Program Overview and Calendar

General Information 

• Program Length: 52 weeks
• Entrance Date: Program starts on the second Monday of June and the second Monday of October
• Class Size: 5 interns for each class (total of 10 interns per year)
• Work Schedule: Approximately 40 hours per week (5 days, 8 hours per day)
• Vacation: Each intern has 19 days of time off from the internship program (these days are used for sick days and all holidays that are on a weekday)
• Meals: Free meals and snacks
• Health Insurance: Interns are required to obtain their own health insurance
• Computer Matching: All applicants must participate in the D&D Digital Systems computer matching process. OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship code for matching is #326. There is a $50 process charge.
• Accreditation: The OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education and Nutrition and Dietetics.

Curriculum

There are 3 major sections of the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship. Interns have a wide variety of experiences, projects, and opportunities to prepare them to be an entry-level dietitian.

• Clinical Inpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy
• Community/Wellness/Foodservice
• Emphasis

Clinical Inpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy

There are 19 weeks of clinical inpatient nutrition which provides interns with hands on experiences in medical units including:

• Cardiac
• Regional Stroke Center and Neurology
• Rehabilitation
• Renal/Urology
• Orthopedics
• Oncology
• Intensive Care Units
• General Medical
• Children's Hospital-General and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
• Surgical

Community, Wellness, and Food Service

The 10 week rotation in community, wellness, and food service provides interns with the opportunity to gain experience through a wide variety of projects, observations, and outreach to the community such as:

• OSF Weight Management Clinic
• Adult and pediatric outpatient observations
• Cystic Fibrosis clinic-adult and pediatric
• OSF Outpatient Cancer Services
• Outpatient Perinatal
• TV and media relations
• Create an educational handout and poster
• Legislative letter
• Outpatient counseling classes
• Cooking demonstrations
• Recipe development
• Community agency program experience
• Menu Special Project 

Emphasis Curriculum

The unique 20 week emphasis curriculum provides diverse experiences to meet individual career goals and develop leadership skills. The curriculum is based on:

• Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Core Competencies
• OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Dietetic Internship Emphasis Curriculum Development Guide

The goal of the emphasis curriculum is to help dietetic interns develop individual, in-depth knowledge and skills necessary for future proficiency in dietetics. However, it is not intended to prepare specialists or advanced level practitioners as defined for credentialing purpose.

• Projects required during the emphasis curriculum include:

  • Counseling at Heartland Clinic - nutrition counseling at an ambulatory clinic
  • Nutrition Education Luncheon - professional presentation to health professionals for 1 CPE
  • Professional E-Portfolio and Resume Development
  • Clinical Experience - gain further MNT experience in your area of interest

• Other optional projects during the emphasis curriculum may include:

  • Eating disorders unit
  • Media projects
  • Inpatient and outpatient perinatal care
  • Corporate wellness
  • Nutrition presentations to the community
  • Food services & catering projects
  • Newsletter articles
  • Diabetes camp
  • School district education outreach
  • National Nutrition Month® activities
  • Participation in classes, seminars, and conferences*

* Participation is arranged according to the specific goals of the interns.

"The emphasis curriculum provided an opportunity to pursue areas of my interest and work toward my specific career goals."

Stacey Crutchley, RD, LD - Community/Outpatient Dietitian
2005 Graduate

Program Calendar

The following calendar is the same for both June and October start dates. The interns progress through the program from MNT to Community/Wellness and Food Service and complete the program in the Emphasis Area.

• 2025-2026 June Calendar (PDF)

Each intern is allotted 19 days off for vacation and sick time. Preceptor and director must approve days off, however, most preceptors not available on major holidays and desk days are required if interns do not want to take the time off.

Hours worked each week will vary based on the hours worked by each individual preceptor (i.e 7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or& 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

You will be expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week.