Student Workshop on Applying for
Supervised Practice and/or
Graduate School
Food & Nutrition Programs
Youngstown State University
Supervised Practice
•Dietetic Internships
•Coordinated Program in Dietetics
APPLYING TO CPD
CPD Director – Dr. Jeanine Mincher
CPD Requirements
• You may apply to CP if you:
1. Have completed all the pre-requisite courses on the
DPD curriculum sheet. These are designated by a
black bullet next to the course name.
2. If you have completed the DT program. You may get
credit for Foodservice and Aging Supervised Practice.
3. If you have completed the DPD degree. ACEND
prefers application to CPD before DPD is completed.
Application Process
• Annually, applications for CPD are available the week following
Thanksgiving. They may be obtained from the secretary of the
Human Ecology Department or downloaded from the CPD webpage
accessed through the YSU website.
• CP Applications are due February 15th, annually:
– Completed application
– Medicals - Physical Exam by physician
– Proof of Health Insurance
– References
– Handwritten letter if interest
– Background check/Fingerprinting
– Video
Successful Application
• Letter of Interest Handwritten
– Many facilities still
have medical charts
with handwritten
notes – yours must be
legible.
– Use a black pen
– Avoid blotches or
scratching out,
wrinkles, etc.
• Video
– Your video should emphasize
your strengths, which support
your interest in CPD.
– avoid just filling time with weird
facts
– Script yourself so you don’t
forget or stumble over content
– Dress professionally
– Avoid giggling
– Avoid a busy backdrop
Successful Application
• References
– Do use professionals
who know you well –
minister, supervisor at
job or volunteer site.
– Provide a list of your
accomplishments to help
them write your letter.
– Do not use family
members or spouses.
• Medicals/Health Insurance
– CPD rotations are
strenuous and require
stamina – good health or
well-managed diseases
are important.
– Practicum sites may
expose you to health
risks so health insurance
coverage is necessary.
Successful Application
• Background Check/Fingerprinting/Drug Testing
– Facilities require these for anyone who comes into contact
with medical patients, children, the elderly or other
protected groups.
– You can get fingerprinted at any police station.
• Electronic fingerprinting and background checks take
less time usually than Ink fingerprinting, but both may
take a significant length of time to process.
– A Criminal Background check will search any convictions
the individual may have had.
– Drug Testing - a urine drug test is adequate
Characteristics of Successful Applicants
• Completion of prerequisite courses from an accredited
program.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major.
• Transfer students must have an overall GPA ≥ 3.0, and ≥ 3.0
in the major coursework. Transferred credits will be
evaluated by the Admissions Office and by the CPD Director.
• Graduates from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics
must submit a valid Verification Statement.
• Availability of resources for the student to carry the required
course load as scheduled – money or flexible job.
• Dependable transportation to clinical sites.
CPD Class
• 12 Students are accepted to the CPD Junior class every Fall
semester.
• Applications are reviewed by three preceptors from supervised
practice sites and YSU faculty (Mincher, Pohle-Krauza,) who
evaluate all admissions materials.
• Acceptance is granted to applicants whose abilities, preparation,
and personal characteristics predict the greatest likelihood of
succeeding in the program and becoming successful
practitioners.
• Students accepted into the CPD will receive notice of acceptance
on March 31st annually.
• You must write a letter accepting or refusing your place in the
CPD class within 2 weeks.
Continuing the CPD
• Retention in the program requires the maintenance of a
minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Students shall be evaluated each semester to assure
steady progress:
– Performance in coursework
– Performance at preceptor sites
• Professionalism
• Knowledge and application
• Skill building
APPLYING TO DIETETIC
INTERNSHIPS
Dietetic Internship
• DI’s are in short supply
– 244 ACEND accredited internship facilities nationwide
take between 1 and 12 interns, annually.
– The number of DPD graduates applying (~, far 6000)
exceeds the number of internships (~2500) available.
– Read the guidelines very carefully – complete a mock
application on paper first so you have all the
information ready – the site is not user-friendly!
– Your application must be perfect – you cannot correct
errors once you submit your application through the
electronic DICAS portal.
