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What is an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP)?
An ISPP ("ispeys") is a pathway created in 2011 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to allow more qualified students to become eligible to take the RDN exam. The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) policies for ISPPs allow 1) graduates that did not match to a dietetic internship, but who hold a DPD or FDE verification statement, 2) doctoral degree holders without a DPD or FDE verification statement to apply for an ISPP; however, eligibility requirement may vary by program.
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Is an ISPP program the same as a Dietetic Internship (DI)?
Yes, an ISPP program is an ACEND accredited program where students meet the same core competencies and require the minimum 1200 hours of supervised practice just like the students in an accredited DI program.
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How is an ISPP program different than a Dietetic Internship (DI)?
The only difference between our ISPP program and other DI programs is the type of students we are allowed to accept. That is, our ISPP program only can accept 1) applicants who received a "no match" via the D&D Digital matching process in any previous cycle and hold a DPD or FDE verification statement, or 2) applicants who are doctoral degree holders with or without a DPD or FDE verification statement (we may require additional prerequisite coursework for doctoral degree holders without a DPD or FDE verification statement).
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What is the ISPP program at Rutgers – New Brunswick?
Our ISPP program includes supervised practice hours (Internship) and is part of a M.S. in Nutritional Sciences degree in the School of Graduate Studies, Graduate Nutritional Sciences Program (New Brunswick campus). Students will complete 30 graduate coursework credits and a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised practice. However, evidence of prior learning may be substituted for up to 500 hours of supervised practice, subject to approval by the program director. Additionally, evidence of prior graduate-level learning may be substituted for up to 12 semester credit hours for students entering with a bachelors degree as the highest degree earned and up to 24 credits for students entering with a masters degree or higher.
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Am I required to find my own preceptors for your ISPP program?
Our faculty will be coordinating the preceptors and supervised practice placement sites for all students. However, to allow students the freedom in tailoring their own educational experiences, our program is open to considering others sites that may be of interest to students enrolled in the program.
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How can I learn more?
Visit https://nutrition.rutgers.edu/ispp/index.html or contact:
Pinkin Panchal, MS, RDN
Director, Dietetics Supervised Practice
isppcoordinator@sebs.rutgers.edu
Watch the Dietetics - Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) Program video.
Licensure
For national licensure information, please visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration State Licensure website.
For NJ Licensure Updates: Please review the FAQs.
RDN Videos
To learn more about the role of an RDN, please click the links below to watch these short videos created by the New Jersey Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
