About the Dietetics Internship Program

The program has been continuously accredited by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) since it began in 1969. Our graduates have compiled a 85 percent first-time pass rate in the last five years and a 93 percent first-time pass rate since the beginning of the program.

The internship is a full-time, 10-month program that starts in August. It provides approximately 1,500 hours of supervised practice. Supervised practice experiences are planned to provide a progression from the first week general orientation and direct supervision to working independently with little supervision based on a program of timely and routine feedback on performance. The program is fast-paced and rigorous requiring additional time outside of scheduled work hours to complete projects, homework, etc. Additionally, this internship requires strong time management and organizational skills, excellent study skills, and a high level of commitment to the education process.

The program accepts six interns each year during the spring match.

Effective for the April 2023 Computer Matching (DICAS) date, the University of Kentucky Hospital Dietetic Internship will require a minimum of a master’s degree (granted by a U.S. regionally accredited college/university or foreign equivalent) to be admitted to our program.

Program Mission

The University of Kentucky Hospital Dietetic Internship strives to produce entry-level dietitians through the use of research, education and clinical care. In an academic health care setting, the program educates dietetic interns to apply the most recent research in order to provide evidence-based care for the most advanced patient populations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and surrounding regions.

Program Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: This program will prepare competent entry-level practitioners with a concentration in clinical nutrition who meet the performance standards in areas of clinical nutrition, management and community nutrition.

Objectives:

  1. At least 85 percent of the program graduates from the previous five years who took the exam will achieve a first time pass rate on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists.
  2. The graduates from this program who took the exam will exceed the national average of scores in the specific areas on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists (Nutrition and Food Service).
  3. At least 95 percent of all dietetic interns will successfully complete the program within 15 months (150 percent of the program length) of starting the program.
  4. At least 80 percent of program graduates will take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.

Goal 2: This program will prepare the graduates for their professional goals of having employment in the dietetics profession, being enrolled in continuing education in graduate programs, and/or earning advanced certification.

Objectives:

  1. Over a five-year period, at least 70 percent of graduates who sought employment in dietetics will be employed within 12 months of program completion.
  2. Within seven years of completion of the internship, at least 40 percent of graduates will have enrolled/completed a master’s degree or earned advanced certification.
  3. At least 80 percent of first time employer responses of graduates will rate his or her performance as a 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.

* Bold = ACEND Required Objectives

Program outcomes are available upon request.