WILL PRIORITY NUTRITION CARE FIND PRECEPTORS FOR ME ?
NO, it is your responsibility to locate all preceptors.
CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO FIND PRECEPTORS OR SITES - THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD LOVE TO PRECEPT BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED.
FINDING ONE'S OWN SITES IS SOMETHING MOST INTERNS LIKE TO DO. Priority Nutrition Care's business model and has been since the origination of our Program. The Internship has the final decision on whether a particular Preceptor is appropriate. Due to confidentiality and privacy issues PNCDDI will not provide names and contact information of previous preceptors or interns.
Finding preceptors for the required rotations may take a little effort--- just like a project for a college class or a job. You must be prepared to make phone calls and ask others for appropriate contacts.
Our contracts/affiliation agreements are legal documents that originate in the office of our law firm and we are unable to provide them until an Intern is accepted to our Program. They are standard agreements typical of those used in most Internships.
Our syllabus is constantly under revision as are most syllabi in any kind of academic program. As such, and particularly due to the adjustments required by the pandemic, we do not provide our syllabi until an Intern has been enrolled in our Program and one month in advance of each rotation.
My Preceptors want to know what I will be expected to do at their site. What should I tell them ?
We have developed our curriculum in such a way as to allow the Intern to fully participate in the regular activities of the particular site that they are at. In short, the Intern should be doing what the preceptor is doing, albeit at a pre-entry level.
WHAT WILL MY SCHEDULE BE LIKE ?
You will be at your site full time Monday through Thursday, only when your Preceptor is present and at your desk full time on Fridays for the 25 weeks (full time) or 38 weeks (part time) (1000 hours) of the Internship. You should plan to work the same schedule that your Preceptor works on the onsite days.
WHAT TYPE OF APPLICANT IS PNCDDI LOOKING FOR ?
Priority Nutrition Care is seeking applicants who are most likely to successfully complete the PNCDDI program.
These applicants:
*have clearly thought out their reasons for applying to a distance dietetic internship
*have thoroughly studied the characteristics and requirements of Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship and know what about our Program will make them a good fit
*are detail oriented
*are able to organize their own calendar to ensure they meet all required deadlines – such as for application materials, acceptance and onboarding materials and requirements, assignments and projects
*are able to meet all deadlines with no exceptions
*can communicate clearly and in a timely manner; ie: respond to email messages with 12-24 hours
*accept responsibility for all their own actions.
Should I have my Preceptor fill out the Preceptor form now ?
It is wise to have your preceptors complete the Preceptor Information form as soon as possible as this is our proof that they have agreed to precept you.
WHAT IF I CAN'T FIND A PRECEPTOR ?
After an Intern has been accepted to Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship, the program may assist with this requirement, after the Intern provides evidence of having exhausted all reasonable attempts to secure a preceptor, per instructions that will be provided by the Internship. The individual will be required to provide documentation of all potential contacts and their specific responses. Following review of the Intern’s documentation, the program may provide suggestions for additional contacts.
Since we consider your entire application and not just parts of it, we cannot advise, prior to your application, as to whether your current situation meets our requirements.
Since we consider your entire application and not just parts of it, we cannot advise prior to your application as to whether your graduate work or experience demonstrates that you have closed the gaps created by weak performance in your DPD Program.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY FOR AN INTERN ?
SINCE WE HAVE HAD OVER 1000 INTERNS WHO HAVE ROTATED THROUGH A VARIETY OF SITES, WE CANNOT DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY. EVERY DAY IS A NEW AND DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THE INTERN WILL BE DOING WAHT THE PRECEPTOR IS DOING ALBEIT AT AN ENTRY LEVEL.
COULD YOU PROVIDE A LIST OF PRECEPTORS IN MY AREA ?
We do not provide contact information for potential Preceptors unless you are already matched to our Program and at that point only when we see that you have attempted to secure preceptors on your own. Preceptors have not given us permission to give out their contact information. If we did that, Preceptors would be overwhelmed by applicants calling or emailing and this would create a real problem for them.
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) is the accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) or Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered. (NDTRs) Priority Nutrition Care's Distance Dietetics Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400. https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend