Dietetic Internship
FAQs
What can Ingalls offer an intern?
How many registered dietitians are at Ingalls?
What is a typical week for an intern at Ingalls?
Where do interns live during the internship?
Are graduates of the program able to pass the ADA Registration Exam and find employment after graduation?
Does Ingalls provide graduate credit?
What can Ingalls offer an intern?
Ingalls is a large modern community hospital with many specialized rotations including renal, oncology, gastrointestinal/surgical nutrition, cardiology, pediatrics, enteral, and parenteral nutrition. Because of the breadth of our facility, most of the learning experience can be completed at Ingalls. This allows the intern stability in a physical location to learn in-depth the areas that are being taught.
The staff has a high level of expertise which is utilized by the medical staff. For instance, diets and enteral feedings are primarily managed by dietitians.
Our food service system is modern and provides skills necessary to work as qualified managers. Activities in the units will allow you to use your creativity in areas such as recipe development, team development and employee education.
Ingalls has been recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals in US News & World Reports for the past seven years! Ingalls has five Centers of Excellence—cardiology, oncology, neurology, orthopedics, and retinal vascular disease.
The diversity of people is another selling point of Ingalls. The hospital serves a community of many socio-economic levels and cultural backgrounds, providing learning experiences in the counseling and education of patients and employees in these populations.
Our affiliations and field experiences also give you an opportunity to see and work in other food service and clinical systems.
Special practice is a unique opportunity to spend time in an area of dietetics that best meets the goals of the individual intern. Examples include business, international dietetics, public health, or specialized medical nutrition therapy.
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How many registered dietitians are at Ingalls?
Ingalls employs fifteen dietitians—8 clinical dietitians, 2 administrative dietitians, the dietetic internship coordinator, and 4 dietitians in the diabetes and wellness centers.
Clinical dietitians are responsible for patient care including nutrition assessment and education. They are a critical part of the medical team and act as nutritional consultants to the medical staff of Ingalls Hospital.
Administrative dietitians along with food service managers are contracted with the ARAMARK Food Services. They operate the patient and non-patient food services utilizing tools and techniques of the largest food service management company.
Dietitians in the Diabetes and Wellness centers counsel patients and teach classes. The manager of the Diabetes Center is a Certified Diabetes Educator.
Other dietitian preceptors are located in our affiliations at a Food Service Quick Chill operation, Pediatrics practice site, Out Patient Renal Dialysis Center, and Parenteral Nutrition sites.
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What is a typical week for an intern at Ingalls?
One day a week is designated as formal class time. This day will consist of seminars, workshops, lectures, and tours at Ingalls and other facilities. Some of these programs will be held with other Chicago area internships.
Hours each day will vary depending upon the rotation. You will usually be scheduled to work the same hours as your preceptor. A typical schedule in the clinical area would be 8 AM – 4:30 PM. Administrative rotations will vary depending upon the learning experience. You will be working some week-ends during the program—primarily during administrative staff relief. Homework assignments are completed in addition to the time spent in the units.
Interns will either begin in the food service or clinical nutrition rotations and then switch.
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Where do interns live during the internship?
Many interns live with friends or relatives and commute to the hospital. Those interns who need to rent housing in the area usually share apartments. Information on living areas and interns needing roommates will be provided after you have accepted an appointment at Ingalls.
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Are graduates of the program able to pass the ADA Registration Exam and find employment after graduation?
Yes. Our graduates have successfully passed the CDR Registration examination and all graduates of our program have found employment in dietetics after graduation. We are very proud of this record.
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Does Ingalls provide graduate credit?
Graduate credit can be obtained while completing the internship through Rosalind Franklin University. They offer a degree in Nutrition Education or Clinical Nutrition. More information can be obtained at www.rosalindfranklin.edu.
This online degree would be in addition to the requirements of the dietetic internship which are intense. Students choosing this option should be academically solid and highly motivated. If graduate credit is your goal, Ingalls will work with your schedule to arrange Special Practice time to work on graduate studies. Tuition for this program would be paid separately.
Because this program is offered online, it can be completed anywhere, even internationally, after the completion of the dietetic internship.
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