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Schedule and Locations

A Virginia Tech Nutrition and Dietetics Intern on television.

Schedule Highlights

Full-time program with flexible scheduling options:

  • Complete the internship in 8-9 months (August-April)
  • Add an optional 2-week elective rotation
  • Incorporate an optional master’s degree (15 months total for internship and master’s degree)

Directors schedule rotations based on interests and needs of each intern. 

Class meetings support positive relationships and work-life balance by combining in-person and remote learning.

Four weeks of vacation breaks scheduled throughout the program.

Schedule Overview

Begin the program in late August with a two week orientation.

Following orientation, there are weekly class meetings on Mondays and rotations Tuesday - Friday.

Late August - December: clinical (medical nutrition therapy) rotations.

January - April: community nutrition and management rotations.

View our 2023-24 schedule here.

Program Locations

Rotation opportunities exist in many areas throughout Virginia, including Abingdon, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Leesburg, Martinsburg, WV, Richmond, Roanoke, Washington DC metro area, Winchester, and others. 

Interns complete rotations in the geographic area to which they have applied. Interns with specific location preferences are encouraged to apply through the pre-select process. 

Interns who do not have a location preference will be assigned rotations in one of the geographic areas listed above based on their professional learning needs, interests, and site availability. 

Interns must attend class meetings in either Blacksburg or Northern Virginia typically twice per month. (Other classes are held remotely.)

Blacksburg/Roanoke location information (includes Abingdon, Charlottesville, and Richmond)

Interns complete their rotations within a one-hour drive of Blacksburg, or in the general location listed on their pre-select application.

Contact

  • Bio Item
    Carol Papillon, MPH, RD , bio

    Senior Instructor and Director of the Virginia Tech Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics: Education of future dietitians; nutrition counseling for behavior change

Intern placements in recent years:

Acute care hospitals

  • Ballad Health
  • Bon Secours Mercy Health
  • LewisGale Medical Center
  • LewisGale Montgomery
  • LewisGale Pulaski
  • Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • UVA Health

Long term care facilities

  • Richfield Retirement Center
  • Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center Community Living Center
  • Warm Hearth Village Retirement Community

Outpatient facilities

  • Carilion Diabetes Center
  • Fresenius Kidney Care
  • LewisGale Regional Cancer Center (Pulaski and Salem)
  • New Horizons Healthcare
  • Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center Diabetes Program and Outpatient Clinics
  • University of Virginia Dialysis Centers

Intern placements used in recent years:

  • American Heart Association
  • Feeding America Southwest 
  • Food City (retail)
  • First We Nourish (private practice)
  • New Horizons Healthcare
  • Nourished Rx (virtual)
  • Nutrition Counseling Roanoke (private practice-eating disorders)
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension
  • Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
  • Virginia Tech Athletics
  • Virginia Tech Hokie Wellness
  • Community Solutions Center, Feeding America
  • LewisGale Medical Center
  • LewisGale Hospital - Montgomery
  • Montgomery County Public Schools
  • Roanoke City Public Schools
  • Roanoke College
  • Virginia Tech Athletics
  • Virginia Tech Dining Services
  • Warm Hearth Village Retirement Community

Northern Virginia/Washington DC metro area location information: (includes Martinsburg WV and Winchester)

Interns complete their rotations within a one-hour drive from Washington, DC, or in the general location listed on their pre-select application.

Contact

  • Bio Item
    Amy LaFalce, MS, RDN , bio

    Assistant Director of the Virginia Tech Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics: Dietetics education, medical nutrition therapy, leadership in dietetics

Intern placements in recent years:

Acute care hospitals

  • Inova Health System
  • Martinsburg, West Virginia Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
  • MedStar Washington Hospital Center
  • Reston Hospital Center
  • Winchester Medical Center

Long term care facilities

  • Community Living Center, Martinsburg WV Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Goodwin Living
  • Greenspring Village
  • Lynn Care Center at Warren Memorial Hospital
  • The Virginian

Outpatient facilities

  • Children’s National Medical Center
  • Fresenius Kidney Care
  • Inova Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Inova Schar Cancer Institute
  • Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • MedStar Bariatrics and Weight Management
  • MedStar Diabetes Institute
  • Pediatric Specialists of Virginia
  • Somatus Dialysis Center
  • Valley Health Diabetes Management
  • Valley Health Metabolic & Bariatric Program
  • Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinics

Intern placements in recent years:

  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Policy Initiatives and Advocacy
  • A Nu Healthy You
  • Arlington WIC Program
  • CCI Health Services WIC Program
  • Capital Area Food Bank
  • Capitol Nutrition Group
  • Clementine
  • Common Threads
  • Community Support Services
  • Food Directions
  • Food & Friends, LLC
  • Food Minds
  • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • Loudoun County Public Schools
  • Manna Food Center
  • Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center Domiciliary and Healthy Teaching Kitchen
  • Monte Nido
  • My Chef Shirley
  • Northern Virginia Family Services
  • Nourished Principles
  • Rooted Recovery
  • Tepper Nutrition
  • University of Maryland Extension Food Supplement Nutrition Education Program
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension
  • Whole Health RD
  • Alexandria City Public Schools
  • DC Central Kitchen
  • Greenspring Village
  • Loudoun County Public Schools
  • Martinsburg West Virginia Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  • Montgomery County Public Schools

Elective Rotations

Interns have the option to design their own two-week elective rotation. Many interns choose to complete their elective at one of the sites established for MNT, Community, or Management experiences. Additional elective sites in recent years have included the following:

  • Children’s National Medical Center
  • Courage to Nourish
  • George Washington University Weight Management and Human Performance Laboratory
  • Inova Sports Performance Powered by EXOS
  • Naval Special Warfare Group Human Performance Program
  • Nutrition Counseling Roanoke
  • Shady Grove Fertility
  • Stacie Haaga, LLC
  • VIDA Fitness
  • Virginia Tech Athletics
  • Winchester Medical Center Neonatal ICU

Interns may collaborate with program directors if they would like to pursue a new site/practice area for their elective rotation.