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Introduction
Students planning to become Registered Dietitians need to
complete an ADA approved or accredited Dietetic Internship
after graduation from ASU and prior to taking the National
Registration Exam.
Increasing the chances of being a successful applicant to
a Dietetic Internship begins in the first year of college
by working to obtain and maintain the best possible GPA, acquiring
extensive volunteer experience, being active in student organizations
and working closely with dietetics faculty. Professional behavior
is a must.
The first step in the actual process of applying to dietetic
internships is to carefully review the current edition of
the Directory
of Dietetics Programs-Accredited and Approved. The Directory
is updated and published each year by the American Dietetic
Association (ADA). A copy can be obtained from the Dietetic
Program Director's office and a copy is also listed in full
text on the ADA website (see link above).
How Do I Apply to Dietetic Internships?
There are two components to the application process.
First, you must request and complete application
form and packages for each Dietetic Internship (DI) or Pre-professional
Practice Program (AP4) for which you plan to seek admission.
The second component is the computer matching
process. By mid-Novemeber Dietetics Program Directors receive
computer matching information from D&D Digital Systems,
the company that handles the computer matching process for
ADA: you must obtain this information from your Program Director,
complete, and return it to D&D. (D&D Digital Systems,
Suite 301, 304 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010-6148, phone:
515-292-0490).
What Is Computer Matching?
Computer is a matching program that serves as a clearinghouse
to help applicants obtain Dietetic Internship positions of
their choice and to help Dietetic Internships obtain applicants
of their choice. It eliminates unfair pressures and premature
decisions on and by programs to accept or reject applicants
and it eliminates unfair pressures on applicants to accept
or reject an appointment into a Dietetic Internship. ADA has
contracted with D & D Digital Systems to facilitate matching
through a computerized process.
How Many Programs Can I apply To?
Students may apply to as many programs as they wish. They
will need to to rank all programs they apply to in order of
preference on a computer card they then will submit to D &
D Digital. The card includes information about you, such as,
name and social security number, as well as your order of
preference of Dietetic Internships. The computer "reads"
the information on the card and uses this information to match
applicants and programs.
Who Decides Which Individuals Are Accepted to the
Program?
Each Dietetic Internship reviews its own applications and
like students submits a priority listing of applicants to
D & D Digital Systems, along with the number of positions
they have to be filled. Computer matching does not change
the applicant's or program's selection process so you will
not be matched to a program whose name does not appear on
your priority listing.
What Process is Used for matching?
Before matching begins, the applicant priority lists and the
Dietetic Internships lists are "cleaned." If a program
does not rank an applicant, that program will be removed from
the applicant's list. If an applicant does not rank a program,
the applicant is removed from the program's list. Then, the
matching process takes place using the applicant's prioritized
list and the programs' prioritized list until all possible
matches are complete. The process is explained in detail in
the "Instructions to Applicants" booklet provided
by D & D Digital Systems to directors of dietetics programs.
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Human
Ecology 