Beginning in late June, the Dietetic Internship program consists of 44 weeks of supervised practice experience with a specialization in food service management.

Interns participate in the following rotations:

Approximately forty percent of the experience will be in food service facilities. Interns will:
  1. Develop recipes, menus, budgets and schedules for the food service and other entities served by the food service.
  2. Provide in-services, nutrition education, and nutrition counseling.
  3. Conduct studies that include completing a review of literature, formulating hypothesis, gathering data, analyzing data, interpreting results and formulating conclusions and recommendations based on findings.

Approximately thirty percent of the experience will be in community nutrition programs where interns will be divided among private practice outpatient clinics, rural healthcare facilities and public health departments. In these settings, interns will:

  1. Develop public service announcements.
  2. Develop products and arrange sensory evaluation panels for the food industry.
  3. Write newsletters and articles.
  4. Market products and services.
  5. Conduct assessments of community needs.
  6. Develop web sites for agencies and private practices.
  7. Create nutrition materials.
  8. Present information at health fairs.

Approximately thirty percent of the experience will be at medical centers. Interns will:   

  1. Do comprehensive assessment and evaluation of clients.
  2. Conduct diet histories.
  3. Develop nutrition care plans and evaluate outcomes.
  4. Develop "theme meals" for residents.
  5. Interact daily with medical professionals in the care and treatments of medical conditions.
A two-week period will be spent in an elective rotation. It is the responsibility of each intern to locate, contact, and arrange for a two-week elective rotation during the time frame designated on the master rotation schedule. The rotation can be in any domain of dietetics (clinical, community, food service, etc.) and can be located anywhere in the United States. Likewise, the rotation may be completed at a facility in which the intern is, or has been, scheduled to go, or at a facility not currently utilized by the Concordia College Dietetic Internship Program. Interns are responsible for all housing and travel accommodations during the elective rotation.

*Interns are expected to work 40 hours each week at the assigned rotation.
*Special schedule requests must be made two weeks in advance to the Dietetic Internship Director. Interns must notify their preceptor immediately in case of injury or illness; frequent or prolonged illness of more than two weeks may require an extension of the internship to ensure completion of the required experiences.
*Students will be granted one day of vacation for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Good Friday, Easter, and Fourth of July. There is a one-week vacation at Christmas and a weeklong orientation at the beginning of the program.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
admitted students