• The Lagniappe Wellness Dietetic Internship (LWDI) is housed within the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (NDORI) at the Medical City at Tradition located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. NDORI’s mission is to make a visible difference in Mississippi by improving healthcare, addressing disparities, and providing world-class, innovative education and research to prevent, treat, and cure diabetes and obesity.
• Onsite track interns will receive substantial training in the LWDI concentration of Obesity and Diabetes Prevention and Treatment at NDORI headquarters. Distance interns will receive the same preparation while benefiting from learning modules, case studies, lectures, and webinars developed with NDORI’s Registered Dietitians. (Refer to http://www.NDORI.org for more information on NDORI.)

LWDI offers interns unparalleled preparation throughout the internship by seasoned faculty experienced in the distance model. Program highlights include:

• Full time or part time program during which interns will complete 960 hours of supervised practice and 40 hours of orientation and refresher assignments
• Emphasis in obesity and diabetes prevention and treatment, a practice area requiring increasing numbers of RDNs
• Pre-orientation case studies, readings, and other assignments to be administered on the LWDI Intern Portal following interns’ acceptance into the program
• Online orientation with synchronous and asynchronous activities in the three major domains as well as the program’s emphasis on obesity and diabetes prevention and treatment
• Creative, out-of-the-box immersion in the focus area including submissions to the LWDI blog “Food for Thought” and monthly discussion board participation
• Didactic content review administered through RD Boot Camp through out the internship, including mixed content area quizzes, flash cards, videos, practice exams, and a Mock RD exam to be completed at the end of the internship.
• Didactic class on Obesity and Diabetes focus area taught by Certified Diabetes Educator credentialed Program faculty
• Faculty mentors available for evening and Saturday guidance
• Option for concurrent enrollment in 3 masters partnerships, which allows for eligibility for federal financial aid

• Onsite Option: Students who select the on‐site option will be completing their Dietetic Internship rotations on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast at the NDORI campus and at program-identified sites elsewhere in the state and region.
• Distance Option: Interns who choose the distance option are responsible for securing their own rotation sites and preceptors for all supervised practice experiences. LWDI faculty are available, however, to provide guidance during this process and can be contacted at mscott@lagniappewellness.com
• Preceptors will be evaluated by the Program Director for appropriateness via the Preceptor Qualifications form. Additionally, each rotation must have a signed Preceptor Agreement form and a Proposed Rotation Schedule form submitted and approved by the Program Director prior to the start of the program. All forms are available on the LWDI Mandatory Application Forms page.
• Distance Education Requirements: To be successful in a distance program, interns must work well independently and will be expected to communicate effectively in person and via technology. Interns in both tracks will participate in virtual exchange of information and as such will be required to have competence in the use of technology including email, scanning and uploading documents, Zoom Video Conferencing, Google Suite learning platform, etc. Interns must possess a laptop or desktop for these functions including camera/video capability for Zoom conferencing. All forms, evaluation, quizzes and exams will be completed and submitted electronically.

