Before you apply
Before applying to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Dietetic Internship program, you must:

• At a minimum have a baccalaureate degree by the start of the Internship
• Have completed the DPD requirements by the start of the Internship
• Meet the recency of education outlined below by the start of the Internship
• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 from the baccalaureate program

Applying
Please review these application instructions carefully. Applications may be rejected for incompleteness or non-compliance with directions.

The application packet must include the following documents, assembled in the order indicated below.  Please note that all documents mailed for the application process become the property of University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Dietetic Internship Program and will not be returned.

1. Application fee (non-refundable)
Enclose a check or money order for $50 payable to “University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.”

2. Application Checklist
Complete the 2009 Application Checklist form.

3. Contact Information
On a separate piece of paper, please have the following information word-processed:

• Your name
• Telephone number, e-mail and mailing address where you can be reached, if necessary, on the appropriate notification and/or appointment day (Jan. 28 and 29, 2010 for the preselect process or April 5 and 7, 2010 for the computer-matching process)

4. Letter of Application
Application packet must include a letter of application. The letter should be word processed, double-spaced on standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper, no longer than two pages, and should address the following areas:

• Reason(s) for applying to this program
• Reason(s) for career choice in dietetics
• Short- and long-term professional goals
• Internship expectations
• Strengths you bring to the program and skills which need further development
• Professional and community service activities which demonstrate leadership, teamwork, self-direction and interpersonal skills

5. Application Form
Complete the Dietetic Internship Program Application form (Microsoft Word file - Please open/save and fill out the application in Word), Revised July 2005 edition prepared by The American Dietetic Association

6. Letters of recommendation
Three Letters of Recommendation are required:

• Two from professors in the department where you complete your DPD program
• One from a recent employer or, if you have not been employed, from a dietetics professional familiar with your skills.

Use the ADA Waiver and Recommendation Form. Original signatures are required.  Submit completed recommendation forms in sealed envelopes with the signature of the appropriate professional on the flap.

7.   Transcripts
Official transcript(s) from all colleges or universities attended.  Do not open the sealed envelopes.

Recency of education:
Additional courses or continuing education in dietetics or a related area are required to update a degree which was completed three or more years prior to registration eligibility application. Courses taken to satisfy the requirements must be completed at a U.S. regionally accredited college or university. Official transcript(s) verifying completion of the course(s) with a grade of “C” or better must be submitted to the Internship Director. Only courses completed within the last five years are acceptable. Courses in Medical Nutrition Therapy and Food Service Systems Management are preferred.

The number of credits required if DPD was completed more than three years prior to the application deadline is outlined accordingly below:

• 3-5 years since DPD completion: 3 semester hours required
• 5 - 10 years since DPD completion: 6 semester or 9 quarter hours required
• 10-plus years since DPD completion: Meet current ADA DPD requirements with no fewer than 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours. A verification statement signed by the Program Director and completed within three years of application deadline must be submitted

If applicable, complete the “Recency of Education Form” and include it in the application packet. The transcripts verifying these courses must be included as well.

8. DPD requirements of the school

9. Verification statement
Application packet must include an original “Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree” or “Verification Statement” signed by your advisor.

Mailing Your Application Materials
If you are participating in the Preselect Process, the completed application packet must be mailed as one unit postmarked no later than Jan. 4, 2010. To participate in the standard Computer Matching Process, applicants must mail their completed application packet as one unit postmarked no later than Feb. 16, 2010.

Completed application packets should be sent by priority mail. Mail completed packet to:

Shyamala Ganesh, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Director, Dietetic Internship Program
Nutrition Services
University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview
2450 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN  55454

Computer-Matching Process
With the exception of the Preselect Process for Computer Matching at select and preapproved Dietetic Internships, applicants to Dietetic Internships must participate in computer matching.  Applicants request instructions and a mark/sense card to prioritize their Dietetic Internship preference from any ADA-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics or from D&D Digital Systems.  The code number (to be used in the mark/sense card) for the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Dietetic Internship Program is 348.  This request should be made to allow turnaround time for submission by the Feb. 16, 2010 postmark deadline. There is no charge for the material; however, there is a $50 charge for computer matching that is due with the applicant’s prioritized ranking.

• What is computer matching
• Your responsibilities
• Pre-select and computer-matching deadline flow chart

To request computer matching or for more information:
D&D Digital Systems
304 Main St., Suite 301
Ames, IA  50010
E-mail: dnd@netins.net

Selection Criteria and Notification

Scholarships
The American Dietetic Association Foundation (ADAF) offers a variety of scholarships to dietetic interns. Contact ADA (800-877-1600, ext. 5400) or check their website www.eatright.org/scholelig.html for further information.

Contact Information
Shyamala Ganesh, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Director, Dietetic Internship Program
Fax:  612-273-0066
sganesh1@fairview.org
612-273-3219