Nutrition and Food Services - UCSF Medical Center

We would like you to be aware of the factors other than the educational experiences that may affect your decision to apply to the Dietetic Internship at UCSF Medical Center.

Interns are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in the Bay Area. We will supply you with a complete list of the individuals who will be interning during the year so you can contact them and possibly make arrangements for a roommate. Frequently, apartments become available as the interns from the previous year relocate. You will receive correspondence from an intern in the class preceding yours so information about these possibilities is made available. The department also assists in any way possible, such as knowing of other available apartments or which areas of town are best for utilizing public transportation. The housing market is very tight, highly competitive, and expensive in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interns who choose to live outside San Francisco are responsible for arranging their own commute in order to comply with their work schedules. Please note that dietetic interns are not eligible for UCSF student housing. UCSF maintains a list of off-campus housing. This can be viewed on the UCSF website at http://www.campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/housing/. Another source of information on rentals is http://www.craigslist.org

Public transportation within San Francisco is good. You do not need an automobile for any required learning experience in the internship. However certain elective and community nutrition experiences are not accessible by public transportation and are only open to those interns with a car. Parking in the city and especially near the hospital is at a premium. Off-street parking at the hospital costs $22.00 per day; therefore, most interns live within walking distance or use public transportation. If you plan to commute by bus from a location in San Francisco, a monthly bus pass is $45. Public transportation from locations outside San Francisco would be significantly more expensive. There is free shuttle bus service between the UCSF and Mount Zion campuses Monday through Friday.

Interns work a full-time, 40-hour/week schedule. Hours will vary depending on the work assignment. When assigned to inpatient clinical nutrition areas, interns usually work 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In management areas, interns usually work 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but will have a limited number of days on earlier shifts (5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) or later shifts (1:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.). There will be times during the year when interns need to stay beyond scheduled hours. Classes and field trips are usually scheduled into the forty hours but may occur outside of the regular daily schedule.

After demonstration of competence in the inpatient clinical nutrition core rotation, interns provide "on-call" coverage from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weeknights; this responsibility is rotated among interns. Interns are also scheduled to work some weekends and holidays and earn time off for days worked. The present staffing pattern of the department allows for each intern to cover approximately seven to eight weekends/holidays during the internship year. Weekend work typically begins in late October or early November.

During the internship year, interns are given a one week scheduled vacation. At the time the master schedule is planned for all learning experiences, the vacation is also scheduled. The vacation is usually scheduled in February or March.

Interns accrue 10 days of sick leave for the year and observe the 12 holidays designated by UCSF Medical Center. If you are assigned to work on a holiday, you will earn another day off.

Student Organizations
Students and House Staff (Dietetic Interns, Pharmacy Interns, Medical Interns and Residents) of the UCSF campus are all at a post graduate level, so the campus atmosphere will differ from what you may have been used to as an undergraduate student. There are several student organizations on campus with the activity level of each varying each year as student interests change.

Sports and Athletics at the UCSF Campus
Milberry Student Union maintains a pool, racquetball courts, basketball and volleyball facilities, and a spacious fitness center with a full line of Cybex weight machines, aerobic machines and free weights. Intramural team sports, martial arts and aerobic classes are scheduled, as well as a syllabus of recreational classes. Outdoors Unlimited sponsors ski cabins at Tahoe and Heavenly Valley, rents camping and aquatic equipment, and teaches classes in sail boarding on San Francisco Bay.

For more information about UCSF Student Organizations and Programs, please visit the UCSF Campus Life Services website at http://www.campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/cls

Even though we are in "sunny" California, the weather in San Francisco is usually cool and moderate all year. There are a few hot days during the spring and in the early fall. July and August are generally cold, foggy and windy at our location in San Francisco. Year round, the average temperature is from 55-60 degrees. Other parts of the Bay Area experience clear and very warm weather in the summer months. Outdoor activities can be enjoyed year round.

For more information about living and working in San Francisco, visit our Important Links page.


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