Hey y’all, hope everyone is doing well. I know this week has been a very tough one for me emotionally. Don’t forget to reach out to those around you and check in with each other. Today on the blog, I’ve got another dietetic internship to share: the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Internship Basics
The University of South Florida dietetic internship offers a twenty-month internship attached to a Masters of Public Health (MPH). The online MPH part of the program begins in May, while the internship begins in August. This program accepts 6 students each match period and only participates in the spring match. Overall an average of 20 people apply per year, which means on pure numbers alone you have a 30% chance of acceptance.
USF’s 42-credit MPH degree comes with a concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics. If you apply to the internship, you must apply to the MPH at the same time. MPH coursework focuses on nutrition from a public health perspective. This includes classes in nutrition and dietetics research, the history of public health, and population assessment.
University of South Florida Rotations
Concentration
Like every internship, USF offers rotations in clinical, foodservice, and community settings. However, the school also has a population health, leadership, and service concentration. This makes sense because of the tie to the MPH program. USF emphasizes this concentration because the skills and ideas you’d learn from those rotations will be useful in any dietetics setting in your future.
Hospital Rotations (Clinical and Management)
For the most part, rotations are in the general Tampa area. According to an example rotation list, an intern would spend much of their time at Tampa General Hospital for clinical rotations like critical care, surgery, and staff relief; food service and management rotations, and advanced population health rotations through the hospitals’ TGH Wellness department.
Tampa General Hospital wouldn’t be your only location as an intern. If you’re interested in specialized clinical care, USF offers rotations in that too! All Children’s Hospital would give interns a chance to work in a pediatric care setting. For interns curious about working more with oncology patients, they might work at Moffitt Cancer Center.
Public Health Rotations
Public health rotations might include time with agencies such as WIC and the Health Department, the Dairy Council, Meals on Wheels, Feeding Tampa Bay, and USF Student Health Services. Additionally, the list of possible agencies includes an entrepreneur rotation. To me that indicates working with a private practice dietitian or in a food/nutrition-related start-up. However, the example schedule didn’t provide any more details. Finally, besides working at TGH Wellness, interns would have the chance to explore advanced population health through work at the USF Diabetes Center.
Study Abroad Trip
One other unique way this internship explores their concentration is through a one-week study abroad trip. During their second summer, interns will spend time in Panama to learn and participate in public health initiatives. This includes lectures from local authorities and visits to clinics, schools, and facilities in Panama.
Why Choose the University of South Florida Dietetic Internship?
The University of South Florida Dietetic Internship’s mission is “to prepare graduates for evidence-based practice, as entry-level registered dietitians to meet the public’s health-related challenges in the communities they serve.” Therefore, based on that statement and what I’ve read, consider if USF is right for you if you…
- Want a well-rounded internship experience that reflects all parts of being a dietitian
- Would like to focus on community settings
- Want to learn about public health from both US and international perspectives
- Are interested in a MPH
- Would like to live in Florida
Resources
Interested in learning more about USF and their dietetic internship? Here’s some websites that I sourced for information or found useful!
- University of South Florida Dietetic Internship main page
- Application specifics
- A sample rotation schedule for one semester
- Finally, the USF Dietetic Intern handbook
Interested in the University of South Florida Dietetic Internship? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
