Application Instructions

There are two tracks: the YNHH Dietetic Internship only (for those who will have completed an MS and DPD prior to the start of the internship OR those who have completed a BS/DPD and are concurrently enrolled in a graduate program at an another accredited university as long as the Master’s degree will be completed by the end of December of the calendar year in which the internship begins in January and the applicant’s academic advisor certifies that they are in good academic standing, on track to complete the degree in this timeframe, and can reasonably do so while meeting the requirements of the typical schedule in our full-time dietetic internship) and the YNHH Dietetic Internship with concurrent Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition Program in affiliation with the Rutgers School of Health Professions (Rutgers SHP) for up to 5 interns. 

Separate applications are needed to Rutgers SHP and the YNHH internship (via DICAS) for those pursuing this track.

Fully completed applications are required by the Jan. 15 deadline for both tracks (and also to Rutgers SHP if pursuing the MS/internship track). 

Admission requirements for Rutgers SHP:

1. SHP application.
2. Resume or CV.
3. Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 from Bachelor of Science (BS) and all prerequisites.
4. Two letters of recommendation from professors or academic advisors.
5. Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions.
6. BS degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university; international students must provide Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing (IELTS) scores and international transcript evaluation records.
7. Verification statement from an ACEND didactic program in dietetics.
8. Personal statement (up to 750 words) with short- and long-term career goals. See further details at Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with our Clinical Nutrition Masters Program (rutgers.edu). Rutgers has created a dedicated link for applicants to the YNHH DI/Rutgers track (do not apply to Rutgers via DICAS for this YNHH DI/Rutgers track). Please go to: Program Detail | Graduate and Professional Admissions (rutgers.edu) and click the "Apply Now" button under the table on the right, then "Create an Account." You will choose "MS in Clinical Nutrition for Aspiring Dietitians, Yale New Haven Hospital Agreement (MS) RBHS" as the program you're applying to.

GREs are not required to apply to YNHH dietetic internship or Rutgers SHP. We prefer that students have completed their DPD and science coursework requirements within the past 5 years.

International Applicants

• Application deadline: January 15, 2025. Access the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) at dicas.liaisoncas.com. The online application must be completed by January 15, 2025.
• Also using DICAS, please write a personal essay, answering the specific YNHH questions below, in the order listed, rather than the generic DICAS essay. Limit your essay to 1,000 words or two pages. Your essay will be evaluated on the basis of composition, clarity of thought, and ability to respond to the questions asked.
  
  
  • Describe your path to choosing dietetics and nutrition as a career
  • What factors played a role in you applying to YNHH’s DI?
  • Discuss some of your strongest qualities and give examples of how they have made you successful.
  • What are your areas of improvement and how have you worked on these?
  • How will a clinically focused internship support your career goals?
  • What accomplishment are you most proud of?
  • AND encourages inclusion, diversity, equity and access (IDEA) by striving to recognize, respect and include differences in ability, age, creed, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, size, and socioeconomic characteristics in the nutrition and dietetics profession. Can you give a personal example as to how your background or identity influences your nutrition habits? How you would assess and intervene to provide nutrition care to someone of a different background than your own?
  • What is one piece of information not included in your application that you’d like us to know?
    
    
• Please fill out each section of the DICAS application completely. Do not assume that your resume will be reviewed for additional information if not included in your application.
  
  
• Recommendations: When completing the application form, you must include the name and contact information with an email address for each reference. This will trigger an email request to your contacts to complete a reference form online. Typically, your advisor/program director, another professor and an employer/coach/practicum supervisor are used as references.
  
  
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since high school must be sent to:
  

  DICAS
  Transcript Department
  PO Box 9118
  Watertown, MA 02472

  DICAS accepts electronic transcripts. For more details, visit the DICAS portal.
  
  You will need to send separate original transcripts to Rutgers SHP if you are applying to the MS/YNHH internship track. Please note that international applicants must obtain an official evaluation of their transcripts by a recognized transcript evaluation agency such as World Education Services (WES) or similar transcript evaluation service unless applicants have a degree from an accredited U.S. college or university. International applicants must take the TOEFL or IELTS and achieve a minimum score of 550 or higher on the TOEFL or 6.5 or higher on the IELTS. 
  
  
• A separate program application fee is not required for 2025 applicants.
  
  
• Interviews:
  
  YNHH Internship track: We will schedule a face-to-face virtual interview with applicants in consideration for our D&D match list. Please ensure that your email address and phone number in DICAS are accurate in the event that we need to contact you to set up an appointment time.
  
