United States
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Dietetic Internship
 

Application Information

Applications are accepted by mail during the period from January 1 through February 15. Appointments will be confirmed on April - 20, 2009 and the dietetic internship class will begin in August. In order for applications to be considered, completed application packets must be received by the Dietetic Internship Director postmarked no later than February 15 (Feb. 17, 2009 due to the holiday).


Admission Requirements

For admission to the internship, an individual must complete the minimum academic requirements set forth by ADA and be a U.S. citizen. The applicant must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and must have completed the requirements of an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Official transcripts indicating the date of confirmation of your degree plus a DPD Verification Statement are required prior to the start of the internship.


Selection Criteria

We are looking for well rounded applicants with a good work ethic and demonstrated ability to work well independently and in a team environment. The ideal applicant is flexible and open to new learning experiences and has some dietetics related work or volunteer experience to supplement a good academic record and letters of recommendation.

A selection committee will review your application. The following criteria are looked at by most selection committees; however, please review each individual program site for specific application instructions.

  • Grade Point Average: We are looking for a minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Work and/or volunteer experience (excluding practicum experience) which show exposure and commitment to the dietetics field.
  • Extracurricular activities related to dietetics. These may include volunteer experiences, food drives, student dietetic club membership, nutrition educational materials and/or classes you have developed.
  • Letters of recommendation. Two should be from college professors/instructors and one should be from a work supervisor. Please choose professors/supervisors who are familiar with your work and who can adequately assess your abilities to perform in a dietetic internship and as a registered dietitian.
  • Personal letter of application. We want to know why you are interested in becoming a dietitian. We want to know what your long-term and short-term goals are, and what your interests in dietetics are. We are looking for candidates with overall goals that match with what we can provide.
  • Phone interview (see individual program's requirement) conducted by one or more members of the selection committee.