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Dietetic Internships
Internship Tracks
Maricopa County's Dietetic Internship offers a public health focused supervised practice program with two tracks: (i) a full time track and (ii) a AZ WIC track for qualified Women, Infants and Children (WIC) employees working in an Arizona local agency. The AZ WIC track allows the AZ WIC staff to work toward completion of internship competencies while retaining their employment with their AZ WIC local agency.
Interns in both tracks will work with dietitians from a wide variety of disciplines and be exposed to a wide range of nutrition services from metropolitan and rural areas.
Duties
Interns interact with individuals and groups from multi-ethnic backgrounds representing all ages and levels of education. Clinical, food and nutrition management, community and specialty experiences challenge interns to integrate knowledge gained from dedicated study. Although the ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement, Spanish-speaking interns are highly valued by preceptors at our rotation sites due to the great diversity of Maricopa County residents.
Application
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health Dietetic Internship is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. All applicants for both tracks will apply through the DICAS online system. The applicants to the full time track must participate in D&D Digital computer matching. WIC track applicants will not participate in the computer match.
2024 Master's Degree Requirements
Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR's Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR's website: https://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program at Maricopa County Department of Public Health are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.
Internship Track Details
| Topic | Full Time Track | WIC Track |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Interns Accepted | 5 | 6 |
| Eligible Applicants | Graduate of an accredited university with DPD program requirements verified | Graduate from an accredited university with DPD program requirements verified. Must have worked full time for at least one year in any contracted Arizona WIC Local Agency prior to the internship application due date. |
| Required GPA | A minimum of 2.8 | |
| Program Concentration | Community and Public Health | |
| Program Location | Primarily Maricopa County. Some rotations may require travel and lodging in another county. | Determined based on participant's geographic location. Some travel may be required. |
| Tuition (not including books) | $4,500 | Not Applicable |
| Hours of Supervised Practice | 1412 | 1248 (1128 plus 120 hours of pre-approved prior assessed learning) |
| Estimated Time Frame | Mid-August to early June | Mid-August to the first week of July |
| Upon Completion student receives | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics verification statement of dietetic internship completion | |
| Application Deadline | February 15 | January 15 |
Checklist
All materials from this checklist must be submitted through Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS) between now and January 15th at 11:59 p.m. (Central) for the WIC track or February 15 at 11:59 p.m. (Central) for the full time track.
Maricopa County’s Dietetic Internship program is currently accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). ACEND® can be contacted by:
- Email: ACEND@eatright.org
- Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
- Mail: 120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995
What is the Pass Rate of Graduates who take the CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians within 12 Months of their First Attempt?
For the three year period of 2014-2017, the pass rate for graduates who take the exam within one year of their first try is 87%.
What are the Graduation Requirements?
Graduates of the Maricopa County Dietetic Internship will complete all program requirements. They will demonstrate achievement of the 41 core competencies and 2 public health competencies set forth by ACEND.
Upon program completion, graduates will be competent to function as entry-level nutrition and dietetic professionals and will receive a verification statement.
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Dietetic Internship
Physical Address
4041 N Central Avenue
Suite 1436
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phone: 602-506-8322Fax: 602-506-9330
Dietetic Internship Director:
Diana Kinsfather, MS, RDN