Dietetic Internship
Welcome to the Cal Poly Dietetic Internship website! We appreciate your interest in one of the leading dietetic internships in the country. Our internship is housed in Cal Poly's Food Science and Nutrition Department and has rotation sites in two counties on California's Central Coast: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.
We are proud to have a 100% one-year pass rate on the Registration Examination for Dietitians.
Concentration: Wellness Promotion
Location and settings
San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly is located in the city of San Luis Obispo, a community of about 47,000, which is in an area of extraordinary natural beauty and the county is home to one of California's most popular attractions, Hearst Castle. San Luis Obispo has a delightful downtown with great dining, shops, nightlife, arts center, Mission Plaza, historical walking tours, world-class performing arts center, and many excellent wineries. Beautiful beaches are located only ten minutes away.
Santa Barbara
The internship also offers rotation sites in Santa Barbara, which is world-famous for its breathtaking setting. The dramatic mix of mountains, valleys, beaches, islands, and ocean defines its natural beauty. Santa Barbara has world-class performances of music, opera, dance and theater year-round. It is also one of the top five art colonies in the west. It has many restaurants, first-rate golf, tennis, polo, horseback riding, cycling, hiking, and many water sports.
Number of Interns
For the class of 2022-2023 we will admit ten interns; seven interns will be placed in San Luis Obispo County and three will be placed in Santa Barbara County.
Want to Learn More about the Cal Poly Dietetic Internship?
Please view one or both of the recordings of our virtual open house (houses?)
We provided detailed information about the program and the application process, and several current interns discussed their internship experiences and answered questions.
2022-23 Dietetic Internship Open House Details: TBD
2021-22 Dietetic Internship Open House recordings:
Dietetic Internship Open House video (Fall 2020) (1 hr, 40 mins, includes presentation and Q&A)
Dietetic Internship Open House video (Winter 2021) (1 hr, 20 mins) Click here to see the first two slides of the presentation where the interns introduce themselves. We began recording after the interns participating had introduced themselves.
The presentation topics were the same for both Open House sessions however the questions were different so keep that in mind when deciding to view one or both recordings.
We post insider tips and reminders about our application process as well as share lots of pictures highlighting our interns' experiences at their supervised practice sites and beyond.
https://www.instagram.com/CalPolySLODI/
https://twitter.com/CalPolySLODI
Check out the Cal Poly Dietetic Internship Blog!
Our interns share the inside scoop on what it’s really like to be an intern in the Cal Poly SLO DI!
https://calpolyslodi.wixsite.com/blog
Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
In order to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), individuals must:
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Complete a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree
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Complete required coursework and earn a Verification Statement from a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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Complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program
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Pass the national registration examination for dietitians administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)
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When applicable, apply for state licensure
Upon satisfactory completion of the ACEND-accredited, Cal Poly Dietetic Internship, interns are eligible to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and become active members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Interns that satisfactorily complete the dietetic internship and pass the Registration Exam for Dietitians meet the licensure requirements of all states with licensure because the RD/RDN credential is a national credential.
Refer to the state map provided by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to determine which states have licensure requirements.
For more information on the steps to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, please review the "Fact Sheet" provided on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.