  YNHH Internship/Rutgers MS track: Applicants in consideration will be scheduled for 2 separate  face-to-face virtual interviews with Rutgers and YNHH selection committees. The decision to rank applicants for matching via D&D Digital is made jointly by Rutgers and YNHH.
  
   
• All applicants will be notified no later than March 1 of their acceptance status (either accepted, waitlisted, or denied).
• Students have until no later than March 15 by 5 pm ET to accept their offer.
• The program will offer any open positions to students who are on our wait list following first round completion.
• Notifications will continue until all program spots have been filled and/or the program has exhausted their list of waitlisted applicants.
• After the Spring application acceptance period, any remaining positions may be filled on a rolling basis through the DICAS
  portal. More information will be available in DICAS and via this website.

Acceptance of Appointment:

Applicants who have been notified of acceptance to the YNHH Dietetic Internship will notify us of your decision on or before 5 pm EST on the designated appointment date of March 15. The program is not obligated to hold a spot after these dates and time.

Contact:

Lisa Mastroianni, MS, RD, CDN
Director, Dietetic Internship
Phone: 203-688-8822
Fax: 203-688-2412
Email: [email protected]

Include your contact phone number if faxing appointment acceptance. Confirmation of receipt of acceptance will be via phone or email.

As a professional courtesy to assist programs in communicating opportunities to other students, all applicants who accept their appointment to the YNHH Dietetic Internship should notify other programs to which they applied of their decision.

Reminder: applicants for the Rutgers MS/YNHH internship track need to apply separately to Rutgers SHP by Jan. 15, 2025. 

Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with our Clinical Nutrition Masters Program (rutgers.edu). Rutgers has a dedicated link for applicants to the YNHH DI/Rutgers track (do not apply to Rutgers via DICAS for this DI/Rutgers track). Please go to: Overview | Graduate and Professional Admissions and "Create an Account" under Application Fast Links on the left panel. You will choose "Clinical Nutrition - Entry Level (MS) RBHS" as the program you're applying to.

• Partner Programs Pathway:
  
  Students completing the Master of Science in Human Nutrition DPD Plus Partner Dietetic Internship track at Drexel University or the accelerated  Master of Professional Studies in Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University will apply via dedicated DICAS pages for YNHH DI/Drexel MS and YNHH DI/PSU MPS and following all application instructions specified below. The Internship Selection Committee will review applications, interview, rank applicants and submit the ranking to the Program Directors by a designated date (see below). Four internship slots at Yale New Haven Hospital Dietetic Internship are reserved for Drexel students and three internship slots are reserved for Penn State students applying in this manner, following the procedures and timelines below.
  
  Drexel Partner Program Application Process
  
  1. Drexel will identify Partner Internships (including YNHH Dietetic Internship) to qualified students who are enrolled in their MS Plus Partner track during the fall semester of the program.
  2. The applicants will apply to Partner Internships via DICAS no later than Jan. 15. Applications will include the following components: a) transcripts, b) resume, c) personal statement (program-specific questions), and d) minimum of two recommendations via DICAS no later than Jan. 15.
  3. The Yale New Haven Hospital Dietetic Internship Selection Committee will review applications, complete an interview, and submit ranking of the applicants to the Drexel DPD Director by Feb. 15. Applicants will similarly submit ranking of internships to the Drexel DPD Director by the designated due date.
  4. Drexel will release the results of the selection process to Partner Internships and applicants no later than Feb. 22, and selected applicants will contact the Partner Internship no later than March 15 to accept the appointment. Drexel students who are accepted into the YNHH Dietetic Internship must contact the program director by email or phone (203-688-8822) by March 15 by 5 p.m. EST to accept their appointment.
  
  Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Partner Program Process
  
  1. PSU will identify Partner Internships (including YNHH Dietetic Internship) to qualified students who are enrolled in their accelerated MPS in Nutritional Sciences program during the fall semester of the program.
  2. The applicants will apply to Yale New Haven Hospital Dietetic Internship via DICAS no later than Nov. 15. 1. Applications will include the following components: a) transcripts, b) resume, c) personal statement (program-specific questions), and d) minimum of two recommendations.
  3. The Yale New Haven Hospital Dietetic Internship Selection Committee will review applications, conduct interviews, and submit ranking of the applicants to the PSU Program Director no later than Jan, 21.  Applicants will similarly submit ranking of internships to the PSU Program Director no later than Jan. 28.
  4. PSU will release the results of the matching process to Partner Internships and applicants and selected applicants will contact the Partner Internship no later than March 15 to accept the appointment. PSU students must contact the program director of YNHH Dietetic Internship by email or phone (203-688-8822) no later than March 15 by 5 p.m. EST to accept their appointment.