Frequently Asked Questions

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, as a final option, 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. 

What type of applicant is Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship 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.

Will Priority Nutrition Care find Preceptors and Rotation sites for me ?

NO, it is your responsibility to locate all preceptors. This is a primary tenet of 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. The extent to which it appears that you have made that effort will be important in how we view your application. 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 significant time--- 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.

My potential Preceptor is requesting a copy of the Affiliation Agreement /Contract before agreeing to precept me. Can you provide one ?

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.

My potential Preceptor is requesting a copy of the syllabus before agreeing to precept me. Can you provide one ?

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.

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.

I got my Verification Statement several years ago I have questions about what courses I will have to take to satisfy requirements concerning the recency of education requirements.

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.

I did not do as well as I would have liked in my DPD Program and my GPA was not what you would prefer. I have been working in the field for many years and I have subsequently been awarded a Master's Degree. Will this improve my chances of being matched ?

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 close to 600 Interns who go to a variety of sites, we cannot describe a typical day. They are all different.  The expectation is that Interns will be doing what their preceptor is doing, but at a pre entry level.

Could you provide me with a list of Preceptors in my area ?

We do not provide contact information for potential Preceptors unless you are already matched to our Program.  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.