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Admission Requirements

1. Verification Statement (or Declaration of Intent to Complete)

Submitted to DICAS by your ACEND accredited DPD Program Director This form demonstrates completion of your ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics requirements and it is important to let your DPD Director know EARLY that you are applying to Internships.  

When you are accepted to our Program, we require that you email us a copy iof the Verification Statement provided to you upon completion of your DPD Program.  This is a different Verification Statement that your DPD Program Director submits to DICAS on your behalf.

2. Bachelor's Degree or Higher - A MASTER'S DEGREE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR ANY INTERNSHIP CLASS

From a college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or a foreign equivalent. Transcripts are submitted through DICAS. If you are planning to start the Internship close to your DPD or undergraduate degree completion, you must confirm with your college Registrar that your Bachelor's degree will be posted to your transcript by the start date of our Orientation (see Calendar tab). If that is not going to be the case, please send us an email. All foreign degrees must be translated and evaluated by an agency approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. For a list of agencies, click here. For Applicants who have not yet completed the DPD Program, it is expected that last semester grades meet our program requirements, that is B or better in all DPD courses and C or better in all sciences. GPA 3.0. 

If you do not meet these requirements, you may be provided with remedial review material to complete before the start of the Internship.

3. Negative Background Check and Negative Drug Screen

All Interns will be required to undergo a comprehensive Background Check immediately after accepting a match to the program. Acceptance will be conditional based on the outcome of the background check. All Interns will be required to undergo a drug screen after acceptance into the program at a random date to be determined by the program, prior to the start of rotations. These background checks and drug screens may be repeated during the course of the Internship.

4. You must be a US Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident

This is a requirement of the U.S. Government.

Preference Will Be Given To Applicants With The Items Below

Competitive Grade Point Average and Grades

An overall undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher and grades of B or higher in all DPD Professional courses.

If you do not meet these requirements, you may be provided with remedial review material to complete before the start of the Internship.

Recency of Academic Experience

Preference is given to applicants whose education and receipt of DPD Verification Statement is not more than 5 years old.  If  your education and/or DPD verification statement is more than 5 years old then you should have dietetics related coursework during the past 2 years that includes MNT.  

Preceptors Identified by the dates listed on the Program Application - For second round applicants, contact us.

TWO Excellent References from Academic and/or Employment endeavors


Additional Insights

The Admission Committee welcomes insights into any obligations or challenges faced during your undergraduate years that may have impacted your grades or other circumstances. Please include this information in an OPTIONAL Personal Statement.

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

*understand that the committment to this Internship is a full time endeavor and requires significant work in addition to the 40 hours per week of supervised practice

*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.

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