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VA San Diego Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program
SCHEDULE OF INTERN LEARNING EXPERIENCES
- The internship begins annually in late August with graduation in late May.
- The program is 40 weeks (full-time, 40 hours/week) with 1 week scheduled vacation between Christmas and New Years.
Interns spend 32 hours/week on their assigned rotations and 8 hours/week in planned didactic class activities. The program provides over 1400 hours of didactic and clinical learning.
- HOLIDAYS: Interns are scheduled off most holidays, however, they are not eligible for paid holidays. Government holidays during the internship include: Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Martin Luther King, President's Day and Memorial Day.
- DIETETIC INTERNSHIP PROGRAM OUTLINE
- Orientation -- 2 weeks
- Management -- 11 weeks (includes Hospice and School Foodservice affiliations)
- Resources - personnel, space and equipment, time, money, menu planning
- Functions - food procurement, processing, distribution; food storage
- Evaluation/Control - operational indicators, personnel management tools
- Administrative Studies
- Clinical -- 17 weeks
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse Unit
- Alternative Therapies
- Coronary Care Unit
- Critical Care/Nutritional Support Team
- Endocrinology, Diabetes Care Clinic
- Eye, ENT
- Extended Care Center
- HIV/AIDS Treatment
- Home-Based Primary Care
- Medicine (Dysphagia, Gastroenterology)
- Metabolic Unit
- Neurology - Neurosurgery
- Obesity Clinic
- Oncology
- Orthopedics
- Primary Managed Care
- Psychiatry, Psychology
- Pulmonary
- Rehabilitation
- Renal/Dialysis Unit
- Spinal Cord Injury Unit
- Surgery
- Urology
- Affiliations -- (all located in San Diego County)
- San Diego Public Health Department (1 week)
The San Diego Public Health Department promotes health and disease prevention by planning, developing and conducting educational programs and nutrition mass media messages on a variety of public health and nutrition topics. Interns participate in the grant writing process and experience strategic partnerships with various health agencies, programs and schools throughout the county of San Diego.
- Head Start Program (2 days)
The Neighborhood House Association Head Start is one of the largest Head Start Programs in the nation. This program will expose the interns to low-income, culturally diverse families with pre-school age children. Learning will center on the nutritional needs and education of preschool age children in the community setting.
- Hospice (1 week)
San Diego Hospice provides quality physical, emotional and spiritual care for the terminally ill. Interns gain experience in the food service philosophy of a palliative care setting and in the supervision of dining rooms, catered events, budgeting and menu planning in this unique environment.
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program (1 week)
The American Red Cross WIC Program is a special supplemental food program for women, infants and children who are at nutritional risk. Learning will center on needs assessment, individual counseling and group classes in a multiethnic setting.
- University of California, San Diego Medical Center (2 weeks)
Here learning focuses on high risk pregnancy, pediatrics, burn unit and transplant program. Participation in assessment, counseling and patient education is included in the variety of experiences provided in an active hospital and clinical environment.
- School Food Service (1 week)
The Vista Unified School District provides learning in a comprehensive food service department. Emphasis is placed on student meals with good nutrition and high food acceptance using the latest managerial techniques including computerized menu planning and new School Wellness Policy implementation and monitoring.
- Staff Responsibility -- 4 weeks
- Vacation -- 1 week
- Hospital Based Classes - Integrated with clinical and management experiences
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