The Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship is a 41-week full-time program with a medical nutrition therapy emphasis. Experiences meet competencies and provide training for entry-level dietetic practice, and have been designed for the educational and supervised experience required to sit for the Commission on Dietetics Registration Exam for Dietitians. The full-time program accepts a maximum of ten interns annually.

Johns Hopkins Bayview is a full service, 426-bed community teaching hospital and continuing care facility located on a 1,000-acre campus in Baltimore, Maryland. Specialty centers of the medical campus include a wound care center, neonatal intensive care unit, burn unit, a continuing care facility, a Joint Commission Center of Excellence for bariatric surgery and oncology, alcohol and drug treatment center, and cardiac rehabilitation program.

JHBMC is part of the Johns Hopkins Health System. Rotations will also take place at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and will periodically be scheduled at other Johns Hopkins Affiliates in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region.

The Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the accrediting agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, 1-800-877-1600, ext. 5400. Learn more about the requirements and process to become a registered dietitian. Requirements for dietetics practice licensure vary by state. The dietetic internship curriculum meets state requirements for licensure/certification. State licensure is entirely separate and distinct from registration or certification by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Program Tracks

The Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship offers two tracks:

Track One: The Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship (JHDI)

• The JHDI applicants must have completed a Didactic Program in Dietetics (including verification statement) and a graduate degree (including official final transcript with conferral date) by the start date of the internship program.
• The JHDI also offers an Early Action option for students enrolled in the Bachelors of Science/Master of Professional Studies in Nutritional Sciences (BS/MPS) accelerated master’s program (IUG) at The Pennsylvania State University (PSU). B.S./MPS Accelerated (IUG) Program RDN Pathway Options | Penn State College of Health and Human Development (psu.edu)

The JHDI is a full-time, 41-week program, with a clinical emphasis, that will start in August and conclude in May of the following year.

Track Two: The Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship with concurrent MS in Clinical Nutrition: For Aspiring Dietitians at Rutgers University School of Health Professions (Rutgers SHP)

For Aspiring Dietitians at Rutgers University School of Health Professions (Rutgers SHP). Applicants for this option must complete a Didactic Program in Dietetics (including verification statement) and bachelor’s degree (including official final conferral date) by the start of the JHDI/MS Rutgers program. For more information, please visit the Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences website. Applicants accepted into this track will complete the Rutgers curriculum with the exception of the Clerkships/Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL). The supervised practice experience will be completed via the Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship.

Students will begin their graduate coursework through Rutgers starting in the fall semester, and begin the Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship in March. The Rutgers MS program is online with one day of virtual live, synchronous classes per week and up to three three-day in-person workshops on the Rutgers SHP Newark campus in March, June and December. This track is an excellent option for students interested in clinical nutrition to complete a master’s degree as required by CDR in a clinical degree program at a highly regarded university with a proven track record of educating strong nutrition professionals, along with supervised practice training at a world-renowned academic medical center in 16 months.

Program Mission, Goals and Outcomes

The Johns Hopkins Dietetic Internship’s mission is:

• To provide dietetic registration opportunities for qualified graduates of didactic programs in dietetics in preparation to become skilled entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists.
• To provide the highest quality training in the field of nutrition and dietetics through a strong, interdisciplinary training team.
• To promote the development of dietetic professionals who are able to embrace proven theory, evaluate current research, and communicate effectively to other health professionals, peers and the lay population.

The program staff and preceptors are committed to preparing graduates to become outstanding dietetics professionals. The following goals and outcome measures for the program have been established:

Program Completion Rate and Pass Rate on the RD Exam

The dietetic internship program has maintained a 99-percent completion rate since its inception in 2001. Over the past 5 years, 100 percent of graduates have taken and passed the RD exam; 100 percent of graduates achieved first-time passing score on the RD exam.

Outcome Data

Outcome data is available upon request.

Requirements

In order to begin the dietetic internship, all interns are required to undergo a criminal background check, drug screening, have TB clearance or provide a current lung x-ray, provide proof of immunizations, receive a flu vaccine and have a physical exam at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Occupational Health Department. A flu vaccine will be required in the fall of the internship. These are provided free. The student will follow the Johns Hopkins Medicine policies and procedures relating to COVID-19, including, but not limited to, vaccines and use of personal protection equipment. Clearance will be determined by the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Human Resources and Occupational Health Departments.

In addition, health insurance, car insurance (if using a car during the internship) and an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) student membership are required.

Expenses

Tuition for the internship is $10,000, payable in two installments during the year. A $5,000 deposit of the program fee shall be paid by June 1, preceding the start of the internship. The remaining $5,000 shall be due no later than July 15. All fees are non-refundable and subject to change.

The program does not participate in Title IV Federal Financial Aid.

Additional expenses are estimated as follows:

Interns are required to have internet access for email communication, homework and projects, access to shared documents, meetings, and other daily supervised-practice activities. It is recommended that trainees have their own personal computer. However, adequate office space and computers are provided on campus and are available at all times for any distance component of the program.