It’s officially that time of year again! We’re almost half-way through October, making now a better time than ever to get start gearing up for the spring match. With the global pandemic throwing a slight wrench in our plans—yes, I know that as dietetic students you’re all planners to some degree—getting a head start on applications will only help you match with your dream dietetic internship in 2021. I’ve been through this process already, so I thought I’d share some tips and tricks that proved helpful for me when I applied to internships.

1. Start your personal statement at least three months early. Annoying? Yes, but essential.

Now is the time to start working on your personal statement! You’re going to want to create one personal statement for each individual program you plan to apply to. I’m talking ‘6 internships-6 personal statements’ kind-of-deal. Therefore, each of these personal statements should look pretty different. To get started:

• Create a list of your most memorable experiences. Basically, take a look at your resume (which should be up to date at this point) and choose the experiences that you can make sound fancy and exciting through your writing.

• Review your top programs and choose 2-3 experiences from your list that will align with the programs’ values. For example, volunteering at your town’s local farmers’ market over the summer will be a great experience to include for a program that emphasizes sustainability (explain the importance of locally grown food, supporting small businesses and farmers, etc.).

• After you have the body of your personal statement done, work on either the introduction and conclusion.

  • The introduction should “hook” your readers in. Start by telling a personal story or explaining a learning experience that influenced your decision to pursue dietetics.

  • The conclusion should bring the personal statement full circle. Mention why you would be a great fit for the program because of x, y and z; thank the reader for his/her time and consideration; and let them know you look forward to hearing from them.

• Edit and revise often! Have as many people as possible review and make suggestions. This is essential because your personal statement is going to warp and reshape itself many times before it’s done.

2. Utilize your school’s professional success programs for resume review and personal statement revision.

I actually worked part-time as a “professional success ambassador” during my junior and senior years of college. I was the girl who sat down and reviewed your cover letter and resume with you, and let me tell you, this is essential! There are students who are TRAINED and PAID to give you free advice and help you rework your professional documents so that you look your best on paper. Literally every college campus has these services, so utilize them while you can!

3. Research programs in advance and attend the open houses. If you can’t go to the open house, set a time to talk to the director on the phone or meet in person. 

 The squeaky wheel gets the oil. As pesky as you may feel doing this, make the internship directors learn your name! Gone are the days of in-person open houses, though the transition to virtual meetings leaves you no excuse to miss them! If you can’t make it to a virtual open house or have more questions that may not have been answered during the virtual meeting (see tip #4), reach out to the director of that program and set up a 20 to 30-minute one-on-one phone or zoom call. He/she will not forget your name (and face) if you act professionally and respectfully, prepare thoughtful questions in advance, and show great interest in the specifics of their program. Don’t forget to thank them for their time! See tip #6 for details.

4. Create a list of questions for those hosting the open houses. Make sure the answers for these questions cannot be found on the program’s website.

You’ve probably heard this one before. It’s great to ask questions because it shows you’re actually interested in learning more about the program and that you’re not afraid to put in a little extra effort to get the information you need (hello, qualities of a good dietitian). Yes, all questions are good questions. However, you want to make sure that these questions are a) important enough to take time away from the Q&A and b) can ONLY be answered by the program director or panel of current interns. They know exactly what’s included in the information on their website and/or applicant guide and will know if you skimmed through or didn’t look at all. For example, do not ask how many interns they accept and what the emphasis of their program is. This is likely on their website. Even if you don’t want to know the answer, it doesn’t hurt to ask because you’ll stand out for asking.

Here’s a list of thoughtful questions I asked when I went to open houses a few years ago:

• Does this program offer opportunities to earn graduate credits and what programs can these be applied to?

• Are there any rotations that focus heavily on food retail and/or community program development?

• What are some of the previous interns’ favorite rotations?

• Which local hospitals participate in this DI?

• Do the RD’s at these hospitals have order writing abilities?

• Are there any rotations that include opportunities for culinary/cooking demos and lessons?

• What kind of RD exam prep does this DI have to offer? Is online exam prep access included?

• Are there any review/course work/study guides assigned during the summer before starting this DI? How do you recommend that incoming interns best prepare for this internship?

 5. Inquire about the possibility of contacting the program’s current/previous interns if you’d like more information from an intern’s point of view.

 Again, it might help to ask because it’ll give you a better insight into an intern’s experience and point of view. Because most open houses are held between November and January, these interns will be in the throes of their internships and will likely give you honest and helpful feedback. This question also shows that you’re eager to learn more about this program.

 6. Send handwritten thank you notes after speaking with the directors or going to their open houses. 

Do not skip this step! Borrow some stationary from your mom and send those letters out the second you get home or hop off that zoom call. If you don’t think the internship directors are regularly checking their PO boxes because they’re working from home, you may be able to pass with a thoughtful email.

