​Leadership Concentration

"A good leader inspires people
to have confidence in the leader,
 a great leader inspires people
to have confidence in themselves.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Surveys taken with both dietetics professionals and those hiring dietetics professionals reveal that one of the many skills that will be needed by dietitians in future practice is leadership.  With the increased interest in nutrition and health, the focus on childhood obesity, and the changing demographics of the population, there are almost unlimited opportunities for our profession.  Those who take on leadership roles, inspire others, market themselves and their skills, and network with other professionals, will be the most successful.  For these reasons, the Sodexo Dietetic Internship is excited to offer the Leadership Concentration. 
 
For this concentration, you will choose an area of interest as your Leadership Elective.  You may choose to concentrate in one of your other rotations (such as clinical topic), in which case your time in this rotation would be extended and you will pursue that area in more depth, or you will submit a proposal and develop an elective rotation in your area of interest. 
Leadership Concentration Interns
The Leadership Concentration is a good fit for those interested in developing their leadership skills and preparing for leadership positions in the future.  The concentration includes: 
  • The opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills during management and clinical staff relief rotations
  • Management of various projects including needs assessments, development, implementation, and evaluation
  • Development of facilitation skills with peers and interdisciplinary teams
  • The opportunity to learn and practice strategic planning and organizational change
  • Participation in planning internship experiences, development of self-marketing and negotiation skills
Learning activities include readings and viewing videos  related to the basic principles of leadership with self-assessment, observation and reflection, and practical application. 
International Experience (optional)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability of the international experience has been suspended until further notice.

The International Experience is available as an optional part of the
Leadership Concentration only.
Sodexo Dietetic Internship offers an international experience up to 160 internship hours at a Sodexo managed account outside of the United States.  The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics limits the amount of supervised practice hours and types of activities an intern may complete outside of the United States. If you are interested, more information is available after the match.

Costs and Liabilities for the International Experience
Interns who participate in the international experience option are responsible for the following expenses, but not limited to:
  • Transportation—to, from and within the international experience country.
  • Housing in the international experience country.
  • All meals during the international experience
  • Passports, visas and other paperwork required by the international experience country.
  • Immunizations and/or health forms required by the international experience country.
  • Medical and liability insurance coverage if additional coverage is required
  • Security and safety documents and tests as may be required by the facility, including drug tests and fingerprinting. 
  • All the costs and liabilities required for all interns in the Sodexo Dietetic Internship
  • In addition, interns participating in the international experience will be responsible for the safety of his/her own person and possessions during travel and stay in the designated country. 
  • An intern must be fluent (reading and writing) in the language of the country where they want to be placed in.

​Application and Placement
  • Interns who are matched to the Sodexo Dietetic Internship and are interested in  an international experience rotation must choose the Leadership Concentration and indicate to the Internship Director his/her desire to participate in an international experience.  The leadership concentration is the only concentration that can accommodate this experience within the framework of the internship curriculum.
  • Placement in the international experience is not guaranteed.
  • The Internship Director and intern will work together with the country’s contact person to organize the international experience.
Anna giving a presentation to her classmates on her experience in Finland.