Frequently Asked Questions

Is GCDI accredited?

Yes, GCDI is accredited with ACEND, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. All graduates of GCDI are eligible to sit for the Registration examination for dietitian/nutritionist at the completion of the program.

Do you have to have an entrepreneurial preceptor for the elective rotation?

Interns may choose any area of interest for the elective rotation.

What are some examples of community and elective rotations?

Community can be with any type of agency that has a nutritional component such as WIC, Head start, food banks, meals on wheels etc. Elective can be in any area of interest. Interns have chosen sports nutrition, private practice, counseling, farm to table, among others. It is also fine to spend the 4 week elective as additional time in one of the other rotations.

What do you look for in an applicant?

Strong DPD GPA and a well-designed set of rotations are our main criteria.

Do you conduct in-person interviews?

We do not do formal interviews but are happy to set up a conference call with any interested applicants.

Can I work full time and complete the internship?

Full time employment is not allowed however weekend work is permissible as long as it does not interfere with the rotation schedule. It is recommended that interns minimize their outside activities to concentrate on the internship.

Can I work on my advanced degree while I am in the internship?

Interns are allowed to take up to 3 graduate courses during the internship. It is the expectation that the supervised practice comes before all other endeavors.

What do I need to get prior learning credit?

Prior learning credit is available for food service, community or elective rotations. The intern must have a minimum of six months paid work experience that would have fulfilled the competencies required for the internship in those areas.

How do I find a clinical preceptor?

Many metro area hospitals are already hosting interns and may be reluctant to accept your request. Smaller hospitals are less likely to have interns and may be available to you. Long term care facilities, acute long term care and dialysis are all options for fulfilling some or all of the clinical requirements.

Do the rotations have to be scheduled back to back or can I have spaces?

You can leave spaces in your rotation schedule as needed to accommodate the preceptors/sites with which you are working.

How much is tuition and how do I pay this?

Tuition is $8500.00 and can be paid by personal check, cashier’s check or money order. There is a payment plan as well. The initial payment (1/2-1/3) is due at orientation and the remaining amount can be paid in either 1 or 2 more installments, with the full amount due within 90 days.

Does GCDI still require 1200 hours of supervised practice to complete the internship?

ACEND has decreased the number of hours required for supervised practice to 1000, due to COVID-19. This would be 40 hours in orientation, 400 hours in clinical, 200 hours in community, 240 hours in food service management and 120 hours in the elective rotation.

Do all of my preceptors need to be RDs?

Only the clinical preceptor is required to be an RD. All others must be qualified for their job, such as a food service director, chef or dietary manager in food service management.