- How are interns selected, and what other criteria are you looking for in an ideal applicant?
- What are common mistakes applicants make when applying to your program?
- If I don't get accepted into the combined program track, can I still be considered for the non-degree program track?
- Where should I live?
- Do I need a car?
- Why are there 6 weeks of break in the non-degree program?
1. How are interns selected, and what other criteria are you looking for in an ideal applicant?
A selection committee at the VA Medical Center will review and rank applications. The Dietetic Internship Director will be in communication with selection committees for both UCLA School of Public Health and CSULB Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Applicants must meet selection criteria for both the university and VAGLA in order to be considered for the combined program. Top applicants will be selected for a personal interview.
An interview before the selection committee is required. You are encouraged to be available for a personal interview. Telephone interviews, however, will be conducted for students unable to attend personal interviews.
The selection criteria are as follows:
- Academic Achievement
- Letter of Application
- Letters of Recommendation
- Work Experience, either paid or volunteer
- Leadership in Campus, Community
- Professional Activities
- Awards and Honors
- Personal Interview
- Recent Education (if applicable)
Therefore, maximizing your application packet in the above mentioned areas is the best way to prepare for applying.
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2. What are common mistakes applicants make when applying to your program?
The most common mistake we see from applicants is missing items from the application packet. In particular the requested DPD checklist/advisement form and supplemental form are missing. In addition, we receive several applications that are not signed.
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3. If I don't get accepted into the combined program track, can I still be considered for the non-degree program track?
We can only consider your application for the program track you are applying to based on your response on the supplemental information form. If you want to be considered for both the combined and non-degree program track, you must indicate this on the supplemental form.
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4. Where should I live?
The West Los Angeles campus is the primary location for supervised practice rotations. In addition, the VA Long Beach Healthcare System (35 miles from the West LA campus) is also widely used; however, interns also may be assigned to rotations at the Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center (15 miles from the West LA campus) and the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center and Nursing Home (15 miles from the West LA campus) in addition to affiliated sites. Recommended areas to look for housing would include: Brentwood, Culver City, Manhattan Beach, Mar Vista, Palms, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance, Venice, Westchester.
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5. Do I need a car?
Yes, rotations can occur at any VAGLA or VA Long Beach location as well as at affiliations within the Greater Los Angeles area. In addition, interns attend classes provided by the Greater Los Angeles Dietetic Internship Coalition and locations are spread throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Significant commuting is part of the program and requires reliable transportation.
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6. Why are there 6 weeks of break in the non-degree program?
Increasing our program breaks from 2 weeks up to 6 weeks for the non-degree program allowed for more scheduling flexibility to accommodate our current class size of 11 interns. Two weeks of break are fixed where interns can make vacation plans. The other 4 weeks are floating and are used to accommodate scheduling problems arising from staffing shortages, maternity leave, jury duty etc. Without including these floating breaks, we faced permanently reducing the total number of interns per class.
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