7. Only apply to places you really want to go to and give it your all in the application process.

 For my sisters and brothers going through this process, you know how the match process works. If you get matched, you’re going. So, only apply to the places you can actually picture yourself loving AND that you can afford. If you don’t have the means to afford the move to a new state, rent, program fees, transportation, and cost of living, it may be best to skip a program that may require this of you. The last thing you want to do is decline a coveted spot in a dietetic internship.

 On that note, you also don’t want to waste application fee money on a program that typically only accepts students with high DPD GPAs if yours sits at about average. However, if you can’t afford this particular program or don’t have the grades to get in, but can’t see yourself going anywhere else, it may be best to take a year off and save up or gain new experiences for your resume.

 8. Set a due date for yourself that is earlier than the actual due date for applications to ensure you’ll have your application ready on time.

 It helps to set a due date that is at least two weeks before your actual due date. Trust me, stuff happens, and deadlines come up quick, so you don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to get your application done on time. You’ll also feel immense glee and satisfaction in the last two weeks leading up to February 15 when everyone else is scrambling, your professors are reminding you at the beginning and end of every class to finish up, but your application is already submitted. It’s the little things, folks.

 9. Work on the application a little at a time, starting months in advance to reduce stress leading up to your due date.

 This is a long and stressful process. As an RD2BE you’re probably either a perfectionist, low-key Type A, or a lovely combination of the two. It will help to set mini due dates throughout the months leading up to your final (and early) due date for things like ordering transcripts, reviewing and editing your personal statements, and calculating your DPD GPA (among many other things). Get yourself a planner or set up your Google Calendar, set due dates, and begin to chip away at your application a little at a time. What was most helpful for me was finishing a section completely before moving on to the next.

10. Double and triple check your application before you submit, just to make sure!

Okay, so you know the deal. After everything is finished and you’re about to press ‘submit’, just take a quick peek through to make sure everything is looking perfect. Check your grammar, make sure you’ve attached the correct personal statements to the correct applications (this seems obvious, but I’ve heard horror stories), ensure that your references have actually sent back their letters of recommendation (or that they’ve agreed to have them sent in on time—from what I can remember, references are allowed some extra time to send in their letters— and confirm that your transcripts have either been received or are on their way. These typically shouldn’t take long to get to internship directors. Members of the application committee may even reach out to you or your undergrad director if they’re missing something in your application, but it’s always best to avoid this! If you’re not in their top choices and you’re missing something in your application, they’ll likely just take you out of the running for a potential spot in their program.

11. Thank your references for writing a letter of recommendation for you.

To align with tip #6, have more stationary ready for another round of ‘thank-you’ cards for those who wrote letters of recommendation for you. Don’t make your references regret writing good things about you by forgetting to thank them for their time and kind words! This will also keep you in their good graces for future job applications and a potential second round of matching if things don’t go as planned this year—but if you follow these tips, you’ll get matched first round! Wink, wink.

12. Find something fun to do on Match Day!

Any and all dietetic students know about the dreaded Match Day—unless you’re in a coordinated program and have the audacity to ask what Match Day is. Seriously, this happened to me! When I started my internship at the University of Connecticut, we took classes with UConn’s coordinated graduate and undergraduate students. The undergraduate students’ curriculum allowed them to complete their didactic coursework and their 1,200 internship hours throughout their 4-year undergrad education. You guessed it—this allowed them to bypass the dietetic internship application process entirely. It probably saved them a nice chunk of change, too.

 To my coordinated undergrad students: don’t underestimate what your classmates went through to get into their internship program! For those of you who are blessed enough to avoid Match Day, it’s the day where dietetic students find out if they matched to one program. You have to apply to a program and then the program’s internship selection panel has to unanimously choose you in order for a match to work, which makes the program selection process so much more important!

To my applications: if you read tip #7, this will help explain why it’s essential that you only apply to programs that you have a better chance of getting in to and that you actually like.

Anywho… let’s pretend Match Day has finally arrived. You won’t hear back until like 6 or 7pm on the dot, Eastern Time, so instead of agonizing over the results all day, find something fun to do to pass the time. I honestly forget what I did on Match Day, but I know I kept myself busy for the most part and didn’t actually sit down to stare at my screen until about 45 mins before the match—self-care. I’d recommend spending time with friends or family, going out to eat delicious food, or just doing something that you enjoy!

So, there it is! Writing this more than two and a half years after my own Match Day has brought back some serious memories! How is it that I still have a pit in my stomach just remembering this after so much time? I guess that just goes to show how much we truly care about reaching our goals and becoming dietitians. And, let me tell you, the journey is totally worth it!

As always, I’m here for you! Applying to internships requires grit and hard work, and it’s not the easiest process to understand. So, please reach out with any questions— leave a comment below or send me a massage— and I’d be happy to discuss any of this in more detail. Best of luck, friends!