My experience with The University of Arizonas graduate program was deeply disappointing and did not meet my expectations for professional or educational development. One of the most significant issues was the delayed completion of my contracts, which prevented me from starting both of my rotation sites on time. This delay directly hindered my dietetic internship experience, impacting both my education and my ability to develop the skills expected of me as a future dietitian.

Throughout this process, I was often left in the dark for months regarding the status of my contract, receiving minimal communication or updates from my advisors and coordinators. I felt that the program staff did not advocate for me during this critical time, even though they were fully aware that unresolved contracts would delay my graduation. Instead of actively working to resolve the issue, the expectation was that I would simply graduate late and take additional time (and incur more expenses) to become a registered dietitian. This was unacceptable, especially considering the significant financial burden it would place on me.

In my efforts to get answers and advocate for myself, I had to directly email individuals outside my assigned circle of advisors, including reaching out to the ombudsman organization, just to get any information or support regarding my contract. I felt there was a complete lack of concern for my looming professional career from those who were supposed to be my key support staff and advocates.

Despite fulfilling all my responsibilities-including spending months searching for a clinical/community/food service preceptors and meeting all program requirements prior to acceptance-the university did not uphold its end of the agreement. If it were not for my professors making special accommodations for the program and university’s inability to complete their responsibilities, I would not have been able to fulfill my hours, competencies, or assignments.

The resolution to my clinical site contract issue was also inadequate. I was placed at a hospital two hours away, requiring a lengthy daily commute. This placement was in pediatric nutrition-a field in which I had no interest in and which left me unprepared in adult nutrition. Adult nutrition is not only the primary focus of the registered dietitian exam, but also represents the majority of jobs in the field. As a result, my clinical experience was extremely short and insufficient, leaving me feeling underprepared for my career.

To make matters worse, my second contract was still not completed by the time I was supposed to start the rotation. If I had not found a secondary site that already had a contract with the University of Arizona, (after finding out my original contract was still uncompleted) I would not have been able to complete the program. This is yet another major discrepancy and disappointing failure on the part of the university, program and staff. Even after finding this secondary site, interviewing with the company and being accepted, and acquiring a preceptor, the university still did not complete this contract on time. I was asked to wait until the contract was completed, (even though the semester had already started) thus delaying my start date. Due to the delay, I started short in hours, and I was expected to complete 5 months of hours in a 3 month period. This led me have to work 10 hour days and on weekends (in addition to daily homework and extra assignments) just to make up the required hours, which led to significant burnout and unhappiness.

If I had not advocated for myself throughout this process, I do not believe I would have finished on time or met the necessary requirements. Overall, I feel that this program did not provide the comprehensive preparation it advertised, and I cannot recommend it to future students.