Dietetic Internship

Overview of the Program

The Dietetic Internship is housed within the Department of Nutrition & Food systems and the College of Health.  It is a graduate level practicum program, incorporating supervised practice with graduate coursework.  Completion of the program requires 24 hours of graduate credit.  No graduate degree is awarded at the completion of the DI; however, 18 hours will be credited toward the Master of Science and program graduates are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

Sixteen interns are enrolled in the program from June through May. Interns are admitted either during the pre-selection process (see Dietetic Internship Application) or through computer matching.  Interns attend classes during the summer semester and begin supervised practice activities in the fall semester.  Each intern is assigned to a primary supervised practice facility in Jackson, Hattiesburg, or Biloxi, MS.

Interns complete 1200 hours of supervised practice experiences in a variety of rotations: general clinical, food service management, diabetes camp, renal nutrition, nutrition support, long-term care, WIC, food banks, child nutrition programs, an a special interest rotation at the completion of the internship.  Throughout the program, interns meet with program faculty either through facility visits or classes to assess progress. The Dietetic Internship Program at The University of Southern Mississippi is currently granted initial accreditation status by The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association (CADE), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312/899-4876.

Facilities & Rotations

Facilities:

Forrest General Hospital
South Central Regional Medical Center
Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center
Baptist Health Systems
University of Mississippi Medical Center

Rotations:

Diabetes Camp
General Clinical
Renal
Nutrition Support
Long Term Care
Food Systems Management
Child Nutrition Programs
WIC
Mississippi Food Network
Credentialing and Licensure

Interns successfully completing the internship will be eligible to take the registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Successful completion of the internship and the registration examination meet the requirements to be a Registered Dietitian (RD).  In addition, the interns will be eligible for provisional licensure.  Any graduate seeking employment in the state of Mississippi must file an application for a provisional license through the Mississippi State Department of Health.

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MISSION, GOALS AND OUTCOMES

Mission Statement

The mission of the Dietetic Internship (DI) at The University of Southern Mississippi is to educate individuals who will successfully function as entry-level generalist dietitians in the state, region, and nation. The DI provides supervised application of dietetic academic preparation in a variety of settings.

Program Goal 1

To develop and maintain a high quality Dietetic Internship that prepares students for careers in dietetics and provides the knowledge, skills, and values for post-graduate education.

Institutional Mission Reference

The mission of the Dietetic internship is to educate dietitians who will successfully function as entry-level generalist dietitians.

Outcome Measures

Program Goal 2

To sustain a high quality program, utilizing effective support staff and appropriate learning opportunities in practicum rotations

Institutional Mission Reference

The DI provides generalist practical supervised application of academic preparation in dietetics in a variety of settings.

Outcome Measures

Program Goal 3

To prepare and supply dietetic professionals that meet the needs of the Southeastern region of the United States (GA, AL, FL, MS, AR, LA, TX, & TN)

Institutional Mission Reference

...educate dietitians who will successfully function as generalist dietitians in the state and region.

Outcome Measures

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Admission Requirements

Requirements for Admission to the Southern Miss Dietetic Program

• You Must Be Admitted To The Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems Graduate Program at Southern Miss (Either regular or conditional admission) to be considered as a candidate for the Southern Miss Dietetic Internship (DI). Admission to the graduate program may be granted pending receipt of final undergraduate transcript.
• A Verification Statement signed by the DPD Program Director.  If you have not yet completed your DPD, you must be able to submit a Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree signed by the DPD Program Director, and submit the Verification Statement following completion of the program.
  
• Minimum academic records for admission to the program are:
  • GPA of 2.75 on the last 65 undergraduate hours (graduate school requirement)
  • GPA of 2.75 on didactic coursework (dietetic internship requirement), and you must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on required science prerequisites, with no grade lower than "C" in ANY of those courses.  The following courses are included:
    General Chemistry (at least 1 semester)      
    Anatomy & Physiology (at least 1 semester)
    Organic Chemistry (1 semester)
    Microbiology (1 semester)
    Biochemistry (1 semester)
  • Apply for preselect or computer matching. 
  • Have a personal interview on selected dates with Southern Miss Internship selection committee. 

