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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Dietetic Internship
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VA Dietetic Internship Program Overview and StructureThe Dietetic Internship ProgramThe Department of Veterans Affairs Dietetic Internship Program is a 40-51 week educational program in general dietetics. The program begins in early to mid-August and ends in late May or early June. The educational experiences of classes and rotations focus on developing values, interrelationships and management of resources to prepare the practitioner to assist others in meeting the challenges of their social and physical environments. Schedule & CurriculumBay Pines - Clinical rotations make up the largest portion of the internship's 42-week program. The clinical experience is divided into several rotations that provide interns both broad based and in-depth experiences in nutritional care. General rotations include medicine, geriatrics, neurology, and out patient clinic. Some of the specialty areas included are renal, diabetes, psychiatry, and nutrition support. The finale is when you assume responsibility for the duties of a clinical dietitian in Clinical Staff Relief experience. Administrative rotations are planned to provide interns with a variety of food service systems management experiences. The rotation includes food production and procurement, food service systems, personnel management and employee education, and management. Interns will plan and supervise a theme meal. The experiences culminate into a two-week Staff Relief experience. Community rotations include rotations with Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Florida and School Food Service. Interns may observe, assist, and teach classes to a variety of clientele outside of the VA system. Throughout the course of the internship, interns will also visit a variety of community settings as an arranged field trip on a class day. Interns have the option to receive graduate credit from the University of South Florida (USF) for their weekly applied practice classes and completed special project. One 3-credit course is taken each semester for a total of 9-credit hours at the completion of the internship. Total tuition is $2276.82 for Florida residents and $8073.45 for non-residents for the current academic year. Students are admitted to USF as a non-degree seeking student so the GRE is not required. As a USF student, interns are eligible for financial aid, library access and parking. Interns spend 4-8 hours per week in didactic study and 36 hours per week in a supervised practice setting. Class days are reserved for class sessions, guest lecturers, field trips, planning sessions, group projects, and presentations. Additional time above the scheduled hours is necessary for rotation preparation and assignments, professional meetings, and other related activities. Bronx - During the first 12 months of the program, students participate in a variety of learning experiences: clinical dietetics, food service systems, clinical management, community nutrition, and business and industry. The program is affiliated with a numerous hospital, community, clinical, and institutional sites throughout the area. There are also additional opportunities for attending professional dietetics seminars and conferences. Click this link for Program Calendar 2007-2008. Cleveland - The Coordinated Dietetic Internship/Master's Degree Program is 16 months in length with the first 11 months devoted to completing the accredited Dietetic Internship Program and 14 hours of graduate school coursework. Click this link for Program Calendar 2008-2009. Los Angeles - Click here for program Curriculum and Graduation Requirements Minneapolis - The MVAMC Dietetic Internship is a full time program providing a general emphasis. The internship program provides 1680 hours (October – July) of rotation in clinical dietetics, food service management and community nutrition. Approximately 1450 hours of supervised practice, 80 hours of didactic classes and 150 hours of vacation/federal holidays make up the internship year. The professional staff of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center Nutrition and Food Service Department administers the program. Registered Dietitians participate in curriculum development in their specialty areas, the development of evaluation procedures and forms and will be the preceptors of interns. Staff physicians, nurse managers and practitioners, clinical specialists, therapists and pharmacists of various specialties and services provide advice and information that can be incorporated in to the training experience. Staff of affiliate facilities will be preceptors for those rotations they supervise and assist in curriculum development of those rotations. No credit is given for assessment of prior learning. San Diego - The full-time program provides over 1400 hours of didactic and clinical learning that may begin in a classroom and continue at the patient's bedside. Interns spend their first week in orientation to the hospital, department and internship program. This is followed by the management area rotations, a week of clinical orientation and then the clinical and community rotations. Interns spend 32 hours per week in a supervised practice setting and 8 hours per week in the classroom. Class days are reserved for class sessions, guest lecturers and field trips, planning sessions for individual and group projects, and intern presentations. Additional time above the scheduled hours is necessary for rotation preparation and assignments, professional meetings, and other related activities. The VA San Diego libraries, laboratories and research facilities, and professional staffs of all participating institutions contribute to a free exchange of knowledge and skill. Graduate courses are not part of the curriculum. No credit is given for assessment of prior learning. San Juan - Interns spend the first six weeks of the internship in classroom sessions. These