Dietetic Internship
• The process is imperfect
– First Match takes place in February
– The Matching system does not automatically re-match
students who do not match the first round.
– Students who do not accept their matches are not
removed from the system so vacancies are not
published.
– Students who do not match may re-apply for 2nd round
matching in November
What are the ACEND approved Dietetic Internships?
Dietetic Internship
• If you plan to apply to a program that
uses DICAS, you will need to submit the
application through DICAS at
https://portal.dicas.org
• Create your own userid and password.
Computer Matching
• Computer matching is one part of the process necessary
to obtain an appointment to most DIs.
• AND has contracted with D&D Digital Systems to
facilitate matching through a computerized process.
• An applicant is "matched" with the highest ranked
program that offers the applicant a position.
• In this way, computer matching helps applicants to
obtain a position in the DI of their choice and helps DI
programs obtain the applicants of their choice.
Computer Matching
Computer Matching
Applicants
Matched to
2056
Internships (50%)
Positions
Filled DI
Positions
Not
Matched to
Internships
Unfilled DI 139 (6%)
Positions
2064
(50%)
Data on the April 2009 First-Round Match
2056
(94%)
Application Phase
• Applicants are responsible for obtaining current
application materials from the Dietetic Internships (DI).
The basic steps in this process are:
• Obtain current application materials from selected DIs at
least 6 months prior to the computer match in February
and November annually. Please note that DI application
forms are not available on the AND Web site or from
AND staff. You must get all required application
information directly from the DI programs.
• Discuss application materials with your Didactic Program
Director if you need help.
Application Phase
• If required (DI+Master’s programs), apply to take Graduate
Record Examination (GRE).
• Obtain the Declaration of Intent to Complete form or a
Verification Statement from your Didactic Program Director. One
of these standardized forms is provided by the Didactic Program
Director and is required as part of the DI application materials.
• Request references from advisor/faculty/employers and order
official transcripts as needed for each DI application.
• Complete each DI application according to instructions provided
with the application and submit the materials to the DI director
by the designated deadline date.
• Questions about completing applications should be referred to
the DI Director.
Application Phase
• Provide current telephone number(s) with applications where you
can be reached on Appointment Day. Also an alternative
permanent email address in case your YSU email is deactivated
after your graduation.
• Send all materials before the postmark deadline and by receipted
mail for proof of mailing date and delivery. Enclose a selfaddressed stamped postcard if you want to be notified of receipt
of the DI application from the program.
• Applicants must register on the D&D Digital Web site, pay the
$50.00 computer matching fee with a credit card and submit their
prioritized list of selected dietetic internships online to D&D Digital
before the designated deadline dates (Refer to Dates for the
Computer Matching Process for each appointment period).
Application Phase
• Applicants should call D&D Digital prior to the
deadline if they do not receive an e-mail with
login information.
• If you do not receive a match, you must register
with D&D Digital for each Spring (Feb) and Fall
(Nov) computer matching period.
APPOINTMENT PHASE
• Applicants who receive a computer match DI
appointment are responsible for accepting or rejecting
the match by telephone or fax by 5:00 pm (of the
program’s time zone) on Appointment Day.
• Applicants who submitted a Declaration of Intent to
Complete form with their DI applications must obtain a
signed DPD Verification Statement from their DPD
Program Director and official transcript documenting
completion of the bachelor’s degree before they may
begin the DI.
COMPUTER MATCHING PHASE
• Applicants are responsible for notifying D&D Digital, in
writing, of a decision to withdraw from the
matching process if circumstances will prevent them
from accepting a match that may occur.
• Applicants are responsible for telephoning D&D Digital if
they cannot access the D&D Digital Internet site to view
their personal matching results on Notification Day
IMPORTANT APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITIES
• Participants in the computer matching process are expected to
adhere to the results of the match and accept a match that may
occur. It is unethical to decline a match in order to pursue
appointment to another program.
• Programs with open positions will be posted on the D&D
Digital Web site the day following Appointment Day.
Applicants who do not receive a computer match must not
contact any program with open positions until the day following
Appointment Day. This allows the DI programs time to confirm
acceptance from their matched applicants and determine the
process they will use to fill open positions.