International Students

In order for an individual educated outside of the United States to become a Registered Dietitian, registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), they must first meet certain requirements different from US students.  International students who wish to apply for a position in the southern Miss Dietetic Internship must first meet all requirements for an international student at the university.  In addition, he/she must hold a valid verification statement from a dietetics program accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Dietetics Education (CADE).

For a complete description of the requirements and application procedure, please see Application Procedure

Quick Reference Checklist and Deadlines for DI application:

Application materials that must be received by the due dates listed in the application and procedures.

To Graduate School:

• Application to Graduate Studies Program and fee of $35
• GRE Scores sent to graduate studies
• All college/university transcripts to graduate studies

To DI director:

• Letters of recommendation
• Completed ADA application form and fee of $45
• Completed location for supervised practice
• All official college/university transcripts (yes, you need to send them twice)
• Signed verification statement or intent to complete degree
• Typed letter of application
• Completed Computer matching packet (if not going through pre-select)

For a complete description of the requirements and application procedure, please see the Requirements and Application Procedure.

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Pre-Select and Computer Matching

Preselect Option
Up to eight (8) of the sixteen (16) Southern Miss Dietetic Internship positions may be filled by the Preselect Option rather than Computer Matching.  There are two ways to qualify for preselect:

• A student must have completed, or be enrolled in at least six (6) hours of graduate classes at The University of Southern Mississippi in a curriculum designed to lead to a Masters Degree in Nutrition and Food Systems,
• Or a student can be a Southern Miss undergraduate DPD student who has been granted admission to graduate school at The University of Southern Mississippi with the declared intent of completing a Masters Degree in Nutrition and Food Systems.

Computer Matching
Applicants who do not participate in or qualify for preselect MUST participate in computer matching.  Applicants should request instructions and a mark/sense card to prioritize their DI 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 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.  Address requests for computer matching instructions and a mark/sense card to:

D&D Digital Systems
304 Main Street, Suite 301
Ames, Iowa 50010-6148
www.dnddigital.com/ada

Applicants will be advised of computer match/no match in a letter from D & D Digital.  After the computer matched applicant has notified the Southern Miss Dietetic Internship Director of his/her acceptance of the computer match, he/she will receive a letter of appointment from the Internship Director.

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Costs and Financial Aid

Estimated Expenses*

* Fees subject to Change without notice
** Registration, hotel, meals, & travel cost will vary

Southern Miss Tuition Rates

Financial Aid

Full-time graduate students are eligible for federally guaranteed student loans and other forms of financial assistance.  Those interested in such assistance should contact the Southern Miss office of financial Aid at 601-266-4774 or at www.usm.edu/financialaid/. 

In addition, scholarships are offered through the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems.  Applications are available in the department office early in the year.  Additional professional scholarships may be available through the American Dietetic Association Foundation.  Information these scholarships can be found at http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde
/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/career_394_ENU_HTML.htm.  Students must be a member of the American Dietetic Association to be eligible to apply for Foundation scholarships.

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Calendars and Schedules

Since interns must be admitted to graduate school as part of the admission process, they must follow the university’s academic calendar.  As part of the internship, these students will be enrolled in three semesters of course work.  A typical schedule for an intern may include the following courses:

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Program Completion Requirements

Interns may be admitted to the Southern Miss Dietetic Internship with conditional admission to graduate school.  Those interns must meet all of the conditions of their graduate school admission in order to remain in the dietetic internship.  If the conditions of the intern’s graduate school admission status are not met, they will be forced to resign their position in the dietetic internship.  In order to re-enter the program, they will need to go through the application and selection process during the next year.  In addition, if an intern is placed on academic probation, it is the intern’s responsibility to determine and achieve the grades needed to remove the academic probation. 

In order for an intern to successfully complete the Southern Miss Dietetic Internship and receive a Verification Statement to that effect, he/she must complete at least 1200 hours of supervised practice experience, documented by submitting the completed NFS 567L Practicum in Dietetics Time Log for each semester.  He/she must also attend all scheduled orientations and seminars (NFS 664), the pinning ceremony and receive a passing evaluation on each of the competencies, objectives, and learning experiences in each rotation.  Successful completion of objectives must be verified by a Facility Preceptor or Facility Coordinator, as well as the Southern Miss Clinical Instructor or Southern Miss Internship Director. 

