The Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship (BWS DI) is a fully accredited distance dietetic internship program with a concentration in corporate wellness and disease prevention, led by Be Well Solutions, a physician-owned worksite wellness company. What sets BWS DI apart is our intern-centered approach. Interns have the opportunity to build a supervised practice experience that is both geographically convenient and aligned with their professional goals. Our program is continually strengthened through ongoing improvements informed by intern and alumni feedback.

By choosing the Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship Program, interns are provided with full-circle support. From rotation schedule assistance to getting started in a nutrition career, we have program faculty here to help applicants and interns every step of the way.

Our corporate wellness and disease prevention concentration provides exposure to an industry (worksite wellness) that is expected to experience robust growth as more organizations adopt wellness programs to help lower healthcare costs and improve employee morale. Wellness and disease prevention is also an area that can be applied to any dietetics specialty, so our graduates are well-equipped to work in a variety of areas upon completion of the dietetic internship.

Through BWS DI’s didactic learning, interns become proficient in the assessment of an organization’s population health risks and needs as well as the development of a comprehensive worksite wellness program. Supervised practice during the Wellness Rotation allows interns to practice effective health communications through the design and presentation of nutrition and health-related seminars, handouts, newsletters, and other communication tools.

Halfway through the program, our interns attend a day-long Wellness Workshop where they participate in a variety of activities to gain hands-on experience in this area. The workshop prepares interns for their Wellness Capstone project, through which interns develop their own wellness program for a company of their choice based on what they have learned during the dietetic internship.

The Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship Program has two pathways: the MS/DI Pathway and DI-Only Pathway. The DI-Only Pathway can be completed in 8 months (full-time) or 12 months (part-time). In the event of extenuating circumstances, interns have up to 150% of the time allotted to complete the program requirements. Those pursuing the MS/DI Pathway may complete the internship and master’s degree within 17-28 months, depending on the MS program chosen.

As a distance dietetic internship, BWS DI offers interns the flexibility to complete supervised practice experiences within their preferred geographic region. Interns are encouraged to actively participate in the placement process by identifying potential rotation sites and preceptors that align with their interests and career goals. The BWS DI team works closely with interns throughout this process, providing guidance, resources, and placement assistance to help secure supervised practice experiences.

To meet ACEND requirements, interns must complete a minimum of 1,040 supervised practice hours under the guidance of qualified preceptors. To provide flexibility in achieving these requirements, BWS DI offers both a five-rotation pathway and a four-rotation pathway, allowing interns to customize their supervised practice experience based on their professional interests and learning goals.

Be Well Solutions Dietetic Internship Faculty will approve each intern’s proposed plan and schedule prior to the start of their program.

In addition to supervised practice rotations, BWS DI also has a didactic curriculum component, which includes assignments, conference meetings, professional development workshops, self-assessments, and a practice exam. Didactic curriculum activities are completed outside of rotation hours. The curriculum is essential for interns to meet ACEND required competencies. It also gives them extra experience and practice in certain skills, allowing them to collaborate with others, and also forms the foundation of our wellness concentration.

An overview of the didactic curriculum can be found below. If you have questions about our didactic curriculum, please send an email to bwsdi@bewellsolutions.com.

Assignments & Wellness Capstone

• Policy and Advocacy Assignment: Along with a team, prepare a policy brief and take action.
• Mentoring Assignment: Develop and practice your mentoring skills.
• MNT Case Study: Optional assignment to be completed with clinical rotation.
• Dietary Trends: Research a hot topic in nutrition and present your findings to your advisory group.
• Wellness Capstone: Design a wellness program for a company of your choice.

Conference Meetings & Journal Club

Once a month, interns will come together with their advisory groups for a conference meeting. During these meetings, interns have the opportunity to check in with their peers and faculty advisor, and talk about how things are going in their rotations. Each intern will lead one journal club discussion on a scientific article throughout the year. Additionally, interns will present their projects, including their wellness capstone and dietary trends assignment.

Conference meetings typically take place in the late afternoon/evening (depending on the intern’s time zone) and are approximately 1 hour long.

Workshops

Interns are required to attend a couple of workshops during the program, including a Policy and Advocacy Workshop and a Wellness Workshop. Some of the workshops are a part of Orientation and the Professional Development Workshop, and there are a few that will be scheduled in the evenings, outside of rotation hours. The exception to that is the Wellness Workshop, which is a day-long event where interns participate in a variety of activities to gain hands-on experience in the area of wellness and disease prevention. To help applicants plan their rotation schedule, we listed each cohort’s Wellness Workshop date on the Important Dates webpage.

Self-Assessments

Interns will complete self-assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of their internship. These assessments are an opportunity for interns to reflect on their strengths, areas of improvement, and goals. The self-assessments are then reviewed by faculty advisors who provide support and guidance to interns as needed.

Practice Exam

Interns will complete a practice exam as part of the BWS DI curriculum to kickstart their RD Exam preparation and help establish a baseline of readiness for taking the exam. 

To graduate from the program, interns must successfully complete the minimum supervised practice hours, didactic curriculum, and fulfill learning objectives to demonstrate competencies laid forth by ACEND and BWS DI. Interns are also required to attend a virtual orientation and the professional development workshop, plus any virtual conferences throughout the internship. Access to reliable transportation (car, public transportation, etc.) for on-site rotations, a laptop or desktop computer, and a high-speed internet connection for scheduled online conference meetings and virtual internship rotations are also required.

BWS DI will provide a Verification Statement to interns upon completion of the program and a master’s degree. The program director will submit names to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) as evidence that the interns are eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian (RD) credentialing exam.

BWS DI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the dietetic Registration Exam.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Phone: (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400
www.eatright.org/ACEND