20: Applicants must notify D&D in writing if they will not be able to accept a match.

  • April 21: Notification Day: Personal match results will be available online from D&D.
Appointment Date:
    April 22: Applicants must telephone 508-961-3069 or FAX 508-961-5166 to Ruth Leonard, MS, RD, CNSD, before 5 p.m. to confirm the acceptance or rejection of a computer match on or before this date.

  • April 23: Names of applicants who did not match and Dietetic Internship Directos with openings may contact each other.

Application Procedure:
    The ADA requires we include the following statement:
      All applicants to Dietetic Internships and Preprofessional Practice Programs listed in the instruction booklet from D&D Digital Systems must participate in computer matching. Applicants should request instructions and a mark/sense card to prioritize their DI or AP4 preferences. Applicants should request this material from any ADA-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics or from D&D Digital Systems. This request should be made to allow turn around time for submitting by a February 15, 2008, postmark deadline. There is no charge for this material. However, there is a $50.00 charge for computer matching that is due with the applicant's prioritized ranking. See dnddigital.com for additional information.

    Address requests to:

      D&D Digital Systems
      Suite 301, 304 Main Street
      Ames, IA 50010
Application Procedure:
    The following materials must be completed and submitted as one packet: PLEASE FOLLOW DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
    • APPLICATION FORM (attached): Standard ADA form for internship programs. Grade point average must be calculated as directed. **Please note that although the application calls for GRE scores, they are not required.

    • APPLICATION FEE: A check for $50 payable to "Sodexho."

    • OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS: Complete through first semester senior year from all colleges and universities attended (or through graduation). All transcripts must list descriptive titles of courses. If only course numbers are shown, catalog descriptions must be provided. A list of courses to be completed prior to graduation must be attached if applicable. "Issued to student" transcripts are acceptable; photocopies are not.

    • VERIFICATION OF COMPLETION OF DIDACTIC REQUIREMENTS, or an official declaration of intent to complete degree and didactic requirements, obtained from your didactic program (DPD) advisor. Photocopies are not acceptable.

    • THREE (3) LETTERS OF REFERENCE (photocopies are acceptable) from the following:
      • A professor in Food and Nutrition.
      • A work or practicum supervisor.
      • Either a second professor in nutrition, management, or a science, or a second work or practicum reference.

    • A LETTER OF APPLICATION: Please indicate your interest in the Southcoast program, how our program corresponds with your goals, and any other information supporting your application. Feel free to call or visit to obtain more information about our program. We prefer your letter to be typewritten and in business letter, rather than essay format. Please limit to a maximum of two pages in length.

    Application Packets must be postmarked by February 15, 2008. Send to:

Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you. Please call us if any of these instructions are unclear.


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