Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice

Something I am going to reference often here, the Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice is an amazing source for not only choosing where to apply for an internship, but also for information that can help you tailor your application to the schools where you're applying.

My undergraduate program director supplied all dietetics students with a digital copy of this guide, but other directors may not do the same. If the guide isn't posted online in your program, ask your director where you can find it. Some may only have a physical copy, so taking a look at it before application time could be in your best interests, to ensure you have ample time to get all of the information you need.

A page of the Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice looks like:


Some highlights to check out are:

- Program type at the very top: If you're looking for or to avoid a master's degree, this will be one of the first places you may want to look.

- Starting month and program length: Programs can be as brief as 6 months, or longer than a year, and start at a wide variety of times. If you're going to have time constraints, this is crucial info.

- Number of openings versus number of applicants: This is a great way to gauge how competitive entry into an internship is. If there are only a few spots and over 100 applicants, that internship is likely in very high demand.

- Concentration: If you don't want to unknowingly do an internship in an area like Alaskan Native Culture, for example, make sure a program's concentration aligns with the type of education you want.

- Costs and benefits: Internships can be expensive. This spot will give you an indication of how much an internship may cost, and if it's one of the few programs that offer a stipend.

- Admission requirements: This is a big one. The sooner you get this information, the more time you'll have to prepare to meet those requirements. Crucial info to look out for here: GPA, GRE and work/volunteer experience.

- Evaluation of applicants: This is the area I mentioned yesterday. Internships rank what they place the most value on here. For example, if you have little volunteer experience and a program ranks that #1, you may want to reconsider how good your odds of matching are.

- Application due date: Most programs require applications postmarked by the D&D Digital due date, but some have different requirements. If you don't check this you could accidentally send your application in late.

If knowledge is power, the Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice can help strengthen your chances of successfully being matched to an internship. You can use the guide to improve your chances of being accepted to a program, and to decide which program(s) to apply to.

Source(s): Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice. (2009).