Full-Time Track

Full-Time Track | Part-Time WIC Track

What type of Practicum Experiences are offered by the Full-Time Internship Track?

Our dietetic internship is a full time, 38 week program approved for an annual class of 5 interns. Interns participating in the office's program will be exposed to a wide variety of nutrition services from metropolitan and rural areas of Maricopa County. Opportunities are provided to interact with individuals and groups from multi-ethnic backgrounds representing all ages and levels of education. Community, clinical, and food service experiences offered will challenge interns to integrate knowledge gained from dedicated study with opportunities for practice and application.

Our practice sites include:

Clinical:

• Scottsdale Healthcare

• St Joseph's Hospital

• John C. Lincoln Hospitals

• Maricopa Medical Center

• Banner Health Centers

• Mercy Gilbert Hospital

• Arizona State Hospital

• Kindred Hospital Arizona

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America

• Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders

• Diversified Specialty Institute or Western Skies Dialysis

Long Term Care:

• Crandall and Associates or Nutrition Alliance

Food Service:

• Queen Creek Unified School District

• Chandler Unified School District

• Gilbert Public Schools

• Dysart School District

• Deer Valley Unified School District

• Creighton School District

Community:

• Maricopa Community Nutrition Programs

• Maricopa County WIC and Head Start

• Arizona Department of Health Services

• Arizona Department of Education

• Desert Mission Food Bank

• St. Vincent de Paul's Diabetes Program

• Greater Valley Area Health Education Center

Sports Nutrition:

• Paradise Valley and Chandler Gilbert Community College Fitness Center

• Athlete's Performance

Culinary:

• Dudash Nutrition or Nutrition Studio

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What are the Admission Requirements?

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college of university

• Completion of the required academic Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) course work with a verification statement or a verification of intent to complete form *

*Additional course work is required to update degrees completed 5 or more years prior to application to this Dietetic Internship.

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What are the applicant responsibilities involved in the application process?

• Application Checklist: This checklist is provided to ensure all required components of the application are included.

• Maricopa County's dietetic internship program uses the on-line Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS). Begin the application process at www.DICAS.org.

• The on-line application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15, 2013. The fee to use DICAS is $40 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application.

• Official Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to: DICAS - Transcript Dept., PO Box 9118, Watertown, MA 02472

• When completing the application form, applicants must include the name and contact information (specifically an e-mail address) for each reference. This will trigger an e-mail message requesting completion of a reference form. The form will be completed on-line. Students submitting more than one application will need to use the same individuals as references for each application.

• The DICAS application must be submitted by the deadline stated on the DICAS website

• The Application Checklist must also by submitted through DICAS

Personal Statement

In addition to the five questions asked to be included in the personal statement on the on-line applications through DICAS, please answer the following four questions in your personal statement that is submitted through DICAS for the Maricopa County program. These questions include:

• The reason for applying to an internship that is public health focused

• Your expectations of our program

• A description of a project completed with minimal supervision

• A notation if you speak, read or write a language other than English and your level of fluency

In addition to the requirements for students to submit their on-line applications through DICAS, the Maricopa County program also requires some additional items that need to be submitted through the supplement forms section of DICAS. The size limit for supplemental file upload in DICAS is 5 Mb. These include:

• A completed Work Experience Calculation Form

• A completed Volunteer Experience Calculation Form

The only piece that cannot be submitted through DICAS is the non-refundable application fee of $52.00 specific to Maricopa County. Checks must be made payable to Maricopa County and sent to:

Maricopa County Dept of Public Health
Office of Nutrition Services
Shirley Strembel, MS, RD
4041 N. Central, Suite 700 C
Phoenix, AZ 85012

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What are the selection criteria?

Candidates application packets will be reviewed by a selection committee and scores assigned for grade point average, DPD grade point average, work experience, letters of recommendation, honors and activities, and applicant's responses in the personal statement. Grade point averages and quality and quantity of dietetic related work experience are given significant consideration. The selection committee will ask the top 25% of applicants to participate in an interview.

The ability to speak a language in addition to English is beneficial to working within the local community. It is not a program requirement in the selection process.

The selection committee will rank applicants in order of preference and send the ranking to D&D Digital System for computer matching.

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Timeline for Internship Applicants for Spring 2013

Friday, February 15, 2013
Deadline for online matching registration for computer matching is 11:59pm Central Time Friday, February 15, 2013. Applicants must register online at www.dnddigital.com, pay the $50.00 computer matching fee by credit card, and enter their Contact Information and Dietetic Internship priority choices. Applicants should only prioritize Dietetic Internships for whom they have submitted all completed application materials prior to the Internship deadline.

March 22, 2013 - April 1, 2013
If desired, applicants may reorder online the list of Dietetic Internships prioritized prior to the deadline for online matching registration.