• Pre-orientation and Orientation (40 hours): Interns will complete 80 hours of readings, webinars, case studies and simulations before the start of rotations in September.
• Foodservice Management rotation (200 hours): Interns will gain experience in a variety of settings including but not limited to hospitals, long term care facilities, schools and colleges, and corporate food service operations. Experiences in this rotation will begin with orientation and observations of procedures in the diet or management office and progress to include day to day food service operations and maintenance and operation of food service equipment including safety and sanitation procedures. Once interns demonstrate a general understanding of operations, they will expand on that knowledge and progress to budgeting, quality assurance and monitoring, recipe and menu development cost and analysis, and human resource management. By the end of the rotations, interns will function as staff relief with minimal supervision.
• Community Nutrition rotation (200 hours): This rotation should occur at sites where nutrition education and community based nutrition services occur to diverse cultures, ethnicities and age groups such as senior centers, grocery stores with nutrition programming, childcare organizations, SNAP, WIC, Meals on Wheels, or Corporate Wellness. Examples of activities in this rotation include but are not limited to conducting a community/organization needs assessment, develop and deliver educational materials and activities, provide nutrition screening, education and counseling, and participate in advocacy for populations served. Initial activities will be observational and basic and will progress to more complex activities with increasing levels of responsibility, culminating in one week of staff relief with minimal supervision in the independent provision of nutrition educational programming and basic program management.
• Medical Nutrition Therapy rotation (400 hours): The Medical Nutrition Therapy rotation (360 hours) allows interns the opportunity to work with clinical dietitians who provide care for patients in a variety of settings and at all levels of nutrition risk. The MNT rotation can occur in facilities including but not limited to hospitals, medical centers, clinics, long term care and sub-acute care facilities. Interns will utilize the Nutrition Care Process, ADIME notes and PES statements in their practice. Each intern will work closely with his or her preceptor initially observing and participating in screening and lower acuity patient care and progress to participate in nutritional assessment, education and implementation of nutrition care process care plans in acute inpatient and long-term care clinical facilities. After initial exposure to basic patient care, the interns may also work with outpatient dietitians to provide nutrition education, counseling, and other interventions in health promotion and disease prevention for patients and clients needing medical nutrition therapy. Populations will include diverse cultures and ethnicities across the life span, including maternal, infant and child, adult and elderly patients. Interns will work with the following diseases, initially with common disorders and progressing to more complex medical states as listed below:
  • • Overweight and obesity
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Endocrine disorders
    • Renal disease
    • Malnutrition
    • Gastrointestinal disease
    • Respiratory disease
    • Cancer
    • Critical care and post-operative
  • Interns will be required to have at least two weeks which include critical care toward the end of the rotation when they have had sufficient acute care experience and have demonstrated the necessary foundation to advance. The final week of the MNT rotation will be clinical staff relief experience which will allow the intern to function as an entry-level dietitian and perform the normal daily workload and tasks of a dietitian in that setting.
  • Throughout the rotation, interns should have opportunities to participate in patient care rounds working with interprofessional teams in order to cultivate collaborative practice in patient centered care and present in-depth case studies on complex patients to target audiences as assigned by preceptors.
• Outpatient Emphasis rotation (160 hours): The Outpatient Emphasis rotation (240 hours) includes additional didactic material to be administered via the Google site and Zoom video conferencing in addition to providing interns the opportunity to gain supervised practice experience in an outpatient setting focusing on, but not limited to, a patient population with obesity and diabetes. Interns will have achieved competence in the Nutrition Care Process and will expand their practice to include concepts and strategies adopted by the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Diabetes Educators, including diabetes self-management education training (DSMET). This final rotation will culminate in the virtual presentation of a case studies to the intern class which will provide additional exposure to a variety of cases and an opportunity for peer evaluation by the audience.

We now grant credit for prior learning.

It is the policy of the LWDI to grant credit for prior learning to interns who can provide documentation of  compensated work experiences that comprise the same types of learning experiences as required by the ACEND  competency statements in particular rotation areas.

• Prior learning credits may be granted when there is a minimum of 6 months FTE paid work experience and evidence from a supervisor that all competencies from the rotation evaluation for that rotation have  been met. A rotation evaluation form must be completed and submitted to the Program Director for  review in order for the credit to be granted.
• Applicants who are credential dietetic technicians with 6 months clinical work experiences will be granted  credit for one half of the MNT rotation.
• PAL may be granted for MNT, foodservice management, or Community Nutrition rotations.
• Only one rotation will be replaced by approved prior learning.

The request for prior learning credit consideration and all associated paperwork must be submitted prior to  program start date. Application and all supporting documentation, available upon request, must be submitted prior  to the start of the internship. Final determination of assessment of prior learning is at the discretion of the  internship director.

For more information, contact Robin at rschenk@lagniappewellness.com

The mission of LWDI is to train graduates to become entry level RDNs who are proficient in the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes and who are committed to health promotion through their own lifelong learning.

Goal 1: Prepare graduates to become competent entry level RDNs who value professional growth.

Objective 1: At least 80% of program interns complete the program/degree requirements within 3 years (150% of the program length).

