Dietetic Internship Application

Minimum Admission Requirements

• Acceptance to the UIW School of Graduate Studies. For dietetic intern candidates, the minimum requirements for admission include the following
  • A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. For students with a foreign degree, validation of the equivalent to a Bachelor's degree must be made through a degree audit service. Information for international students regarding education and credentialing requirements may be obtained at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.
  • A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.7. If a student has less than a 3.2 GPA, completion of the Graduate Record Examination (with a minimum total score of 143 in the Verbal and 141 in the Quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3 on the Analytical essay) is required. Applicants who have previously completed a Master’s degree will have the GRE alternative waived.
  • Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate course work.
• An ACEND Verification Statement of completion of a Didactic Program in Dietetics within the last 5 years. All dietetic interns must be able to supply this by the start of Orientation in August.
• A score of 550 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students whose undergraduate studies were conducted in a language other than English.

Dietetic Internship Application Instructions

1. Access DICAS (Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System) to fill out the centralized application. If you have additional questions regarding the online application process, refer to ACEND’s Application Process for Students webpage.
   • The DICAS online application MUST be completed by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on February 15 for the following fall’s internship class.
   • DICAS charges a fee for each program to which a candidate applies.
   • DICAS requires submission of all academic transcripts.
   • DICAS requires the name and contact information (specifically, an e-mail address) for each reference and for your DPD Director for submission of either your Intent to Complete or your Verification Statement. This will trigger an e-mail message requesting completion of on-line forms by your references and DPD Director. These should be submitted with enough time so that your DPD Director and references can complete their parts of your DICAS application prior to the February 15 deadline.
   • For the UIW Dietetic internship, three references are required. These should include one from a Nutrition professor (does not necessarily have to be your advisor), one from a work reference (either paid or volunteer), and a third professional reference that can speak to either your academic ability or your work ethic.
   • For the UIW Dietetic Internship, the Personal Statement must address the following topics:
     1. Describe your professional goals regarding what you will do as a registered dietitian/nutritionist. What do you have to offer to the profession that your peers may not? How will the UIW Dietetic Internship help you toward achievement of your professional goals?
     2. Describe your experience and abilities in working with Mexican American people or other cultures. Give concrete examples of your experiences. If you have not worked specifically with Mexican American culture, you should describe your experiences working with people of different cultures.
2. Access D&D Digital to register online for Computer Matching and select their dietetic internship priority choices by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15. There is a computer matching fee.

Selection Process and Appointment Phase

An admissions committee consisting of University of the Incarnate Word Nutrition faculty members and representatives from the areas of clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and foodservice management will review each individual application based on scholarship, experience, references, cultural sensitivity, and personal statements. Review of all applications will be in accord with the University of the Incarnate Word’s Non-Discrimination Policy as published in the Student Handbook.

The admissions committee will rank the applicants based on the above criteria. This ranking is submitted to a nation-wide computer matching service.

D&D Digital will notify each applicant if she or he has been matched to an internship. This notification will be by e-mail and will occur in April. The matched dietetic internship will not make notification. Applicants matched to the UIW Dietetic Internship must provide written notification of acceptance of their match by either e-mail (josephb@uiwtx.edu) or fax (210-829-3153) to the Dietetic Internship Director by the designated deadline to confirm their match to the program. Students completing their Didactic Program requirements during the spring or summer need to provide a copy of their Verification Statement by the start of the internship.

Once an intern has been matched and accepts the matching placement, the prospective intern must have a background check to determine whether the intern would be eligible for potential licensure upon completion of the dietetic internship. The dietetic internship uses PreCheck, Inc. for this service, and the dietetic intern is responsible for ordering and completing this by the end of April.

Interns will also be required to complete drug testing and any additional requests for background checks and/or drug testing by individual worksites associated with the dietetic internship. Interns will be apprised of which sites require these and provided with opportunity to complete these additional site-specific requirements.