St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship Program

St. Cloud is located 65 miles northwest of Minneapolis with a population of 67,109, making it Minnesota's tenth largest city. St. Cloud Hospital is located on the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. It is a Catholic-affiliated, not-for-profit institution and part of the CentraCare Health System. The hospital has more than 5,000 employees, 400 physicians and 1,200 volunteers. It serves 690,000 people in a 12-county area.

Goal #1: The St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship will prepare graduates to become competent entry-level registered dietitians.

Objective #1: 80% of graduates will pass the registration examination on their first attempt.

Objective #2: 80% of graduates that seek employment will be employed in dietetics or a related field within 12 months of graduation.

Objective #3: 80% of internship participants will complete their dietetic internship within 55½ weeks for full-time interns and 88½ weeks for part-time interns (150% of internship length).

Objective #4: After 12 months of employment, 80% of employed graduates will rate themselves as prepared or well-prepared in performance.

Goal #2: The St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship will prepare graduates who demonstrate a commitment to putting the care of people above all.

Objective #1: 80% of employers will rank graduates as “meets expectations” or above in standards of patient/client/customer centered care 12 months post-graduation.

Outcomes data for the program objectives listed above will be available upon request. Please contact Dona Anderson at AndersonD@Centracare.com.

Requirements for Registration are established by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). The present eligibility requirements are described on the ACEND page of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website at http://www.eatrightacend.org/ACEND/ and include the following:

1. Complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally-accredited university or college and course work accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
2. Complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation, or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies.
3. Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Information about the examination can be found on the CDR website at www.cdrnet.org
4. Complete continuing professional education requirements to maintain registration.

In addition to the preceding requirements for registration, the state of Minnesota has a licensure requirement. Minnesota Statutes define licensure and states in 148.630 (a) No person may engage in dietetics or nutrition practice unless the person is licensed as a dietitian or nutritionist by the Board. No person may use the title “dietitian,” “licensed dietitian,” “nutritionist,” “licensed nutritionist,” or any other occupational title using the word “dietitian” or “nutritionist” unless so licensed by the board, nor shall any person hold out dietitian or nutritionist unless so licensed. Additional information is available at http://mn.gov/boards/dietetics-and-nutrition/. Several other states have licensure/certification requirements. For more information about licensure requirements in these states, see the state licensure agency contact list posted on the Commission on Dietetic Registration website at https://www.cdrnet.org/state-licensure-agency-list

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Membership Information: As an intern enrolled in an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship program, you are eligible for student membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Membership is required for the SCH DI Program. Membership benefits include career resources, information resources, educational opportunities, policy initiatives and advocacy, publications and subscriptions, science and quality and networking and promotion. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website at http://www.eatrightpro.org/ or contact the Internship Director if you have questions about how to apply for membership.

Cost to the student

Tuition	$9,200 made in two payments
Transportation (cost of vehicle, automobile insurance, mileage and parking fees)	Varies
Housing/living expenses	Approximately $1,300/month (average rent is approximately $760/month)
Computer software access	Varies though personal laptop is encouraged
Health costs (urine drug/alcohol screen, two step mantoux test, required immunizations, health insurance)	Approximately $500 for vaccines/tests (without insurance coverage) Health insurance cost varies
American Heart Association Basic Life Support Certification for Healthcare Providers	Approximately $75
Required texts	Approximately $200
Student membership	Approximately $60
Miscellaneous (lab coat, calculator, suggested texts, etc.)	Approximately $50
Suggested texts	Approximately $500
Non-refundable application fee	$40
DICAS and D&D Digital Fees	Approximately $100
Estimated total cost for full-time interns, not including transportation or health insurance	Approximately $23,010

Financial aid is not provided; it is the responsibility of each individual intern to cover the cost of the program. See the Student Handbook (PDF) for more specific information.

Admission into the SCH Dietetic Internship requires standards to ensure acceptance of quality students who are likely to pass the program successfully. These requirements, in addition to DICAS requirements, are listed below:

• Completed Dietetic Internship Supplemental Application (PDF)
  
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
• A minimum DPD GPA of 3.0 is preferred
• Three letters of recommendation (two from faculty and one from an employer or equivalent)

Upon review of submissions, Internship Leadership will select a number of applicants for an interview through HireVue, a video interviewing system. Applicants that are selected for an interview will receive an email during the week of March 11-15 to the primary email indicated in their application. This email will provide directions on how to complete the interview, which must be submitted within 5-7 days of date the email is sent.