Objective 2: At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.

Objective 3: The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.

Objective 4: Of graduates who seek employment, 75% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.

Goal 2: Prepare graduates who apply skills in the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Objective 1: At least 80% of employers who respond to a survey will rate graduates as at least “satisfactory” regarding the graduate’s preparation for entry level practice.

Program data is available upon request.

• LWDI participates in the Spring and Fall Match and begins with a three day virtual Orientation followed by a 5 day Refresher Week during which interns complete modules, readings, case studies and simulations. Rotation start the next week and continue for 9 months on a full time basis.
• The Program calendar allows for time off for holidays with approval from preceptors and interns are required to make up days missed for holidays as well as sick days and time off due to inclement weather.

Program Calendar/Holidays Spring Match Cohort

Pre-orientation: August 2023

Orientation: September 6-8, 2023

Refresher week: Sept 11-15, 2023

Rotations begin: September 18, 2023

Labor Day holiday: September 4, 2023

Thanksgiving break: November 22-24, 2023

Winter break: December 24, 2023-January 2, 2024

Martin Luther King Day: January 15, 2024

Mardi Gras: February 13-14, 2024

Other religious holidays and breaks as requested.

Program Calendar/Holidays Fall Match Cohort

Pre-orientation: January 2023

Orientation: February 1-3, 2023

Refresher week: February 6-10, 2023

Rotations begin: February 13th, 2023

Mardi Gras: February 21-22, 2023

Memorial day: May 29th, 2023

Independence day break: July 3rd & 4th, 2023

Labor day: September 4th, 2023

Other religious holidays and breaks as requested.

The LWDI program fee is $12,500, payable before the start of the program in August. Additional anticipated program expenses can be found here.

• The LWDI has full time and part time options in which supervised practice hours can be completed in 9 months (full time) and 14 months (part time). In cases of extenuating circumstances, interns may take up to 150% of the time allotted to complete the program requirements which would be 13 months (full time) and 21 months (part time) after consultation and approval by the Program Director.
• In order to successfully complete the program, interns in both the onsite and distance tracks must successfully complete the minimum supervised practice hours and associated rotation evaluations, complete all preceptor and program assigned learning experiences required per the rotation syllabi for the year of the intern’s enrollment, and attain all ACEND required competencies.
• Additionally, interns must take the comprehensive mock RDN examination at the conclusion of the internship and earn a score of 75%. LWDI believes in the value of mastery learning; therefore, interns who do not score 75% or better will retake the exam up to three times.
• Effective January 1st, 2024, a graduate degree will be required in addition to the above requirements in order to receive a verification statement.

Lagniappe Wellness Dietetic Internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190 Chicago, IL 60606-6995, (312) 899-0040 ext. 5400 http://www.eatrightPRO.org/ACEND

Technology Requirements Students enrolled in both the onsite and distance tracks must have adequate internet access and technological capabilities to meet online access and participation criteria for both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. Interns are required to secure an internet connection speed that supports real-time online conferencing. A notebook or tablet should not be used as the main device as it does not support the minimum operating system required. Students should not rely on a data account through a cellular service for internet access to complete virtual live class meetings, and internet access should provide a minimum bandwidth of 500 kbps upload and 300 kbps download capability to ensure optimal online learning experiences.

• Minimum software required: Word processing, excel spread sheet, power point and browser software is needed.
• Access to a scanner capable of scanning multiple pages into one document is required for submission of some documents
• A computer headset with microphone is required for certain assignments, live classes and other web based communications
• A personal laptop is not required for use at supervised practice sites but may be helpful if facility computers are not available to the intern. Preceptors are not required to provide interns with computer access during supervised practice hours.

Online Testing Requirements: All interns will be required to create a Google email address for all LWDI communications. Interns will be required to take all quizzes and tests from their personal Google accounts. Submission of all quizzes, tests, and other assignments will be submitted directly to the Program Director via the Google Suite Platform. On every quiz and exam, interns attest to the fact that all work is theirs alone and any work submitted to the contrary will be considered grounds for dismissal.