Sea Mar Dietetic Internship
What do Cinco de Mayo, lattes and Community Nutrition
all have in common?
They are all a part of the Sea Mar Community Health Center
Dietetic Internship!
Sponsored by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Latino non-profit health organization, the Sea Mar Dietetic Internship offers interns a unique opportunity to work with clients from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Interns gain cultural competencies that enhance their competitive edge in the job search. And yes, interns celebrate Cinco de Mayo as one of their holidays, along with winter and spring breaks!
The Sea Mar Dietetic Internship is located in Seattle, the Emerald City! As well as having coffee stands on almost every corner, interns will also enjoy the benefits of Seattle life, with shopping opportunities, professional sports events, theatre and concerts, museums, great restaurants, and many food and farmers’ markets, including the famous Pike Place Market. Ocean and mountains are near-by, with plenty of hiking, skiing and biking trails close at hand. And even more importantly, Seattle offers renowned medical centers and community organizations with exceptional dietitians who support our program, acting as preceptors and educators. And despite what you may have heard…it does not rain here everyday!
The Sea Mar Dietetic Internship offers each intern class many opportunities to work together as a group, thus developing team-building skills and relationships of support that enhance the learning experience. Mondays start most weeks off with an intern seminar, in which interns gather to hear dynamic speakers, discuss assignments or present case studies and work together on community nutrition education projects that benefit those in need in the Seattle area. Interns also enjoy the chance to come together to talk about their rotation experiences and to assist each other in problem-solving and conflict resolution. This offers a great start to the rest of the work week, when interns are then each at their respective rotation sites. A vehicle and ability to check email everyday is necessary for this internship.
The “Community” in Sea Mar Community Health Centers is at the center of the internship’s focus. Dietetic students who desire careers in outpatient clinics, WIC, health clubs, public health or other nutrition education practice settings are strongly encouraged to investigate this internship. In addition to hospital (MNT) and Food Service Administration rotations, community nutrition rotations include Outpatient, WIC, Long Term Care, Child Development, Senior Nutrition Services, Community Nutrition Administration and Migrant/Homeless Services.
So if you love cultural experiences, enjoy water and mountains, benefit from peer interaction and have a strong passion for a career in community nutrition, the Sea Mar Dietetic Internship is for you! We cordially invite you to apply to our program!
Here is what you need to know to apply:
- The 44 week, full-time community-based internship begins in mid-September and graduation is in July. An initial 1 week orientation prepares our eight interns for the experiences ahead.
- This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association (CADE, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, 312.899.0040 ext.5400). Upon satisfactory completion of this program, graduates are eligible to become Active Members of the American Dietetic Association, to write the Registration Examination for Dietitians and to become Registered Dietitians.
- Graduate Requirements To graduate, interns must pass each rotation with a 3.0 average scored on an evaluation form completed by the preceptor, complete all assignments, projects and required work assigned by and to the Program Director’s satisfaction, have a final grade of at least 800 out of 1000 points and earn a 3.0 or higher on the Program Director’s final evaluation. Make-up projects, assignments and time owed is determined by the Program Director and/or preceptors as needed to obtain required points, hours or score. After all requirements are completed, Verification Statements with original signatures will be issued. This is typically done on the last day of the internship or graduation day. This information is found in your pre-internship preparation packet sent out in the summer.
- Program goals:
- To contribute to the development of mature and responsible interns who will be capable of utilizing the knowledge and skills learned to meet the nutrition needs of society.
- To provide a quality training program that supports the intern’s personal development and professional growth.
- To prepare the interns to competently deliver nutrition services to population groups who have a wide range of interests, attitudes, educational backgrounds, and cultural differences.
- Outcome Measures
Outcome measures for program goals include these:
Program completion rates, pass rate for RD exam, graduates obtaining employment and responses evaluating skills on surveys of exiting interns, graduates and employers of graduates. - Our Program Mission:
The Dietetic Internship at Sea Mar Community Health Centers is committed to providing a comprehensive learning environment for nutritionists interested in community health, offering an emphasis in experiences serving multi-cultural and low-income communities, while preparing them to become Registered Dietitians. - Program’s Objectives:
To have all interns complete, and reach a level of satisfactory competency, in the 11 rotations offered at SMCHC during the 10 month internship period.
