Research Emphasis Internship Component
General Information
- To provide state-of-the-art learning opportunities during the internship, the University of Florida maintains affiliations with numerous organizations throughout the state. Most are located within a 55-mile radius of Gainesville. Some unique and distant affiliations (i.e., private practice, some elective sites used for diabetes and pediatrics) require temporary relocation. Assignment to distant affiliations is viewed as a specialized learning opportunity and is based solely on student request, interest, and availability.
- Students are responsible for arranging their travel to and from rotation assignments.
- Students in the internship must sign waivers of liability and statements of personal responsibility prior to beginning the supervised practice component of the program. Students must be up to date on required immunizations. Some site affiliates may have additional health requirements and/or may require a criminal background check, health status assessment, drug screening, etc. Students are responsible for any expenses related to these requirements.
- The Program Director develops the annual rotation schedule with input from each student, site administrators/preceptors and UF faculty. New affiliation agreements are developed based on need, interest and availability.
- Students completing the Research emphasis must meet the research competencies established for this emphasis area. This includes presenting a poster or oral presentation at a state, regional or national professional meeting. Students are responsible for their travel expenses. A small travel stipend can be requested to help cover the cost of attending a professional meeting at which a presentation is made. Students are responsible for completing the application for travel awards in a timely manner.
Competencies
In addition to the core competencies for dietitians students completing the research emphasis will:
- Apply guidelines and principles learned from training courses appropriate for the type of research being conducted (i.e., Animal Care and Use; Informed Consent; NIH Human Participant Protections for Human Research Teams; etc.).
- Develop and defend a research proposal that demonstrates an understanding of the research process, methodology, and research ethics.
- Manage the process of applying for Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Biohazards and Recombinant DNA approval and/or renewal of projects approved by these committees.
- Conduct a thesis research project that meets the approval of the Graduate Supervisory Committee.
- Develop a budget for the research project and assist with management of the budget and procurement of material resources/equipment.
- Supervise laboratory safety training and compliance of other students (e.g., undergraduate/new graduate students) and participate in maintenance of records documenting compliance with laboratory safety compliance (e.g., radiation safety, annual blood borne pathogen training, chemical hygiene waste disposal, MSDS postings, etc.). (Applies only to laboratory-based thesis projects.)
- Prepare an abstract and present (poster or podium presentation) original research findings at a professional/scientific meeting (i.e., state, regional, national or international).
- Participate in the manuscript peer review process.
- Prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
- Write and defend a thesis that conforms to all graduate school, college, and departmental guidelines.
Research Emphasis Rotations and Clock Hours
| Rotation | Hours | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Internship | ||
| Pre-Internship Community Activities | 60 | |
| Pre-internship Clinical Activities | 50 | |
| Phase I | ||
| Community Rotation | 152 | 4 |
| Food Service/Systems Management Rotation | 190 | 5 |
| Clinical Rotation | 152 | 4 |
| Phase II | ||
| Elective Rotation | 152 | 4 |
| Staff Relief | 120 | 3 |
| Research Competencies | 152 | |
Total |
1028 |
Pre-internship experiences are designed to introduce students to supervised practice settings and to help students develop skills they will need throughout the internship and in future practice.
Phase I is designed to help students develop a common core of skills in the three fundamental areas of dietetic practice: community nutrition, food service/systems management and clinical dietetics.
Phase II provides more specialized training in an area of interest. Specialty rotations in nutrition support, pediatrics, oncology, diabetes, long-term care, sports nutrition, student health and wellness, private practice, and advanced food service/systems management have been developed.
Research Competencies are met at various times throughout the MS-DI program. A total of 152 clock hours of research activities are counted toward the total clock hours for this emphasis area.
