We know there are many factors that may affect your decision to apply to the Dietetic Internship at UCSF Medical Center. Please find information below about the San Francisco Bay Area.
Housing
Interns are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in the Bay Area. We provide you the names and contact information of your cohort so you can coordinate housing if desired. We are happy to share information about which areas are best for public transporation and answer other questions about living here.The housing market is highly competitive and expensive in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interns who choose to live outside San Francisco are responsible for arranging their commute in order to comply with work schedules. We recommend planning to arrive in the area approximately two weeks prior to internship start date.
Please note that dietetic interns are not eligible for UCSF student housing. However, UCSF maintains a list of off-campus housing, available here: http://www.campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/housing.
Other sources of infomation on rentals are:
- Craigslist - http://www.craigslist.org
- HotPads - http://hotpads.com/CA/San_Francisco#
- Zillow - http://www.zillow.com/san-francisco-ca/rent/
Transportation
Public transportation within San Francisco is good. Interns 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 ~$30.00 per day.
A monthly bus pass for use within San Francisco is $81-98. Public transportation from locations outside San Francisco can be significantly more expensive.
There is a free shuttle bus service between various UCSF campuses Monday through Friday.
Work Hours
Interns work a full-time, 40-hour week. Hours will vary depending on the work assignment. Inpatient clinical nutrition hours are typically ~8:00 am - 5:00 pm with some variability per preceptor. Food service management hours are typically at 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, but may have a limited number of days with earlier shifts (5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) or later shifts (1:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). There will be times during the year when interns need to stay beyond scheduled hours. Classes are usually scheduled into the 40-hour week 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 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weeknights; this responsibility is rotated among interns. Interns are also scheduled to work some weekends and earn time off for days worked.
Interns accrue 10 days of sick leave for the year and observe the 13 holidays designated by UCSF Medical Center.
Activities at UCSF
UCSF has two gyms, one at Millberry Student Union at Parnassus and one at Mission Bay. UCSF Interns are eligible for the employee rate at the fitness centers. For more information about the gym, visit: https://campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/fitnessrecreation/.
UCSF Campus Life Service also sponsors outdoor group activities. For more information, visit: https://campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/fitnessrecreation/services/programs/outdoor_programs
Weather
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 Parnassus campus, while sunnier and warmer at Mission Bay.
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.