Program Information

The Henry Ford Hospital Dietetic Internship is part of the Department of Food and Nutrition Services, which plays a vital role within the facility as one of the largest support service departments.

The internship program is planned to provide the students the knowledge, skills, methods, and tools to achieve professional expertise and competence plus establish life-long learning within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics “Standards of Professional Practice” and the “Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics.”

The 36-week program is designed with a Medical Nutrition Therapy concentration. The program provides 2 pathways.

• Pathway A: Completed graduate degree and DPD verification statement with enrollment in Henry Ford Hospital’s Dietetic Internship program only
• Pathway B: Completed undergraduate degree and DPD verification statement with enrollment in both Henry Ford Hospital’s Dietetic Internship program and Michigan State University’s Master of Science Nutrition and Dietetics Program.

The program is affiliated with Michigan State University. Upon matching to our internship, students must apply and be accepted into The Graduate School at Michigan State University. Upon acceptance, students will be enrolled in the Master of Science Nutrition and Dietetics Program in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

The MS in Nutrition and Dietetics is a 16-month program culminating in 30 credits. The supervised practice is coordinated with HNF 894, the Human Nutrition Practicum course. This will provide a total of 6 credits toward the MS degree. Students will be evaluated using the competency statements from ACEND that specify what every registered dietitian nutritionist should be able to complete at the beginning of their practice career. Sample Schedule can be found here: Program Guide 2024-25.pdf (msu.edu)

Prior to being issued a Verification Statement, the students must complete the courses required for the Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Michigan State University. Degree requirements are as follows:

• The student must complete a total of 30 credits:
  
  • All of the following courses (18 credits)
    
    • HNF 823 Research Methods in Human Nutrition – 3 credits
    • HNF 832 Advanced Clinical Nutrition – 3 credits
    • HNF 892 Nutrition Seminar – 2 credits
    • HNF 894 Human Nutrition Practicum – 6 credits
    • HNF 898 Master’s Project – 1 credit
    • NUR 804 Statistics for the Healthcare Professional – 3 credits
    A minimum of 12 elective credits. Electives not preapproved by the department will require the approval of your faculty advisor.
  • Completion of a final capstone project and evaluation, including a formal presentation by the student on a topic approved by the faculty advisor.

Henry Ford Hospital Dietetic Internship Program Mission, Goals, and Objectives

Mission: The Mission of the Henry Ford Hospital Dietetic Internship Program is to provide patient-centered, supervised practice experiences and practical application, in an intellectual, collaborative and compassionate atmosphere, to prepare entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists for career excellence. The program is structured with a nutrition therapy concentration focusing on evidence-based practice across the continuum of care. Dietetic interns will develop outstanding critical thinking skills and be exposed to a highly diverse environment of people, experiences and practices.

Goal 1: Program graduates will develop and maintain Medical Nutrition Therapy knowledge and skills through interactive learning experiences while cultivating outstanding critical thinking skills to individualize interactions in diverse areas of dietetics practice.

Objectives:

At least 80% of interns complete program/degree requirements within 24 months (150% of graduate degree length) or 50 weeks/1 year (150% of program length) if DI only option is selected”.

• At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of graduate degree completion or completion of dietetic internship.
• The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
• 100% of program graduates rate staff guidance to meet basic competencies, as outlined for each supervised practice experience, as satisfactory or above.
• 85% of employers rate the graduates’ Medical Nutrition Therapy knowledge and skills and development of critical thinking skills to individualize each interaction as satisfactory or above.

Goal 2: Program graduates will become competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists who demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and career excellence.

Objectives:

• 100% of program graduates rate their overall confidence level that the internship prepared them as competent for entry-level practice as satisfactory or above.
• Of graduates who seek employment, at least 75% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduate degree completion or 12 months of completion of dietetic internship.
• 85% of employers are satisfied with graduate preparation for entry-level practice.
• 85% of employers will rate the graduates’ organizational skills, customer service skills, communication skills, and overall commitment to professional growth and career development as satisfactory or above