Comments From Our Graduates

Graduates of our program have found desirable positions in the field of dietetics throughout the country. Some comments from recent graduates include:

• "I truly enjoyed my internship at HFH. The Clinical RD staff was supportive, caring and knowledgeable. A nice balance of clinical/outpatient/food service experiences was provided. Also, my career portfolio greatly aided me in getting my current position. I think the internship class size (8) and length were perfect. Workload was challenging but helpful to development of professional skills. In addition, I felt like clinical staff liked having and working with interns."
• "I am very proud to have completed my internship at Henry Ford Hospital. The program left me well prepared for my first job. In fact, I feel more confident about my skills than many of my friends who have done their internships elsewhere."
• "I feel that I would not be able to fulfill the requirements of my position without the HFH internship training. I use nearly everything I learned at HFH in my present position. The internship provided me with the attributes of poise and confidence to direct the patient's nutritional care. I feel the internship equipped me with the clinical skills (interviewing, teaching, researching, etc.) that I have needed so far."
• "I feel honored to be a graduate of the HFH program. I feel this internship prepared me better for a job in nutrition than any other program. The dietitian staff at HFH is excellent and the knowledge I gained from the program is extremely valuable in my practice."
• "The internship provided me with the skills to perform well in almost any nutrition-related job. I am very thankful that I did my internship at HFH. I feel it really prepared me well for my career as a dietitian. Because of the experiences and knowledge I gained from the program, I took on my first position with confidence and quickly moved into a position on the clinical nutrition team with even more responsibility and increased acuity of patients."
• "HFH Dietetic Internship is a great program! I would highly recommend students to apply."
• "Now that I have been in the field, I find that I am one of the most competent in the clinical field and have the greatest background compared to other RD's in the field for my time frame. HFH internship is a great internship."
• "I honestly can think of very little that I would change. I think the Henry Ford Internship is an incredible experience. My professional skills grew tremendously throughout the 10 months. I think back on the program now and I am still so proud of all that I was able to experience and accomplish."
• I had a wonderful experience at Henry Ford during my internship and later as an RD. I felt very prepared going into my first job as an RD. I am so grateful for all of the experiences and opportunities Henry Ford has given me!
• This was an incredible dietetic internship and I am proud to say I am a graduate. The entire staff is friendly, welcoming and so knowledgeable. I learned so much at HFH, and I am very grateful for these experiences.
• I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning at Henry Ford Hospital and feel the internship prepared me to be a confident and competent RD in my first position. Each preceptor is dedicated to the teaching of interns and were all very helpful.

Meet the Internship Director

Ashlee Carnahan, MS, RD, CLC, CPT Is the Manager of Nutrition and Education Services, Dietetic Internship Director, Henry Ford Health. Carnahan has over a decade of clinical experience in the acute care setting in a level 1 trauma teaching institution at Henry Ford Hospital. Her key interest is following the Nutrition Care Process in high-risk surgical patients with enteral feeding and nutrition education needs. To ensure diversity in her strong clinical background, she sought outside certifications throughout her career as a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise and Certified Lactation Counselor through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice. Carnahan currently sits on the Nutrition Care Process Terminology Board of Editors for ACEND and The Board of Athletic Trainers for the State of Michigan. Prior to her leadership role, she served as a mid-term review preceptor at Henry Ford, ensuring competency in students and their ability to follow the Nutrition Care Process in high-risk patients. Carnahan enjoys educating the public through multiple facets. She has represented Henry Ford Health dietitians in multiple media publications and TV interviews and has educated grade-school age children on healthy eating and lifestyle. In spring of 2024 she was awarded “Outstanding Dietitian of the year” from Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Carnahan received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Michigan University and Master of Science Degree from Central Michigan University. She is a former Henry Ford Hosptial Dietetic Intern graduate. She is passionate about growing students in the field of dietetics with up-to-date knowledge and innovation.

If you have questions about the Henry Ford Hospital Internship, you can contact Ashlee at (313) 916-3473 or email acarnah1@hfhs.org.