dietetic facilities

The links below are affiliations with some of our local sites and serve as examples for types of facilities that provide excellent learning opportunities for dietetic interns.

Clinical Nutrition

• Christiana Care
• Beebe Medical Center
• Bayhealth Medical Center

Community Nutrition

• Delaware Division of Public Health
• UD Performance Nutrition
• Food Bank of Delaware
• University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

Food Service Management

• Christina School District
• Colonial School District
• University Dining Services

Please note the above facilities are examples of the types of practice facilities utilized in the Delaware Local Dietetic Internship and the combined MS/Dietetic Internship Program. These should also serve as examples of facilities appropriate for internship experiences for applicants seeking practice facilities outside Delaware.

Guide for Distance Interns (DI Certificate Program)

You will need to submit a Preceptor Agreement Form for each of the following rotations by the application deadline:

• Clinical Nutrition (including acute care setting)
• Community Nutrition

Rotations can be split between 2-3 facilities to allow for a broader range of experiences.  Upon acceptance into the internship, you must arrange for the remainder of your rotations by May 31.

Tips for contacting appropriate preceptors

• Contact facilities or individuals where you have already volunteered or worked
• Network, network, network.  Consider attending area conferences, ask professors for suggestions, or contact appropriate guest speakers you have had in classes.
• If a potential preceptor is not familiar with the University of Delaware Dietetic Internship, please feel free to forward them the letter describing the program and what is involved in being a preceptor.  You may also encourage them to contact the program director, Anja Leefeldt, directly with questions: (302) 831-4989 or aleef@udel.edu
• Make an appointment to meet with the potential preceptor in person, if possible.  Dress professionally and bring a copy of your resume.
• Check out the 6 Tips on Securing Preceptors for Distance Dietetic Internships, written by one of our recent graduates

You will need to ask each of your preceptors for a copy of their resume to submit, along with the rest of your application materials. Please see the Sample Schedule for how you can plan your rotations. Information on suitable facilities and preceptors is outlined in the Roles and Responsibilities of Faculty and Preceptors.

Affiliation agreements

Please be aware that affiliation agreements are required between the University of Delaware and each supervised practice facility.  These agreements will be sent to each facility after an intern has been accepted into the program.  Some facilities require the use of their own affiliation agreements.  These agreements can be forwarded to the internship director, who will then forward them to the University’s Office of the General Counsel for review.  On some occasions, it is not possible to reach an affiliation agreement that is acceptable to both parties, and the intern must identify an alternate rotation site.

Learning experiences

Dietetic interns are required to complete learning activities involving a wide range of disease states, settings, populations, and cultures. Please see the table below for a list of potential facilities where these learning experiences may be obtained. We suggest you discuss these requirements with your preceptors because not all hospitals offer all these opportunities. For example, not all hospitals offer services for pediatric patients.

Resources for Dietetic Interns

The University of Delaware offers several services for dietetic interns:

• All interns have access to the University’s library online.
• Technical support for the dietetic internship is provided by UDOnline and the University’s Information Technology departments.
• Career Services Center
• Office of the Registrar
• Graduate College 
• Office of International Students and Scholars
• Student Financial Services