Why Choose Priority Nutrition Care's Distance Program?

Save Money, Stay Close to Home, Plan for the Future

The average cost of an apartment and associated costs in cities across the US is significant. In Boston, the average rental is in the $2000 per month range, making it near impossible to afford rent and Internship tuition. Staying close to home with your family or friends makes it possible to avoid increases in your living expenses for the duration of the Internship and have their very valuable support.

Several Payment Options to Fit Your Needs

While loans are available through banks, they are typically not available in a timely fashion unless they are secured in advance.

Please see Payment Plans under Our Program/Program Costs tab on our Homepage.

Get Credit for Prior Learning & Experience (PAL)

We participate in PAL or prior assessed learning. You may shorten your time in the Internship based on learning acquired during your qualifying work or life experience.

Optional Master's Opportunities

We have carefully curated and developed some optional opportunities for our Interns who wish to pursue Master's Degrees after their Internships. We have partnered with the following institutions who offer Programs which will give our Interns consideration either financial, through discounted tuition or time and financial through the award of credits.

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science offers our Interns a 15% tuition discount on any one of six online Master's Programs.

University of Houston online Master's in Nutrition. Successful completion of our Internship qualifies you for up to 12 credits toward their degree.

We are in the process of seeking similar relationships with other educational programs for or Interns.

If you are currently in a Master's program and completion of a Dietetic Internship is required for your degree, our program will fill that requirement in 6 months or less.

Small Internship Culture, Weekly Online Meetings

Although we are accredited to accept 143 Interns per year, we continue to model our Program on our first three small classes of 30 Interns each. We found this class size perfect to allow relationships, professional and personal, to flourish. You will have a weekly meeting with your dedicated RDN program coordinator and a weekly meeting with your small group team members.

Make Connections

Staying in your community gives you the opportunity to showcase your talents and set yourself up for future employment or learn about and work on potential employment opportunities, rather than having to start from scratch upon returning home after completing a program for which you had to relocate. You will be able to network close to home.

Priority Nutrition Care has now graduated over 600 Interns, more than many Internships have graduated in 40 years combined. This allows us to draw on a network that encompasses the entire country.

Flexible Scheduling and Nontraditional Settings

Contrary to popular belief the Clinical Rotation does not have to be completed in a hospital. The primary focus in the clinical rotation is the Nutrition Care Process and Medical Nutrition Therapy. The skills associated with these responsibilities are transferrable. Due to decreasing lengths of hospital stays (LOS) over the last several years, the decrease in RDN staffing in hospital settings and the availability of post hospitalization treatment in acute care rehabilitation settings, we find that there are more opportunities for clinical rotations in short term medical rehabilitation facilities. 

7-Week Elective Rotation

The Elective Rotation at the end of the Internship will provide you with several options. You may deepen your experience in the clinical, community or food service areas, participate in an entirely different aspect of any one of those areas or venture into an entirely different area in our field. Opportunities that may not be appropriate in other rotations, such as 7 weeks in a Dialysis Unit, an inpatient eating disorder program or WIC (if you have not previously worked with WIC) would be approved for the Elective rotation.

Business Focus

Our Program has a focus on Business that is valuable in all areas of our field.  Assignments and projects that are considered at or beyond entry level are completed throughout the program, such as clinical nutrition management, sustainability and business plannning.

Orientation

Our orientations are online. You will not be required to come to Boston. at any point during the Internship. This may save you in excess of $1000-$1500 in travel and housing expenses.

Exam and Job Search Coaching

From the first week of the Internship, we work with the very successful Jean Inman Program. In preparation for a two day live webinar given by Jean Inman MBA, RD, exclusively for our Interns, our Interns work with the written course content. At Orientation, we will introduce you to our Career Coach who will in turn introduce you to skills you may practice during the Internship that will enhance your future job search.