Interns during rotations will focus their time on the issues of “hunger,” “health,” “housing,” and “hope.”

• Hunger – Interns will address hunger of those in poverty by working in the Opportunity Center Food Bank and the Summer Feeding Programs. The internship schedule will include several clinical rotations including but not limited to cardiac, endocrinology, intensive care, oncology, pediatric, renal, surgical, and general medical.
• Health – Along with the clinical experiences, an outpatient counseling rotation will address health of the clientele using knowledge gained in the clinical rotations.
• Hope – Hope is manifested in education and gaining skills for employment. Dietetic interns will be instrumental in helping teach basic culinary and food service skills to a wide variety of people.
• Housing – Indirectly, housing will be addressed through intern involvement in teaching basic selection, procurement, and preparation of healthy meals for home use.

Culinary Certification

Students enrolled in the M.S. in Nutrition/Dietetic Internship can receive a culinary nutrition certification provided by “To Taste”, a company that provides courses for practical cooking skills, as well as a deeper dive into a variety of culinary nutrition topics. Owned and operated by chefs and registered dietitians, this certificate will focus on the scientific aspects of dietetics and explain the importance of preparing foods appropriately for those with dietary restrictions and sensitivities and for those on a budget. This unique addition to the program is offered to students completing the second year.

Interested students can contact nutrition program director Jennifer Gillin.

Uganda Missional Dietetics

Students enrolled in the M.S. in Nutrition/Dietetic Internship will have the opportunity to integrate academics and missional work by traveling and serving in a three-week mission trip to Uganda as part of the ACU’s Wildcats on Academic Mission (WAM) program. The cost of the trip is significantly discounted and mostly paid by the WAM program. Working alongside faculty members, six dietetic interns will collaborate with Hope Speaks, a nonprofit that brings hope and raises awareness for children with disabilities through speech therapy, education, and advocacy. These students will work with Ugandans suffering from speech pathology issues related to swallowing, work alongside the caregivers with thickening foods appropriately, be involved in the education of caregivers, and conduct nutrition assessments for research purposes.

Interested students can contact nutrition program director Jennifer Gillin.