WIC Track
What Are the Admission Requirements?
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
- Completion of the required academic Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) course work with a verification statement or a verification of intent to complete form
- Cumulative grade point average of 2.8 or greater on a 4.0 scale
- Currently employed in any contracted Arizona Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) local agency**
- At least 9 months of full-time employment in a contracted Arizona WIC local agency by the January application date for the internship
Recency of Education Policy
If the signed Verification Statement is dated five years or more from the starting date of the internship, then the applicant must contact the program director. The program director and applicant will review previous course work and professional work experience to assess what (if any) additional advanced classes need to be taken. The following courses may be recommended
- A medical nutrition therapy or diet therapy course.
- Another advanced level DPD nutrition course.
**How to Find a Job With Arizona WIC
Each WIC Agency posts positions and hires as an independent entity. Below is a list of all 21 Arizona WIC local agencies and websites to search for job openings and/or contact information.
What Are the Applicant's Responsibilities Involved in the Application Process?
Please refer to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health Dietetic Internship (MCDPHDI) Arizona Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Track Application Checklist (PDF). This checklist is provided to ensure all required components of the application are included.
DICAS Application
- Maricopa County's Dietetic Internship uses the online Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS).
- The online application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on January 15. The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application submitted and $20 for each additional application. The WIC Track does not participate in D&D Digital matching.
Personal Statement
In addition to the five questions asked to be included in the personal statement on the online applications through DICAS, please answer the following four questions in your personal statement that is submitted through DICAS for the Maricopa County program. These questions include:
- The reason for applying to an internship that is public health focused
- Your expectations of our program
- A description of a project completed through your own initiative and with minimal supervision
- A notation if you speak, read or write a language other than English and your level of fluency
New Letter of Recommendation Requirement
- One Letter of Recommendation must be from a member of your WIC Agency Leadership team. Please refer to your WIC director for details or contact Dietetic Internship staff for additional information.
DICAS Supplemental Materials
In addition to the requirements for students to submit their online applications through DICAS, the Maricopa County program also requires the completed Arizona WIC Program Declaration of Intent be submitted through the supplemental forms section of DICAS.
- A completed Arizona WIC Program Declaration of Intent (PDF)
PAL Portfolio & Application Fee
The only two pieces that cannot be submitted through DICAS are the (1) Prior Assessed Learning (PAL) Portfolio and the (2) non-refundable application fee of $55 specific to Maricopa County.
- Please follow these instructions (PDF) and use this template for your PAL Portfolio (DOC).
- Pay your $55 non-refundable program application fee.
What is the Timeline for Applying to the Arizona Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Track Dietetic Internship?
| Important Dates (Please note that most dates are TENTATIVE) |
Task |
|---|---|
| January 15 at 11:59 p.m. (Central) | DICAS application due. Program application fee due. PAL portfolio sent to internship director. |
| January 16 - 28 | Maricopa County Department of Public Health Dietetic Internship (MCDPH DI) selection committee will review and score applications submitted. |
| Last Week of January (tentative) | MCDPH DI selection committee will conduct applicant interviews. |
| January 31 (tentative) | MCDPH DI selection committee will meet to select up to 6 interns for the WIC Track. |
| February 1 (tentative) | WIC Dietetic Internship Coordinator will notify local WIC agencies and interns of selections. |
| June - August | Interns will complete pre-internship requirements. |
| First week of September | First day of the Dietetic Internship. |
Candidate application packets will be reviewed by a selection committee and scores assigned for Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) professional grade point average, DPD science grade point average, work and volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, applicant's responses in the personal statement, and second language proficiency. The selection committee will ask the top 80% of applicants to participate in an interview.
Ranking of importance for acceptance:
- Work & Volunteer experience (emphasis on public health and community nutrition)
- Interview (top 80% of applicants scored will be invited for a virtual interview)
- Personal Statement
- GPA
- Letters of recommendations
- Proficiency in a second language
- Resume
The ability to speak a language in addition to English is beneficial to working within the local community. It is not a program requirement in the selection process. Applicants claiming proficiency in a second language may be asked to participate in that language over the course of the interview.
Our Arizona Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Dietetic Internship track is comprised of an annual class of up to 6 interns, and consists of 27 weeks of supervised practice with an additional 11 weeks of work at their local AZ WIC Agency. The AZ WIC Track begins in early September and will be completed by the end of May. Interns participating in this track will be exposed to a wide variety of nutrition services from metropolitan and rural areas of Arizona. Opportunities are provided to interact with individuals and groups from multi-ethnic backgrounds representing all ages and levels of education. Clinical, food and nutrition management, community and specialty experiences offered will challenge interns to integrate knowledge gained from dedicated study with opportunities for practice and application.
