We love the phrase “There’s no growth in the comfort zone.” But we also know that starting a DI is getting out of the comfort zone enough! Relocating, finding a place to live, navigating a new city …… it’s a lot on top of attending rotations and grad school. That’s why choosing a distance dietetic internship is a great idea.

The distance internship format can seem more daunting considering you must work on finding sites and preceptors, but chances are good that you have developed a network right where you are. Locations where observations took place, sites where you’ve volunteered, places you’ve worked, people in your community who you know that are at potential rotation sites – all add up to resources that can help you craft the perfect internship.

Here are some comments we’ve received from graduates about the benefits of a distance program:

“I liked the flexibility of rotation sites and I got to intern at a functional medicine clinic that aligned with my interests.” A.V.

“I loved it. I didn’t have to move or travel so it took out the stress of being in a new city along with doing an internship.” K.W.

“The distance dietetic internship internship option was wonderful because it allowed me to be able to complete the internship requirements without having to leave my home state or uproot my family. Also, having classes online was really helpful as they allowed me to take a lunch break at my rotation, attend class, and then complete the rotation in the same day without having to go home or take a half day at the rotation. In turn, this allowed me to stay on track with completing internship hours in a timely manner.” E. C.

The LWDI distance option has a little lagniappe, too! Do you have friends or relatives in another city you’ve wanted to visit (who can put up with you for a few weeks LOL?) Do some research and find a site there! Use our Preceptor Resource Packet to get started or reach out here for guidance on securing a site with the necessary paperwork and you’ll be on your way!

la·gniappe | \ ˈlan-ˌyap, lan-ˈyap\

lagniappe: a little something extra; something given for good measure

Example: The meal was served with a lagniappe of freshly made cornbread.

Mark Twain’s Thoughts on Lagniappe

“We picked up one excellent word, wrote Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi (1883), “a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word-‘lagniappe’…. It is Spanish-so they said.” Twain encapsulates the history of “lagniappe” quite nicely. English speakers learned the word from French-speaking Louisianians, but they in turn had adapted it from the American Spanish word la ñapa. Twain went on to describe how New Orleanians completed shop transactions by saying “Give me something for lagniappe,” to which the shopkeeper would respond with “a bit of liquorice-root, … or a spool of thread.” It took a while for “lagniappe” to catch on throughout the country, but by the mid-20th century, New Yorkers and New Orleanians alike were familiar with this “excellent word.”

~Merriam-Webster.com

LWDI Is Not Your Average Internship

We chose this “excellent word” for our program because we believe in the spirit of lagniappe for the program and for our interns. We seek it out in applicants and continue on our end to develop it for a program like no other.

LWDI Program Lagniappe

All internships have the usual rotations that allow interns to gain the experiences necessary for entry level competence. LWDI goes beyond that:

• Interns listen to podcasts focused on current issues in dietetics and then come together for live discussion boards. We have even had podcast hosts join in on the discussions!
• Interns contribute to the LWDI Intern Blog by writing an evidence based post on a topic of their choosing around our focus area, Diabetes and Obesity Prevention and Treatment.
• Interns participate in a focus area module taught by a certified diabetes educator and the founding dietitian of our partner, the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (NDORI).
• Interns participate in a custom RD exam content course through RD Bootcamp throughout the entire internship
• Program directors offer evening and Saturday morning chats that are a quick text message away.

LWDI Intern Lagniappe

We appreciate the little something extra interns bring to the program through the uniqueness of each: as a person, in past experiences, in developing philosophies of dietetics practice. When we interview applicants, we ask them “What lagniappe will you bring to your internship?” because we value the diversity that makes each cohort truly unique. This shines through during live discussion boards and intern written blog posts where interns can show the world of dietetics and beyond who they are, what they value, what they bring to the table.

We encourage interns to think and get outside the box to find rotations that are of interest to them. LWDI program directors work with preceptors to craft rotations that accomplish the ACEND driven objectives but also foster the interests of the interns. Examples of out-of-the-box rotations include professional and collegiate athletics, farms, corporate wellness, and retail grocery outlets.

We value previous work experience of our interns and encourage our applicants to apply for credit for Prior Assessed Learning for up two rotations.

We believe everyone has a little lagniappe in them. Check us out to find out how LWDI can bring yours into the light!