Sunday, April 7, 2013
(Notification Day) Beginning 6:00 pm CDT, applicants will find their matching result on www.dnddigital.com through Tuesday, April 9, 2013 (Appointment Day). This is the ONLY source of notification for applicants. Each applicant will receive either ONE MATCH or NO MATCH after log in.
All applicants who receive ONE MATCH will find the matched DI Program name and contact information to accept the appointment. The MATCHED DI Program is planning that the MATCH will be accepted. Matched applicants must contact the DI program on Notification or Appointment Day to confirm the acceptance of the MATCH. No arrangements should be made with any other DI programs.
Applicants who received NO MATCH will be given other instructions.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013
(Appointment Day) Matched applicants must contact the Dietetic Internship program by telephone, FAX or email on or before 5:00 PM (time zone of the program) Tuesday, April 9, 2013 to confirm the acceptance of the MATCH. After this time, the program is under no obligation to hold the opening for the matched applicant.

Matched applicants must telephone (602) 506-9325, fax (602) 506-9330 or e-mail (shirleystrembel@mail.maricopa.gov) the DI Program Director to confirm their acceptance or rejection of the match.

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What does the program cost?

Total program costs will vary according to the needs and lifestyles of each individual. Food, housing, and transportation expenses are variable and the responsibility of the student. Interns must provide their own health and professional liability insurance in order to participate in the program. Arizona law does require drivers to carry automobile insurance and Arizona residents to have annual emission inspection completed on their vehicle.

• Tuition
  $2500.00
• Application Fee
  $52.00
• Car insurance (varies)
• Gasoline/month
  $150.00 - $200.00 per month estimate
• Housing: 1 bedroom apt./month (varies)
  $650.00 - $750.00
• Vehicle Emissions Inspection Fee
  $15.00
• Student Professional Liability Insurance
  $35.00
• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Affiliate Membership
  $50.00
• Local Dietetic Affiliate Dues
  $15.00
• ServSafe Certification (varies)
• Text book/journals
  $75.00
• Fingerprint Clearance Card and Criminal Background Check
  $69.00
• Urine Drug Screen Panel
  $50.00 (approximate)
• CPR Certification
  $45.00 (approximate)
• Health Insurance (varies)
• Flu Shot (varies per insurance coverage)
• Hepatitis B Series (varies per insurance coverage)
• MMR, Varicella, Tetanus and TB Skin Test (varies per insurance coverage)
• Office and Miscellaneous supplies
  $100(estimate)
• Study Material for RD Exam
  $200 - 350

*** Scholarship applications are available through the Academy Education and Accreditation staff at: 1-800-877-1600, ext 5400

Scholarship applications are available here.

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What is the program schedule?

The dietetic internship program typically begins in mid August and is completed by the first week in June. Two weeks of vacation are scheduled near the end of December which includes Christmas and New Year's Day. Other holidays honored are Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day.

Affiliate Rotations (variable from year to year):

• Program Orientation - 1.5 weeks

• Az Dept of Health Services - 2 weeks, community

• Arizona Department of Education - 1 week, community

• Athletes' Performance - 1 week, sports nutrition

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America - 1 week, clinical

• Crandall and Associates or Nutrition Alliance - 1 week, clinical (long term care)

• John C Lincoln, Arizona State Hospital, Kindred, St. Joseph's Hospital, Scottsdale Healthcare, Mercy Gilbert Hospital, Yavapai Regional Hospital, or Maricopa Medical Center - 11 weeks, clinical

• Maricopa County Head Start - 1 week

• Maricopa County WIC - 2 weeks, community

• Maricopa County Community Nutrition - 4 weeks (2 weeks community and 2 weeks management)

• Chandler, Gilbert or Creighton School Districts - 7 weeks, food service

• Dialysis Newco. Inc. or Western Skies - 1 week, clinical (outpatient renal)

• St. Vincent de Paul's Family Diabetes Clinic - 1 week, clinical

• Paradise Valley or Chandler Gilbert Community College Fitness Center - 1 week (wellness)

• Enrichment Experience - 2 weeks

• Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS - 1 week clinical

• Enrichment Experience - 2 weeks

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What are entrance requirements for matched applicants?

Candidates matched with the program will need to complete the Hepatitis B series to participate. The series should be initiated in May to allow adequate time to complete the immunizations prior to program initiation in August.

Additional documentation required at the start of the dietetic internship:

• Statement of good health to participate in the program from a medical provider

• Urine drug screen

• Documentation of current TB (PPD)Skin Test

• Documentation of two rubeola and one rubella vaccinations, or positive rubeola and rubella titers

• Documentation of varicella exposure or positive varicella immune titer

• Evidence of current tetanus toxoid (within the past ten years)

• Evidence of a seasonal flu shot (at the beginning of flu season)

• Completed criminal background check and fingerprint clearance card

• Membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

• Membership in the Arizona Dietetic Association - Central

• Professional Student Liability Insurance - $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate

• Health Insurance

• Automobile Insurance

• Driver's License

• ServSafe Certification

• CPR Certification

• Signed verification statement of the Didactic Program in Dietetics

• Official transcripts showing completion of degree

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Full-Time Track | Part-Time WIC Track