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Dietetic Internship Program

Welcome

There is continued awareness that people's dietary patterns contribute to their quality of life. Studies have shown that people’s susceptibility to chronic disease is influenced by their diet and environment. Dietary-influenced chronic disease is observed in all communities and disproportionately affect communities that are economically compromised. The Lehman DI provides opportunities for future Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to work with a variety of communities and life cycle stages. Located in the north Bronx, the Lehman DI has facilities/sites for supervised practice in NYC, Westchester, Rockland, and Fairfield Counties. Lehman College is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion with the diverse population it serves on and off campus.

The Lehman DI offers a well-rounded program with rotations in foodservice management, community and research, with a concentration in medical nutrition therapy. Since 2019 we added two new community rotations -- Sustainability and Teaching Kitchen. In exploring the food sectors and local food systems, interns learn to incorporate new ways to reduce the risk of chronic disease on a community level. In addition, the interns get to explore the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) LuEsther Mertz Library, the Edible Academy, and the NYBG grounds as part of this new "future of food" curriculum though a special consortia agreement between Lehman and the NYBG.

Our 2023-2024 Dietetic Internship Class represents Lehman College, Simmons University, Teachers College, and the University of Northern Colorado.

We accept up to 14 interns per year. Beginning 2024, interns will need a MS degree to be able to sit for the CDR exam.

Students applying from a DPD or Master’s program other than Lehman
If you are:

  • already enrolled in a M.S. program, or
  • already have a M.S. degree:

Review Intern Handbook (page 6) for course requirements and course sequencing.

Pre-Select Option for Lehman students
Lehman students have the option to apply to the Lehman DI as Pre-select students. Up to seven Lehman students of those who apply may be selected for Pre-select. The benefit is that students may either begin or continue the Lehman MS Nutrition Program, with spots held for the Lehman DI in their second or third year. Review the following pathways:

Pathway 1: Lehman DPD students with a B.S. degree and have not started a M.S .degree program: Lehman DPD students with a DPD Verification Statement or DPD Letter of Intent can choose a Pre-select Option to apply to the DI which will allow them to begin the M.S. Nutrition graduate program in the first year and complete the DI in the second year along with the M.S. degree.

Pathway 2: Lehman M.S. Nutrition students who have started a M.S.. degree at Lehman College: Lehman students who have a DPD Verification Statement and completed 9 or more credits can apply for the Pre-Select Option. These students continue with the M.S. degree on a part-time basis in the first-year of the Pre-select and complete the DI full-time along with the M.S. in the second year.

For Pre-select Option, application deadline is January 15th. Apply to the Lehman DI through DICAS and D&D Digital. Students will be selected on February 1st, 2024. Review Intern Handbook (page 5) for course requirements and course sequencing.

To learn more about the Lehman DI, MS degree requirements, and the Pre-select Option (for Lehman DPD and MS degree students) attend an Open House session on Fri., Dec. 1, 2023 from 1-2pm or Mon., Jan. 8, 2024 from 6-7pm via Zoom.

Zoom meeting details:
https://lehman-cuny-edu.zoom.us/j/83037425591?pwd=N2dISFAvWS9BR2RmWUVEMWhlRkMxZz09
Meeting ID: 830 3742 5591
Passcode:706051

Refer to the eatrightpro.org website for future match dates for dietetic internship programs.

Lehman College is located in the northwest Bronx at:
250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx NY, 10468
Lehman College Map and Directions

Accreditation
The Dietetic Internship Program has been granted continued Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. ACEND® can be contacted by:

Email: ACEND@eatright.org
Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
Address: 120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995

For complete information about our DI Program, including our policies, please refer to our Intern Handbook

Interns graduate when they complete the Dietetic Internship and submit a graduate degree with a master’s degree confer date. At that time, intern graduates receive a Dietetic Internship Verification Statement. Graduates proceed to sit for the CDR credentialing exam ("Registration Examination", "RD Exam"). Exam requirements are set by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Information about the exam can be found on the CDR website.

After passing the CDR Exam, registered dietitians may apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, to become a Certified Dietitian/Nutritionist in the State of New York - Office of the Professions

In most states, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here.