To have all interns be able to identify and address the needs of members of a low income and non-English speaking population by the end of the 10 month internship period.
For 85% of the interns to pass the RD exam after completion of the internship.
To successfully recruit Sea Mar’s dietetic internship graduates as Sea Mar employees to fill any open dietetic positions for which they are eligible. - Students interested in being considered for the SMCHC Dietetic Internship must submit their completed application packet, postmarked on or before ADA’s February deadline date (see http://www.dnddigital.com for future dates).
Sea Mar Community Health Centers,
ATTN: Rana Nelson, MS, RD, Dietetic Internship Director,
8915 14th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108
The packet must include the following to be considered:- A completed, current, standard ADA application form (double side all materials please).
- Official transcripts from colleges and universities where all DPD courses and baccalaureate degree completed. If degree was obtained before application deadline, please submit final transcript with date of conferral. For those students completing education outside the United States and its territories, an original degree equivalency statement from one of the approved agencies listed on the Commission on Dietetics Registration website confirming the degree is equivalent to at least a bachelor’s degree is required.
- Didactic Program in Dietetics Verification Statement or Declaration of Intent to Complete form documenting that the applicant has met or will meet ADA’s requirements.
- Three ADA Dietetic Internship Recommendation forms. Please provide one (1) professional/work related and two (2) academic related recommendations. Please assure that the scored recommendation at the bottom of the form (from 1 to 5) is filled out. *Letters of recommendation are not required.
- A 1-2 page typed letter of application including unique strengths and skills, reasons for applying to this internship, professional goals, language skills – whether you have taken Spanish in college, high school and/or traveled in a Spanish speaking country and time frame for all (please include this!) and experiences working with diverse populations.
- Non-refundable $50.00 application fee. Please pay by check or money order made out to Sea Mar Community Health Center and attach check to front page of application please.
- Students will be considered for admission only if they have completed an ADA accredited didactic program in dietetics. Applicants must have an overall GPA greater than 2.75 to be considered. Qualified applicants will be evaluated based upon the following:
- Overall GPA.
- Professional Sciences GPA.
- Recommendation Letters.
- Letter of Application.
- Work/Volunteer Experience. Volunteer or work experience in community nutrition, experience in working with a multi-cultural population, and an expressed desire to work in a community or public health career are desirable attributes for internship applicants to possess.
- Language Skills. In your application letter, indicate any languages you speak, how you obtained those language skills, and the level at which you speak. (i.e. high school and/or college courses, time spent in non-English speaking countries, fully bilingual, bicultural, etc.) (Note: Because Sea Mar supports the education and employment of dietitians in clinics which serve a multi-cultural population, students who have taken Spanish language classes, or who possess language skills that would be beneficial in serving our client populations, are given extra points during the application process. However, it is not required that interns speak Spanish. We urge all students who have a strong passion and desire to work in community health to apply, regardless of language skills.)
- Applicants may be asked to participate in a telephone or personal interview.
- All applicants must participate in computer matching. Applicants should request instructions to prioritize their DI/AP4 preferences. Applicants should request this information from D&D Digital Systems early enough to allow turn around time for submitting by the postmark deadline. There is no charge for this material. However, there is a $50.00 charge for computer matching that is due with the applicant’s prioritized ranking. Requests should be addressed to:
D&D Digital Systems
Suite 301
304 Main Street Ames, IA 50010
http://www.dnddigital.com
- Program Costs:
Non-Refundable Application Fee $50.00
Tuition $5,000.00
Liability Insurance $35.00
ADA Associate Membership $49.00
Washington State Dietetic Association Annual Meeting approx. $70.00
Lab Coat approx. $35.00
Housing approx. $500.00/month
Food approx. $200.00/month
Books & Materials approx. $200.00
Transportation A car is necessary and students must arrange for their own auto insurance.
Medical Insurance Required. Intern’s responsibility - SMCHC does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, political ideology, marital status, Vietnam veteran status, or any disability.