Dietetic Internship Curriculum & Rotations

Nutrition Education Curriculum

Rotations in the Dietetic Internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provide a strong nutrition therapy experience with a broad range of diseases and conditions. See below for details of each of our main curriculum areas.

Inpatient Clinical

Dietetic interns collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to provide nutrition care to a variety of medical and surgical patients. They develop skills in nutrition assessment and intervention, including nutrition-focused physical exam, diet education, and various modalities of nutrition support. During their clinical rotations they treat patients with cancer, organ failure, heart disease, and more. They have the opportunity to work with patients as young as newborns, as well as adults of all ages.

Ambulatory & Community Nutrition Services

Under the supervision of our RD specialists, dietetic interns gain counseling skills in multiple clinics during their outpatient rotation. They apply their skills in the areas of general nutrition, weight management, diabetes, GI, oncology, cardiovascular health, and more. They’ll work closely with patients during their 4+ weeks of counseling practice, navigate sessions from start to finish, negotiate and set goals with patients, and educate individuals on therapeutic diets.

In addition, interns have the opportunity to spend time at both Community Servings, Inc. and the Bowdoin Street Health Center.

Food Service Management

The interns gain hands-on experience working alongside food service managers within a large food production operation. They will assist in all areas, including patient meals, purchasing, production, and retail management. Interns develop skills in menu planning, food production and distribution, quality control and improvement, safety and sanitation, fiscal management, and human resource management. The flagship project during this rotation includes planning and executing a special menu for the cafeteria.

Pediatric Focus

In partnership with Boston Children's Hospital (BCH), we have the capacity to provide a pediatric focus for 1 or 2 interns. This alternate experience allows an intern to spend up to 10 weeks in the pediatric setting, in place of some specialty rotations at BIDMC.

Please note, matching to the BIDMC internship does not guarantee placement in the pediatric focus. There is an internal application process managed collaboratively with our BCH colleagues. This happens in the summer, once the incoming intern class is confirmed.

Plan-Your-Own Rotation Option

Dietetic interns have a unique opportunity to plan a rotation geared towards a particular interest. Interns have found this a great way to explore a specialty area or industry that they would not otherwise get the chance to experience as an intern. Below are some recent examples of plan-your-own rotations our interns have done

Class days are held on most Mondays throughout the internship and offer interns valuable time to connect with peers, work on projects, and build presentation skills in a supportive environment. Please note these are non-credit classes.

BIDMC-hosted sessions feature guest speakers from across the hospital, including registered dietitians, physicians, medical interpreters, nurse specialists, and social workers. Dietetic interns also have opportunities to present on various topics, gaining confidence in public speaking and peer education.

Some Mondays are designated joint class days, bringing together all Boston-based dietetic interns for theme-based sessions. These events provide a unique opportunity to network across internship programs and explore specialized topics in nutrition.

Joint class days are sometimes held virtually. Interns may participate from home if they have their own computer and a reliable internet connection, or attend onsite at BIDMC using hospital-provided technology.

Sample joint class day topics may include: