Clinical preceptors can be found for your dietetic internship in a few places. One of the most dreaded missions as a distance intern is always finding clinical preceptors. There are a few tips to make the searching process more accessible. ACEND also has a preceptors database for you, which you can check out here
Seeking Hospital sites
Clinical dietitians are highly associated with working in hospitals. Give it your best shot to get into one. If you happen to be a DTR working in a hospital setting, this can benefit you when trying to secure a hospital for a clinical rotation.
Consider LTC
Long-term care (LTC) is an excellent option for clinical rotations. Completing clinical hours in an LTC facility is a perfect opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families. Some internships do not accept LTC for clinical, so check your program requirements before reaching out to preceptors.
Outpatient optional
Most internships require you to complete your full clinical rotation in LTC or a hospital. Some programs will allow for the outpatient setting to also fulfill the clinical requirement. Splitting clinical hours between two sites is an excellent way to gain clinical nutrition experience in various locations.
Clinical dietitians work in more than just hospitals. Look for opportunities to practice clinical nutrition in a setting other than a hospital environment. Remember, it’s never too soon to start looking for preceptors. Check out this blog post on why Everyone Needs to Be Looking For Preceptors. Start making a list and contacting RDs who are working in hospitals, LTC, or outpatient clinics. Some internships require preceptors to be secured before acceptance to their program, so check the program requirements before contacting preceptors. Following little details like this can help you get matched to your top choice.
PS. Get Matched Coaching can help make a perfect first impression, have accountability throughout the process from start to finish, and increase your matches of having a happy Match Day.
