Program Description
Accreditation Status
Requirements for Admission to DIGS
Preselection and Placement in DIGS Class
Dietetic Internship Description
Site Rotations
Work Week
Assignments/Evaluations
Internship Completion
Expenses
Financial Aid
Professional Conduct
Further Information

Program Description

To become a Registered Dietitan (RD) individuals must complete dietetics coursework, a supervised internship such as DIGS, and a national exam.

Students enrolled in the Nutrition Graduate Program have the opportunity to participate in DIGS after the completion of required dietetics and graduate program coursework.  The dietetics coursework may be completed during or prior to beginning the graduate degree. 

After the coursework and internship are completed, individuals then take a national exam as a final step towards receiving the RD credential.

The University of Minnesota Dietetic Internship for Graduate Students (DIGS):

• Was begun in 1990 to provide an internship opportunity for graduate students in Nutrition and Public Health Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.
• Is only available to students who have been accepted in a graduate degree in Public Health Nutrition (MPH) or MS/PhD in Nutrition at the University of Minnesota.  DIGS comes at the end of the individual’s graduate program.
• Is a six-month program with 7 graduate students beginning in mid January and 7 graduate students beginning in mid July.
• Meets the American Dietetic Association minimum requirement for 900 hours of supervised practice needed to become a Registered Dietitian.
• Offers a wide variety of field sites with excellent preceptors.

Graduates of the internship have a 98% pass rate on the RD exam.

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Accreditation Status

The University of Minnesota Dietetic Internship for Graduate Students is currently granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by The Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.  The address and phone number of CADE are:  120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000., Chicago, Illinois, 60606-6995, 312-899-4876.

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Requirements for Admission to DIGS

Applicants must have the following:

• Admission to a graduate degree in Public Health Nutrition (MPH) or MS/PhD in Nutrition.
• BS or BA from a regionally accredited college or University.
• Verification of completion of an approved program in dietetics OR Declaration of Intent from an approved program in dietetics listing all courses required with a time table of completion before DIGS.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in BS/BA degree program (grade C or higher in all required dietetics program courses).
• Medical Nutrition Therapy course or equivalent must be within 4 years of beginning DIGS.

Attendance at a meeting for information and tentative placement in a DIGS class is mandatory.  The DIGS Director will schedule this meeting in the fall of each school year.  Look for an e-mail and for flyers announcing the meeting date, time, and location. 

It is imperative that students provide their name, address, e-mail, phone number, and name of adviser along with their preferred start date for the DIGS program to the Program Director upon entering their respective graduate programs. 

Based on the allotment of DIGS openings to both the Public Health Nutrition Department and Nutrition Department, students will be assigned to a DIGS class that matches or attempts to closely match their desired start date.  Although every effort will be made to accommodate students, there is no guarantee of placement.  In the event that one department has fewer or no students slotted to begin the program for a given class, their spots may be provided to students from the other department.  If a student who has been slated to start in a given class forfeits that spot for any reason, they cannot be guaranteed a space in the DIGS program.

Contact the Program Director for more information.

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Preselection and Placement in DIGS Class

• All participants in the University of Minnesota Dietetic Internship for Graduate Students must have been admitted to a graduate program in Public Health Nutrition or Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, have Verification of Completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics, and are successfully completing their graduate work.

• For the student to participate in the Preselection Process required by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), the graduate student’s graduate adviser must complete and sign the DIGS Confirmation of Placement.  Each DIGS participant will work with the DIGS Program Director and their graduate adviser to determine when the student’s name is submitted for preselection in the Computer Matching process.

• Preselection dates are February 1 for the July DIGS class and September 1 for the January class.  The information about preselection will be available from the DIGS Program Director.

• In the preselection process, the program can select up to 14 graduate students per year who have met the admission requirements for the internship.  For preselection, the applicant will be required to provide their social security number to the DIGS Director.  Name and social security number of the preselected interns will be forwarded to D & D Digital Systems to ensure the applicant will not participate in the April or September computer match.

