If you’re a student studying to become a registered dietitian, then you know completing a dietetic internship is in your future. While this may seem daunting, applying and matching to a dietetic internship can totally be within your reach with a distance dietetic internship.
Whether you are a new degree-seeking student or readying to apply during the next match cycle, the BWS DI Faculty Team prepared a few reasons to consider applying to a distance internship program below.
5 benefits of applying to a distance dietetic internship
1. You’re in control of your dietetic internship experience
One of the top benefits of a distance internship is the ability to design your rotation schedule, select your own sites, and choose preceptors you are excited to learn from. Playing an active role in designing your internship may lead to a more fulfilling experience and is also a great way to gain experience for your future dream job.
2. Network in the community you plan to live in
Are you looking for a dietetic internship near you? Have you always imagined moving back to your hometown after graduation? Or are you ready to spread your wings and explore a different area of the country? Whatever your goals are, a distance internship allows you to network in your community of choice and get your foot in the door with various organizations that may yield a future employer.
A distance dietetic internship helps you lay the groundwork for building experience and the necessary skills for an entry-level RD position while also establishing connections to hopefully land a job shortly after graduation.
3. Distance internships can be a more affordable option
Selecting your own sites means you’re in control of where you live during your dietetic internship, which can help save money. Interns have the ability to move home and live with family or avoid relocating to a new city while completing their degree.
4. Distance internships offer flexibility
Do you crave flexibility in your day-to-day life? Does the prospect of building in breaks between rotations, scheduling a family vacation, or being able to accommodate a part-time job while you complete your internship appeal to you? Then a distance internship may be ideal for your lifestyle.
Always make sure to check with the program requirements first, but designing your internship to offer some flexibility in your schedule can truly make your internship experience more enjoyable.
5. Increase your chance of getting accepted to a dietetic internship
Many distance internship programs have the capacity to accept a larger cohort of interns compared to traditional programs. By applying to a distance internship, you may increase your chance of getting accepted to a dietetic internship and avoid any delays in your journey to becoming a registered dietitian.
Now that you’ve considered some of the benefits of applying to a distance internship program, here are another 5 reasons why you should specifically consider the Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship program.
Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship Fall 2021 Class Photo
5 reasons to apply to the Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship
1. Faculty advisor support during your internship
Every BWS DI intern is paired with a faculty advisor for mentorship and support throughout the program. Your faculty advisor leads a small group of interns for journal clubs, meetings, and other events that you can rely on for support. Your faculty advisor will be there along the way in case of any questions, or rotation hiccups, and to help guide you through your dietetic internship.
Plus, we offer rotation schedule assistance for those in need of help while building their rotation schedule! Learn more here.
2. We accept Prior Assessed Learning (PAL)
BWS DI accepts prior assessed learning (PAL). Examples of accepted PAL are if you were an NDTR in a hospital, a WIC nutritionist, a Certified health coach working at a corporate wellness company, or a Foodservice manager and/or director for a dining hall. Depending on your experience, we may grant up to 300 of your required 1,040 internship hours. Learn more about PAL here.
3. We have MS/DI partners
We partnered with several colleges and universities to provide applicants a way to work on their master’s while completing the Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship program.
If you’re interested in earning a master’s degree while completing your dietetic internship, we have 7 MS/DI partners that offer a variety of degrees, tracks, and program lengths to fit your needs and interests. Per the CDR’s 2024 Graduate Degree Requirement, all RD2be must complete a master’s degree before they can sit for the RD exam. Check out all of our MS/DI partners here.
4. We offer 2 rotation schedule options and 2 tracks to choose from
We allow interns the ability to design their own internship experiences and even permit our interns to select from a part-time and full-time pace, PLUS the ability to choose 4 rotations or 5 rotations as long as the 1,040 minimum supervised practice hour requirement is met.
Interns interested in only completing traditional rotations like Clinical, Foodservice, Community, and Wellness are best suited for the 4-rotation option. Bonus: you have fewer sites to secure, especially if you can complete multiple rotations at the same site (for example Clinical and Foodservice).
The 5-rotation option is perfect for interns interested in a specialty area of nutrition and dietetics. In addition to Clinical, Foodservice, Community, and Wellness, interns will complete an emphasis rotation that can be completed at the site of their choosing.
You can check out part-time and full-time examples of a 4 or 5-rotation schedule here.
5. We give our interns professional development opportunities and RD Exam prep materials
BWS DI provides educational and professional development opportunities throughout your internship. During Orientation and Exit Class, you will have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers specialized in various areas of nutrition and dietetics to help broaden your understanding and knowledge of the field and help prepare you for rotations. Currently, BWS DI also holds a professional development workshop that helps interns with resume building, LinkedIn support, and interview prep to help interns be successful post-graduation.
In addition, BWS DI provides exam prep materials to help interns study for the RD Exam. BWS DI provides all interns the Pass Class from All Access Dietetics and a subscription to the Pocket Prep App. We chose these resources based on feedback from past interns who successfully passed the exam.
A distance internship may be the right path for you and will allow you to have an individualized internship experience that aligns with your future career goals. Don’t just take our word for it… hear from one of our recent alumni who shared her experience with BWS DI:
“BWSDI is a fantastic program for future nutrition professionals! My faculty advisor was always immensely helpful and understanding whenever I had questions. Despite being a distance internship, my cohort became extremely close and supportive of one another, and we now have professional connections across the country. I am also so grateful for the numerous learning opportunities provided by BWS and my preceptors. They have helped me feel prepared and confident in my abilities to enter the workforce as an entry-level dietitian. I would highly recommend this program to any future RDNs!”
-Madelyn Percival, Spring 2022 Cohort
Have a question? Check out our FAQs, leave a comment below, or send us an email at bwsdi@bewellsolutions.com!