This post was written by Elizabeth Briasco, whom I precepted fall 2015. She is now a dietitian pursuing a Master of Science degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition in the United Kingdom.
Several words typically come to mind when we hear the word "intern": naive, coffee, and free labor might be some of them. Most internships pay nothing or, at the very most, minimum wage.
However, there are actually internships out there with a less than 50 percent acceptance rate that require interns to pay thousands of dollars just to participate. No stipend is offered for housing, food, materials, transportation, or any other miscellaneous internship costs. The internship consists of at least 1200 hours of practical experience across three to ten different sites and can last anywhere between eight months and two years. Hours range from forty to fifty hours a week, giving interns very little leeway for a part-time job, assuming their internship director even allows them to get one.
Welcome to the confusing, costly, and demanding world of dietetics.