class sessions are reserve for guest lecturers, seminars, research workshop, and field trips, planning sessions for individual and group projects and intern presentations. The rest of the time comprises experiences in supervised practice setting. Clinical rotations make up the largest portion of the internship program. Most clinical rotations are two to three weeks in length. Management and administrative rotations are planned to provide interns with a variety of food service systems management experiences. In addition to learning experiences about food service operations and administrative styles, interns will participate in planning and supervising menu conferences conduct employee education in-services and will participate in special administrative projects for the institution. The curriculum encourages the development of critical thinking skills, professional competence and high positive traits in human relations and communications. Graduate courses are not part of the curriculum. St Louis - Interns spend eight hours per week in the classroom and 32 hours per week in a supervised practice setting. Class days are reserved for class sessions, guest lecturers and field trips, planning sessions for individual and group projects, and intern presentations. Additional time above the scheduled hours is necessary for rotation preparation and assignments, professional meetings, and other related activities. The curriculum encourages the development of a disciplined mind, critical and creative thought, skills in human relations and communications, flexibility as well as professional competence. Graduate courses are not part of the curriculum. Infrequent weekends, nights and holidays may be part of the intern’s schedule. Tampa - The intern will be on duty 40 hours a week, including the occasional possibility of some week-end duty. The program begins in August and interns graduate in June of the following calendar year. Usually, classes are held during on-duty time, but additional time for study is necessary over and above scheduled duty hours. OrientationBay Pines and San Diego - Orientation begins at the end of August. Interns receive a one-week overview of the VA, its facilities, the Nutrition and Foodservice Program, the internship and its activities. Discussions are based on the philosophy of learning, the interns' role as a professional-in-training and location of resources available to interns. Initial classes on skills needed for patient care are also included. Chicago - The first two weeks of the internship are spent in a general orientation. Interns receive an in depth introduction to the internship program, the department's organization, policies and procedures, and an overview of the philosophy and goals of the hospital. The interns are introduced to the Food and Nutrition staff as well as key administrators in the facility. Staff members teach classes on nutritional assessment, nutrition counseling, documentation in the medical record, and food service systems. St Louis - Interns spend the first week of the dietetic internship program in orientation. Interns receive an overview of the DVA, its facilities, the Nutrition and Foodservice Program, the internship and its activities. A tour of both divisions and meetings with other health care team members are scheduled. Discussions are based on the philosophy of learning, the interns' role as a professional-in-training and location of resources available to interns. Initial classes on skills needed for patient care are also included. Tampa - There is a one-week orientation period at the beginning of the 42-week program. Most rotations are two weeks long. RotationsRotation schedules are unique to each site. Select a location to view the rotation schedule:
VacationBay PinesTen vacation days and those holidays granted to federal employees are also included in the program. Infrequent weekends, nights and holidays may be part of the intern's schedule. Bronx - Two weeks Chicago - There is one week of vacation scheduled at the end of December, and National Holidays are observed except when they conflict with graduate level/UIC classes. During orientation a schedule of unit rotations will be provided to interns during their orientation period. Houston - Thanksgiving (3 Days), Christmas (1 week), Spring Break (1 week) St Louis and San Juan - Interns are given one week of vacation between the Christmas and New Year Holidays. Interns are also off on all federal holidays that take place during the internship program. San Diego - Interns are given one week of vacation between the Christmas and New Year Holidays. Interns are also 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. Tampa - Two one-week vacations (1 week at Christmas and 1 week around Easter) and ten holidays are planned during the internship period. Program CompletionProgram completion is reached when the intern has satisfied all learning objectives within established levels of performance. Successful completion fulfills requirements for membership in the American Dietetic Association. Graduates are eligible to take the registration examination for dietitians. The registration exam for dietitians is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the American Dietetic Association. AccreditationTampa - Dietetic Interns must possess a baccalaureate degree in Nutrition/Dietetics with a Verification Statement signed by the Didactic Program Director of a CADE accredited program in order to apply for a Dietetic Internship. Graduates of CADE accredited Internships must have a Verification Statement indicating successful completion of the internship, signed by the Internship Director. This will confirm their eligibility to take the ADA national examination to become a Registered Dietitian. Bay Pines, Bronx, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Juan, St Louis and Tampa The program is currently granted continued Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association (CADE). Address: Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association |