• If the applicant is not selected through the preselect process, they may apply to any other DI/AP4 through the computer matching process.  D&D Digital Systems may be contacted at 515-292-0490 or dnd@netins.net.

• Following preselection, students will be required to attend a planning meeting to determine placement in the internship rotations.  This meeting is typically two months before the internship begins.

• Each student must successfully complete a criminal background study by the State of Minnesota.

• Within 2 months of the start of the internship, each student must successfully complete a physical health exam using forms provided by the DIGS Director.

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Dietetic Internship Description

• Non-paid, 26 continuous weeks.
• Starting in January or July.
• 1 week – program orientation.
  1 week – independent study.
  10 weeks – nutrition therapy in a health care facility with rotations in acute, outpatient care, and staff relief.  May include renal and pediatric experiences.
  7 weeks – community nutrition with area clinics, shelters, and nutrition programs.  May include experience with WIC, eating disorders, Indian health and long-term care.
  7 weeks – food, nutrition and business management with area health care facilities, contract management facilities, school food service, and industry.

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Site Rotations

• Determined by DIGS Program Director based on contracts between the University of Minnesota and the facilities.
• Preceptors at sites are non-paid volunteers.
• Sites extend over a 10-50 mile area.
• Valid drivers license and liability insurance required with daily access to a reliable vehicle.
• Special religious needs or disabilities requiring accommodation need to be communicated in writing to the DIGS Program Director prior to start of internship.

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Work Week

• Determined by preceptors and may include evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Minimum of 40 hrs/week.
• Outside employment not recommended.
• Absences must be reported to site preceptor and DIGS Program Director.
• Excessive absences must be made up to meet ADA requirements.
• May not do assistantships during internship without prior approval from the DIGS Director.
• Do not schedule participation in educational or professional meetings without prior consent of DIGS Director.

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Assignments/Evaluations

• Assignments are designated/evaluated by DIGS Director.
• Site preceptors may have projects to be completed outside of work week.
• Attendance at class sessions and local professional meetings is required.
• Site preceptors conduct intern evaluations along with the DIGS Director to assure completion of internship competencies.

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Internship Completion

• Minimum requirement of 80% on all assignments.
• Grading is S/N.  If internship program requirements are not met, a grade of incomplete will be given until requirements are satisfied.
• Before verification of completion of the dietetic internship is signed, student must have the signature of their graduate adviser on the Completion of Dietetic Internship form.

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Expenses

• A program fee is charged to cover some of the costs of DIGS.
• Program fee is to be paid to the department, half the first day of the internship and the remainder due at midpoint.
• Program Fees Schedule.
  
  January 2008 - $4850
  July 2008 - $4900
  
  
• Tuition for 1 credit is required for PubH 5906 or FScN 4291.
• Additional expenses may include:  transportation/parking, motor vehicle liability insurance, health insurance, workshops and meetings, lab coat, reference books, professional memberships.

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Financial Aid

• The University of Minnesota Financial Aid office does not grant aid to students enrolled in internships.
• Student loan eligibility or loan deferment is available to students enrolled as half time graduate students.

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Professional Conduct

• Abide by dress code and other program and institutional policies.
• Comply with Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics.
• Comply with the Standards of Practice in Nutrition Care and Standards of Professional Performance of the American Dietetics Association..

It is the policy of the Board of Regents that each campus shall make services available for any student who, through a recent assessment, can document a disability. The administration is directed to provide appropriate services, and included among them shall be 1) support, counseling, and information, 2) academic assistance services, 3) advocacy services.

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For Further Information

Direct DIGS inquiries to:

Carrie Peterson MS, RD, LD, Program Director
Dietetic Internship for Graduate Students
University of Minnesota
1334 Eckles Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
phone: (612) 625-5285
fax: (612) 625-5272
cmpeters@umn.edu

For information on the process necessary to become a Registered Dietitian contact dpd@umn.edu. 

Contact the School of Public Health to receive application and program information on the Master's of Public Health Nutrition.

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