All interns are required to make a B (3.0 or better) in both NFS 630 and NFS 640 during their first semester of the dietetic internship.  Interns failing to maintain a B (3.0) or better in these classes will be dismissed from the internship and will not begin supervised practice in the fall semester.  Interns must also maintain a 2.75 GPA in concurrent graduate classes to meet all other academic standards of the internship.  If interns are conditionally admitted to the graduate program, they must adhere to all policies and procedures set forth by the Department of Nutrition & Food Systems and the College of Graduate Studies to maintain admission.

Successful completion of the Southern Miss Dietetic Internship qualifies a intern to take the examination to become a Registered Dietitian. Upon successful completion of the internship the intern will receive copies of a Verification Statement indicating that he/she has completed the internship. 

Any intern failing to remove the conditional admission status, remove academic probation, meet any of the above conditions,  or maintain a 2.75 overall GPA during the internship (summer, fall, or spring semesters) will not receive a verification statement at the completion of the internship.

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Policies and Procedures

As part of the dietetic internship at Southern Miss, interns are required to:

1. Maintain admission to graduate school throughout the internship
2. Take all required courses
3. Have appropriate immunizations and ServSafe® certification prior to entering the clinical facilities
4. Be covered by malpractice liability insurance
5. Have the responsibility of transportation to and from the facility, field trips, and on any special assignments required by the internship (e.g. home visits, long term care facilities, etc.)
6. Attend all required district, state, and national meetings required by the internship
7. Be responsible for their own housing throughout the internship
8. Be responsible for all emergency room and other medical expenses for treatment of on-the-job incurred injuries
9. Be responsible for following the administrated policies of the facility
10. Be responsible for providing the necessary and appropriate uniforms required, but not provided by the facility
11. Be responsible for reporting to the designated individual at the facility on time and agree to any additional terms required by the facility

Many other policies and procedures are outlined in the Dietetic Internship Handbook.

University Policies and Procedures

Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights

The admission and retention policies of the Internship comply with the University's philosophy and intent regarding protection of civil rights of interns.  The University of Southern Mississippi’s Non Discrimination Policy Statement can be accessed at http://www.usm.edu/aa-eeo/.  It states:

The University of Southern Mississippi offers to all persons equal access to educational, programmatic, and employment opportunities without regard to age, sex, religion, color, national origin, Vietnam era veteran status, or disability status.  These provisions are pursuant to applicable federal and state regulations.  Inquiries concerning discrimination should be directed to the following:  Office of Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive #5168, 223 Weathersby Hall, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406-0001  Office: (601) 266-6618; Fax and TTY: (601) 266-6344

Accommodations for Disabilities

If an intern has a disability that qualifies under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures.  Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders.   Interns can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. 

Address:
The University of Southern Mississippi
Office for Disability Accommodations
118 College Drive # 8586
Hattiesburg, MS    39406-0001

Voice Telephone:   (601) 266-5024 or (228) 214-3232
Fax:  (601) 266-6035
Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at Suzanne.Hebert@Southern Miss.edu.

Access to Records

Dietetic Interns have the right to access any personal, academic, or advisement records maintained by the Internship Director.  Any intern wishing to review his/her records should submit the request in writing to the Internship Director, and make an appointment to access the records.

Privacy of Information

The Southern Miss Dietetic Internship assumes responsibility for protecting the privacy of educational records of individual interns, as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin. 

Grievances

The first step in resolution of a legitimate intern grievance is to attempt to resolve the issue with the Facility Preceptor where the grievance originated.  If agreement is not reached, the intern may present an appeal to the Southern Miss Internship Director.  In the event that the grievance is still not resolved to the intern's satisfaction, the line of authority is the Chair of the Department of Nutrition & Food Systems, the Dean of the College of Health, the Southern Miss Provost, and the President of the University.  Refer to the current Southern Miss Graduate Bulletin for the Grade Review Policy for graduate classes.

References for Policies and Procedures Pertaining To Dietetic Interns:                                               

Southern Miss Graduate Bulletin
Southern Miss Faculty Handbook
Southern Miss Intern Handbook      
Social Issues Update & Policy Guide  

Contact Us

Elaine Fontenot Molaison, PhD, RD
Dietetic Internship Director
Department of Nutrition & Food Systems
118 College Drive #5172
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
Phone: 601-266-6548
E-Mail: elaine.molaison@usm.edu

 

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