We are looking for applicants with competitive GPAs, strong work and/or volunteer experience, excellent communication skills, self initiative and a strong interest in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

In general, the program is outlined as follows:

	Full Time Option (40 hours/week):	Part Time Option (24 hours/week):
Medical Nutrition Therapy	20 weeks	32 weeks
Community Nutrition	6 weeks	10 weeks
Food Service Management	8 weeks	13 weeks
Professional Development	1 week	2 weeks
General Orientation	1 week	1 week
Vacation	2 weeks	2 weeks
Total	38 weeks	60 weeks

See the Student Handbook (PDF) for more details of the program schedule.

Education is provided primarily through supervised practice experiences. Additional forms of learning are provided through lecture, written and group assignments, presentations and role playing. The majority of rotations take place within CentraCare Health hospitals and clinics with a variety of community nutrition and food service rotations taking place primarily in the St. Cloud area.

View sample program schedule (PDF)

The St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship Program uses the centralized application process, DICAS. See the website for specific dates and deadlines at http://www.eatrightacend.org/ACEND/content.aspx?id=6442485425.

Or, contact DICAS with further questions regarding this process:
Phone: 617-612-2855
Email: dicasinfo@dicas.org

D & D Digital is used for the matching process. See the website https://portal.dicas.org/ or contact D & D Digital for further information:

D & D Digital
3100 S Riverside Drive
P.O. Box 887
Ames, Iowa 50010
Phone: 515.292.0490
Email: dnd@sigler.com

Please send your application fee as a check for $40 paid to the order of the St. Cloud Hospital as well as your supplemental application form (not including the personal statement) and mail to:

Sierra Quarnstrom
Internship Manager
St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship Program
1406 Sixth Avenue North
St. Cloud, MN 56303

St. Cloud Hospital offers a second option to students graduating from the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in St. Joseph/Collegeville, Minnesota. These students may apply under the preselect option by the second Monday in January of the program start year. The SCH DI program admits up to four interns annually via this process. Please contact Dona Anderson at AndersonD@Centracare.com for further information.

Students are required to agree to intern contract requirements, see the St. Cloud Hospital Internship Contract for details.

Please see the Non Employee Student Requirement Form (PDF) to see what is required at least three weeks before starting the program. Paperwork should all be sent as one packet to:

Education and Training
Attn: Michella Frank
South Point
3001 Clearwater Rd
St. Cloud, MN 56301

Required information should be gathered as soon as possible since some information/immunizations may take several weeks to gather. Once all required paperwork has been received, you will be eligible to start and you will be contacted to confirm your eligibility to attend orientation. Late start dates are not accepted except in cases of intern medical emergencies. If all information is not received prior to three weeks before the start date of the program, students will forfeit the entire program.

Final official transcripts documenting final GPA as well as a signed DPD verification statement should be brought on the first day of the program or mailed to:

Sierra Quarnstrom
Internship Manager
St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship Program
1406 Sixth Avenue N
St. Cloud, MN 56303

The first payment of $4,000.00 is due no later than July 1st, as a check made out to the St. Cloud Hospital and mailed to Sierra Quarnstrom. The second payment of $4,500.00 is due no later than October 1st.

See the Student Handbook (PDF) for more details about the program.

All of the following are available as PDFs.

• Preceptor Handbook
• St. Cloud Hospital Injury Reporting Policy
• Educational Purpose of Supervised Practice Policy
• Internship Insurance Requirements Policy
• Reporting Concerns Policy
• Intern Rights Policy
• Verification Statement Policy

To graduate from the St. Cloud Hospital DI Program, the following criteria must be met:

• A minimum of 1328 hours of supervised practice
• Completion of all assignments and projects with a passing grade
• Completion of all evaluations and self assessments with an average score of “3” or better
• Confirmation of graduation readiness by the director of the SCH dietetic internship program

When it is determined that an intern has successfully completed the St. Cloud Hospital Dietetic Internship Program, a verification statement will be issued to them and a copy will be sent to the Commission on Dietetic Registration to alert them of the intern’s examination eligibility.