Rotation sites for the Arizona WIC track Dietetic Internship will be determined based on their availability and geographic location of the candidates selected. Travel to areas around the state will be required for some rotations.
Because of the great diversity among the residents in Maricopa County, interns able to speak Spanish are highly valued by the rotation sites. However, the ability to speak a second language other than English is not a requirement for admission into the Dietetic Internship.
What is the Program Schedule?
The Arizona Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Dietetic Internship program begins in early September and is completed by the end of May. Holidays may be honored depending on the rotation site and Local WIC Agency. These include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Internship rotations will be determined based on the geographic location of the intern. However, some travel is necessary. Costs for lodging will be the intern's responsibility.
Internship rotations vary from year to year and are listed in no specific order:
| Practice Area | Rotation Sites | Weeks | Total Weeks | ||||||||||||||
Community/ |
| 11 | |||||||||||||||
Clinical |
| 11 | |||||||||||||||
Food and Nutrition Management |
| 7 | |||||||||||||||
Specialty |
| 1 | |||||||||||||||
Didactic Practice | Orientation/Clinical Boot Camp | 1.5 | 1.5 | ||||||||||||||
WIC Work | Working during the internship at the AZ local agency where the intern is employed | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
What Does the Program Cost?
Total program costs will vary according to the needs and lifestyles of each individual. Food, housing, and transportation expenses are variable and the responsibility of the student. Interns must provide their own health and professional liability insurance in order to participate in the program. Arizona law does require drivers to carry automobile insurance and Arizona residents to have annual emission inspection completed on their vehicle.
Program costs that are applicable if the applicant is accepted to the internship; proof required first day of internship:
| Expenses |
Fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County Dietetic Internship Application Fee |
$55 | |
|
Automobile Registration & Insurance
|
Variable
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Gas (at 40 Miles per Work Day)
|
$150-$200 / Month (estimate)
|
|
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Vehicle Emissions Inspection
|
$17
|
|
|
Housing / Rent (1-Bedroom Apartment)
|
$750-1200 / Month (variable)
|
|
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Hotel in Wickenburg (Rosewood Rotation)
|
$100-250 (variable)
|
|
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Study Material for RD Exam
|
$200-350 (variable)
|
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Office and Miscellaneous Supplies
|
$100 (estimate)
|
|
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Textbooks, Journals, Subscriptions
|
$75
|
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Student or NDTR Professional Liability Insurance
|
$35-$75
|
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Academy of Nutrition Dietetics (AND) Student Membership
|
$50
|
|
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Central Arizona Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (C-AZAND) Student Membership
|
$15
|
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ServSafe Certification
|
Variable
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CPR Certification
|
$45
|
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Fingerprint Clearance Card
|
$69
|
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Health Insurance
|
Variable
|
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Hepatitis B Vaccination Series
|
Variable; check with health insurance plan
|
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MMR Vaccination Series
|
Variable; check with health insurance plan
|
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Varicella Vaccination Series or Positive Immunity Titer
|
Variable; check with health insurance plan
|
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| TB (PPD) Skin Test or Chest X-Ray |
Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
| Tetanus Shot |
Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
| Flu Shot |
Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
| Covid-19 Vaccination | Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
| Urine Drug Screen (Within 30 Days Prior to Specified Rotations) |
Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
| Statement of Good Health |
Variable; check with health insurance plan |
|
Notes:
Notes: - Scholarship information is available through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics on the Eat Right Pro.
- Loan deferment letter available upon intern request.
- Scholarship information is available through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Eat Right Pro.
- Loan deferment letter available upon intern request.
What Are Entrance Requirements for Matched Applicants?
Candidates matched with the program will need to be up-to-date on all immunizations before the start of the internship program. Missing vaccination series (i.e. hepatitis B, MMR, varicella) should be initiated by May to allow adequate time to complete the immunizations prior to program initiation in August.
Required Documentation
Additional documentation required at the start of the Dietetic Internship:
- Automobile registration & insurance
- Driver license
- Signed verification statement of the Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Official transcripts showing completion of degree
- Student membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
- Student membership in the Central Arizona Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics District (C-AZAND)
- Student or NDTR Professional Liability Insurance - $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate
- ServSafe certification
- CPR certification
- Completed criminal background check and a fingerprint clearance card
- Health insurance
- Statement of good health to participate in the program from a medical provider
- Urine drug screen (within 30 days prior to starting hospital clinical inpatient rotation)
- TB (PPD) skin test or chest x-ray
- MMR vaccination series
- Hepatitis B vaccination series
- Varicella vaccination series or positive varicella immunity titer
- Tetanus toxoid (within the past ten years)
- Seasonal flu shot (at the beginning of flu season)
- Covid-19 Vaccination