Program Schedule

Typically, the program is scheduled from September to May annually. For the 2027-2028 academic year, the internship is expected to start on September 13th, 2027, with an expected end date of May 21st, 2028. Both Option A and Option B pathways require completion of 1216 supervised practice hours. Additionally, both pathways align with Michigan State University’s academic calendar.

Option A - Henry Ford Hospital Dietetic Internship: Completion of only supervised practice experiences is an estimated 9-months.

Option B - Henry Ford Hospital Dietetic Internship and Michigan State University Master’s Degree: Completion of both supervised practice experiences and Michigan State Universities graduate degree is an estimated 16-months.

Students will complete 40 supervised practice experience hours weekly. Typically, this is Monday-Friday, but they may be completed over the weekend. Students are required to clock-in and clock-out daily. Students who do not finish their daily assignments in the scheduled period are expected to complete them before leaving for the day. Additional time required for study, special projects, assignments, etc. must be completed during off-duty hours.

Supervised practice experiences are completed within 1 to 5 weeklong rotations with a typical faculty-to-student ratio of 1:1. While completing the program, student competence will be evaluated after each rotation and at the end of the program. Competence is evaluated using rotation assignments, daily patient interactions, pre- and post-testing, and other experience audits.

To hold students accountable for personal competence in practice, and to allow for students an opportunity to reflect on strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement, students are required to complete regular self-evaluations.

Rotation Schedule

Orientation (1 week)

All students will complete 1 week of orientation. Orientation week includes a hospital and department tour, review of program policies, procedures, and student expectations, and electronic medical record review/training.

Basic Clinical Skills (2 weeks)

Basic clinical skills introduces basic knowledge and skills associated with the practice of medical nutrition therapy. Hands-on clinical supervised-practice experiences with an assigned RDN will be provided. Several on-site classes are scheduled with program faculty and/or preceptors for a competency based education focus.

Clinical (19 weeks)

These learning experiences place emphasis on medical nutrition therapy using the nutrition care process specific to the individual in-patient or out-patient population. Patient/family education, meal rounds, collaborative rounds, case-studies, pre-tests/post-tests, and discussion/evaluation of additional professional reading may be planned during each experience. Clinical rotations include:

• Cardiology - 2 weeks
• Internal Medicine/Pulmonary/Infectious Disease - 2 weeks
• Oncology/Hematology/Henry Ford Cancer Institute – 2 weeks
• Transplant – 1 week
• Neuroscience/ALS – 2 weeks (includes the Neuro Intensive Care Unit)
• Renal/Dialysis – 2 weeks
• Special Populations – 2 weeks (includes bariatric surgery, maternal, and pediatrics)
• Midterm Review/Wounds – 2 weeks
• Surgical Critical Care – 2 weeks
• Medical Critical Care – 2 weeks

Community/Management (3 weeks)

• Diabetes Care Connection – 2 weeks
• Clinical Management – 1 week

Foodservice (4 weeks)

• Retail foodservice
• Patient foodservice

Clinical Staff Responsibility (5 weeks)

Additional Schedule Information

Clinical Staff Responsibility Rotation

This rotation is designed for the student to demonstrate the knowledge and skills of an entry level clinical registered dietitian nutritionist by assuming responsibility for managing clinical nutrition services for patients. The dietetic intern will demonstrate and be evaluated on the basic competencies for entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist education and the nutrition therapy concentration competencies.

Diabetes Care Connection Rotation

Students will observe and assist in the normal operational functions of the diabetes care center including the Patient Encounter Process and perform calculations of diet instructions as well as attend the Diabetes Self-Management Education Program sessions taught by the RDN, CDCES, and the Nurse Diabetes Educator.

Field Trips

Fields trips completed throughout the program include the Annual Henry Ford Health Nutrition Symposium, grocery store tour, demonstration kitchen, legislative day, and community/nutrition related events.

Foodservice Rotation

While completing the foodservice rotation, students will be exposed to both retail and patient foodservice departments. In the retail foodservice department, students will complete a merchandising project in the retail area, which includes menu planning, meal forecasting, recipe standardization, budgeting, marketing, inventory control, equipment use, and the bill paying process. In the patient foodservice department, students will shadow each member of the management team discussing each area of their daily job duties, complete safety and sanitation audits, complete a plate waste study, discuss the budgeting process, and analyze risk in nutrition and dietetics practice including emergency preparedness.

Midterm/Wounds Rotation

Students address the nutritional needs and the educational needs of all patients on modified diets and/or receiving enteral nutrition. This learning experience is a mid-program evaluation of basic competencies and the nutrition therapy competencies for registered dietitian nutritionist education. This is accomplished using the audit process to evaluate the students.

Optional Elective Rotations

While the programs core curriculum provides comprehensive training at Henry Ford Hospital, students also have the option to pursue an elective experience outside of the organization. This is optional for students to explore areas of personal or professional interest not covered in the standard program schedule. Students choosing this elective opportunity are responsible for identifying their own site and qualified preceptor who meets program and accreditation standards. Students are also required to submit all required documentation by established deadlines. The program will support students interested in pursuing an elective experience by:

• Providing guidance on site selection, preceptor qualifications, and experience objectives.
• Supplying templates and forms for preceptor communications
• Reviewing and approving elective site proposals to ensure compliance with ACEND standards and program expectations.
• Assisting with the coordination of the affiliation forms as needed.

Oral Presentations

Oral Presentations are planned throughout the program to focus the intern on using accurate, evidence-based information presented in a logical and organized manner with key points summarized and related to dietetics practice. Towards the end of the internship, interns will present a Case Study to program faculty/preceptors and fellow interns.

Student Classes

To enhance competency-based education, on-site classes and activities are scheduled on a month-to-month basis and are listed on a monthly meeting calendar. Students are expected to be responsible for the content of all classes. If classes are scheduled during vacations, on scheduled days off, or when interns are off-campus, arrangements for class notes or handouts should be made.

Vacations/Holidays/Sick Days

Students will not be scheduled on an official hospital holiday (New Years Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Students are be allotted 2 weeks of vacation - 1 week for Holiday Break in December and 1 week for Spring Break in March. Students are also allotted 3 sick/personal days. Students are expected to contact the dietetic internship director and preceptor when requesting to take a sick/personal day. Absences of three or more consecutive days for illness require written documentation from a physician. For other absences, the student is required to submit a written report to the dietetic internship director. Additional time off should be discussed with the dietetic internship director.