The University of Virginia Health System Dietetic Internship Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education and Nutrition in Dietetics (ACEND). The program is a 9-month clinically-focused internship with an emphasis in both pediatrics and nutrition support. The rotation experiences and class days provide interns with over 1000 hours of supervised practice and 250 didactic training hours. Note: the UVA Health Dietetic Internship will close as of 12/31/2026.
UVA Health will continue to serve as a supervised training site for dietetic interns and students in affiliated programs. For more information on our affiliated programs, please reach out.
A typical week for an intern or student includes four days of rotation (32 hours per week) and one class day or independent work day.
All students and interns begin the program with an orientation to UVA Health and the surrounding area. Interns are expected to follow the daily schedule of their assigned preceptor or team. This will vary rotation to rotation, but in general, interns will be in rotation for 8 hours between 7:30 AM and 5:30 PM The majority of rotations will take place in-person; however, rotations may also include telemedicine and virtual learning opportunities. Clinical rotations may require pre-work &/or knowledge from prior learning experiences.
Any student or intern completing supervised practice complete paperwork verifying immunizations. These requirements are set by UVA Employee Health and are subject to change based on policy updates. As of August 4, 2023, the primary COVID 19 vaccination will no longer be required. UVA Health continues to recommend primary COVID 19 vaccination and boosters for healthcare workers (including dietetic interns). Interns will be required to receive the annual flu vaccine in the fall. Interns and students must submit official health records for required vaccines and/or titers prior to the start of their program.
Interns and students must also complete drug testing and background checks. Of note, UVA Health released the following statement “Although Virginia law now permits the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and the use of cannabis by people 21 and older, UVA’s policies regarding cannabis usage and testing are not changing. UVA will continue to comply with federal law, which prohibits all use, possession, and/or cultivation of marijuana at U.S. educational institutions. Individuals found in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate personnel sanctions up to and including termination."
All interns and students should have a laptop and cell phone (iphone 12 or newer) that meets minimum HIT requirements. For virtual experiences, interns should ensure laptop and/or cell phone is capable of joining sessions via both microphone and video.
Students and interns are responsible for their own parking (commuter parking pass or other transportation). UVA Health commuter parking is available at Fontaine Research Park with shuttle service available.
For more information on various aspects of the program, click on the tabs to the right or feel free to contact us.