DI/Graduate Degree Combinations
• Some DI’s are combined with Master’s degree.
• When applying for these combined options, you must
also complete the graduate application requirements as
specified by the individual program*
* See Graduate School application section of this
presentation.
ISPPs
Individualized Supervised Practice Pathways
What are ISPPs
Individualized Supervised Practice
Pathways (ISPPs) have been developed
along with preceptor recruiting efforts to
give students more options for educational
experiences that will make them eligible to
sit for the registration exam.
ISPP Options
• ACEND policies for Individualized Supervised
Practice Pathways (ISPPs) allow:
– graduates who did not match to a dietetic
internship, but who possess a DPD verification
statement.
– individuals holding a doctoral degree without
a DPD verification statement to apply for an
ISPP
Finding an ISPP
• Students interested in applying to an ISPP should :
– Research the eligibility requirements of the program
where they intend to submit an application, and if you
are required to locate your own preceptors,
– Contact the program director.
– Individuals with work experience should also inquire
whether the program grants credit for specific
competency requirements through an assessment of
prior learning.
APPLYING TO GRADUATE
SCHOOL
Common Grad School Requirements
• Transcripts
• GRE or other standardized test scores (GMAT, MCAT,
LSAT, etc)
• Letters of recommendation
• Admissions essay(s), also known as a personal
statement
• Optional
– Graduate Assistantship applications
Transcripts
• Official transcripts – sealed
and sent directly from the
Registrar’s office to Grad
School Admissions
• Take some graduate courses
if you are sitting out a
semester after you
complete your undergrad
program.
• Many Graduate Programs
have a GPA requirement.
• Choose graduate credits
that are likely to transfer.
GRE admission test
Study for it – there are preps, some free and online or you may purchase printed
or CD study materials. It lasts 3 hour 45min and is taken on computer
Analytical Writing - Tests ability to communicate complex ideas in a concise and
effective way, evaluate claims and evidence, support ideas using logical
reasoning and relevant examples, and use standard written English to prove an
argument
– 2 Essays (an "issue" essay, an "argument" essay) 40 minutes for each essay,
80 minutes total
Quantitative - Problem Solving, Quantitative Comparison, Numeric Entry
(arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data interpretation)
– 2 Sections: each section approximately 20 Questions, 40 min each
Verbal - Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence
– 2 Sections: each section approximately 20 Questions, 30 min each
GRE Scores
• Verbal and Quantitative
sections, the score
range is 400 to 1600
• Analytical Writing
section, the score range
is 130 and 170
• Desirable score is set by • Desirable score is set by
the grad school - > 50 or
the grad school - > 50 or
> 60th percentile etc.
> 60th percentile etc.
Nutrition or Other
• There are Master’s degrees and Doctoral degrees in many areas
of Nutrition – they offer concentrations in specific areas of
nutrition such as:
– Animal nutrition, Human Nutrition, Clinical nutrition, Community
nutrition, Culinary nutrition, Food science, Food Systems Management,
Exercise Science & Nutrition, Wellness, etc.
– There are over 350 graduate programs offering degrees related to
nutrition
• http://www.gradschools.com/search-programs/nutrition/
– There are combined DI/Grad degree options
• http://www.eatright.org/cade-di/
Graduate degrees - Good matches with nutrition?
– Medicine
– Pharmacy
– Physical Therapy
– Communication
• Media
– Business
– Psychology or Social
Work
– Facility Design
– Anthropology
– Food Chemistry
– Public Health
– Epidemiology
– Gerontology
– Management
Timing
• Entering in the Fall or
Spring semester – plan
your graduate
admissions tests and
other application
materials to meet
deadlines
• Apply for graduate
assistantships – some
pay tuition as well as a
stipend.
• Minority scholarships –
to increase minority
enrollment in graduate
education.
Further Graduate Studies?
• If you plan to do a PhD,
try to choose a Master’s
degree program, which
requires a Thesis. This
will better prepare you
for a Doctoral
Dissertation.
• There are Clinical
doctorates in Nutrition
and Dietetics – the
emphasis here is on
disease management
and research in clinical
practice.