By: Maddie Cohen
Have you wondered what it’s really like to work in nutrition? Textbooks can only teach you so much. At a certain point, you need to step out of the classroom and into the real world of clinical assessments and dietary guidance. This is where research internships come in.
What are nutrition and dietetics internships?
Let’s start with the distinction between nutritionists and dietitians. While both professionals focus on food and its impact on human health, registered dietitians (RDs) and registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) have completed specific education requirements, supervised practice hours through accredited internships and passed a national exam. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, RDs and RDNs are food and nutrition experts who have met these rigorous standards. In most states, dietitians must be licensed to practice, while regulations for nutritionists tend to vary by state.
So where do internships come in? Nutrition and dietetics internships are structured, supervised practice experiences that bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. They offer hands-on training in different nutrition environments, with the aim of helping students apply what they’ve learned to practical situations.
These internships come in several forms:
- Opportunities built into bachelor’s degree programs
- Standalone dietetic internships that take place after graduation
- Combined master’s programs with integrated internships
- Research-focused fellowships for graduate students
- Specialty internship programs in areas like sports nutrition, eating disorders or public health
Each format offers unique benefits. The right internship for you will depend on your background and career aspirations, and on the general availability in your area.
“Anytime I speak to a group of grads or college students, I always like to mention that we were pushed from early on to not only get good grades, but to get involved,” said Madeline Glazos, RDN, LD.
Glazos has several years of experience working as a dietitian and completed her internship at M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she focused on medical nutrition therapy.
Why are these internships important?
Internships are far more than resume boosters. They help aspiring nutritionists and dietitians gain real insight into different specialties and become qualified professionals. Specifically, they help with:
Meeting licensing requirements
Most states require dietitians to complete supervised practice hours through an internship before they earn their license.
Building professional connections
Internships introduce you to professionals who may become mentors or even future employers.
Exploring specialties
Many different internship rotations can help you discover which aspects of nutrition or dietetics capture your strengths. “You get these different tastes of what your life could be like, because there are so many different areas that you can be in,” said Jillian Tholen, RD, LD.
Tholen completed her internship at The Emily Program with a specialty rotation in eating disorders.
Developing practical skills
Internships let professionals directly apply the same theories and concepts they’ve learned in the classroom. The idea here is that they give you both the credentials and confidence you need to excel as a nutritionist or dietitian.
They also, in many cases, influence where you work and how you approach your practice.
Where can I find internships?
To find the right internship, you need to be strategic and conduct a bit of research. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) keeps a directory of accredited programs that can help you compare opportunities.
Keep these things in mind during your search:
- University-affiliated programs may offer pre-select options for current or former students.
- Specialized internships reflect many different career interests, so review your options carefully.
- Factor your location preferences and potential relocation assistance into your internship application decisions.
To make an informed decision, you can also network with people who have connections to the programs you’re looking at. Many dietitians and nutritionists got their start by identifying their strongest interests first and then focusing on specific internship opportunities.
Tholen shared her take on the internship application process. Rather than applying widely, she recommends a more targeted approach.
“Personally, I focused on just a handful of opportunities. They all had different specialties, whether it was clinical nutrition, or integrative health or even food access,” Tholen said.
What to expect during a nutrition research internship
Most nutrition and dietetic internships follow a similar structure, with rotations through different areas of practice.
Core rotations
For clinical nutrition, you may work in hospitals or healthcare settings with patients who have different medical conditions.
“I spent my time doing rotations on every single floor,” Glazos said about her clinical experience.
Community nutrition rotations, meanwhile, focus more on public health initiatives and general education.
Tholen described the versatility of community rotations. “There was a food service and a WIC (Women, Infant and Children) program component, and then a community clinic that I got to shadow at,” she said.
Then, in a food service management rotation, topics include institutional food service operations, menu planning and management.
Specialty rotations
Depending on your internship program, you may be able to complete specialty rotations in areas such as:
- Sports nutrition
- Pediatric nutrition
- Eating disorders treatment
- Research
- Private practice
These specialty rotations can deeply influence your future career. According to the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), dietitians may pursue specialty certifications in areas like oncology nutrition, sports dietetics or pediatric nutrition after they gain experience.
“My specialty rotation in eating disorders was very formative for me and how I practice now,” Tholen said.
Typical activities
No two days are the same during a nutrition or dietetics internship. Aspiring professionals may:
These experiences expose you to different specialties and help you build a well-rounded skillset. They can be impactful in ways that classroom learning simply cannot replicate.
How to make the most of your internship
A nutrition or dietetics internship can be anything you want it to be. To make the most of your experience, keep the following tips in mind:
Be open to new interests
You may start an internship focused on a specific career path, but try to embrace the unknown. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dietitians and nutritionists work in a range of settings that include hospitals, government, nursing homes, clinics and cafeterias. This means there are many different career paths to explore, and you don’t always know what you’ll like right off the bat.
“I thought I wanted to work more on the medical side, in a hospital, doing mostly clinical work,” Glazos said. “But now I have a practice and do all outpatient.”
Still, Glazos shared that she’s grateful for the clinical experience she gained during her internship. “It really gave me a lot of anatomy knowledge, information about the full body, which I now use in an outpatient setting,” she said.
Network with intention
During your internship, you should plan to connect with professionals across different specialties. These relationships could lead to job opportunities later.
“I actually spent a lot of time as a nutrition assistant, and that was a really good networking piece,” Glazos said.
Tholen described how her internship led to a full-time role. “Maybe you intern somewhere, and you end up getting a job there, or they know who you are from being an intern when you apply. Then you have your foot in the door,” she said.
Seek feedback and mentorship
During your internship, actively request feedback on your performance and seek mentors who can guide your professional development.
Keep a journal or portfolio
Document your projects and accomplishments during your internship. This practice helps you prepare for future job interviews and further your own professional development.
Learn from every challenge
Internships can be real learning experiences, so shift your perspective as needed. Make an effort to see the difficulties as opportunities for growth.
Closing thoughts
Nutrition and dietetics internships connect your academic knowledge to real practice. They show aspiring professionals what the daily work actually involves and shed light on different specialties before it’s time to make a career decision.
“I think that the best thing these internships offer is a multitude of exposures,” Tholen said.
Glazos agreed. “If you can do an internship with a wide variety of experiences, it opens more doors. This will also give you a better picture of what you really want to do, because it could be different than what you initially thought,” she said.
For instance, you might begin your internship interested in working in a hospital, and then discover, like Glazos did, that your passions lie elsewhere. This isn’t unexpected; it’s actually a valuable part of the process. These practical experiences help you find your place in nutrition while still developing professional relationships.
Interested in learning more? Explore our nutrition and dietetics programs to find education paths that include memorable internship experiences.
