Dietetic Internship Program
VA St. Louis Health Care System Dietetic Internship
Program Mission and Goals
Mission Statement
To prepare entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists to meet the challenges of health care and community environments through a well-rounded program that focuses on the continuum of care from health promotion to disease prevention to chronic disease management with an emphasis on delivering patient-focused care, developing cultural sensitivity and advocating for change.
Program Philosophy
It is our philosophy that critical thinking, problem solving, strong communication skills, resource management skills, organizational skills, leadership skills and cultural competence are necessary to serve in professional organizations and to practice as a dietitian in a vast array of work settings.
Goals and Objectives
Goal: Prepare culturally competent registered dietitian nutritionists who have attained skills to perform entry-level dietetics practice related to health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management and to serve the nutritional needs to the Veteran population and the community at large.
- Objective 1 - At least 80% of interns complete the program requirements within 150% of the program length.
- Objective 2 - At least 80% of program graduates will take the CDR credentialing exam within 12 months of program completion.
- Objective 3 - The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- Objective 4 - Of graduates who seek employment, at least 70% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
- Objective 5 - One hundred percent of graduates completing the program will demonstrate improved cultural competence, along with knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management strategies over the course of the internship program.
- Objective 6 - At least 90% of employers responding to post graduate surveys will rate graduates as prepared for entry level practice.
Goal: Prepare registered dietitian nutritionists to effectively work with diverse patient and community populations and to advocate for programs and policies aimed at improving health among vulnerable individuals and populations.
- Objective 1 - Eighty percent of graduates responding to postgraduate surveys will report high confidence in their abilities to use a unified health communication approach (awareness of an individual's health literacy, cultural preferences, reading ability, and language skills) with patients, clients, and other stakeholders.
- Objective 2 - Within five years of graduation, 50% of graduates will report having advocated for public or social policy reform or in health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease management efforts aimed at improving the health of vulnerable individuals and populations at a national, local, or organizational level.
- Objective 3 - Within five years of graduation, 20% of graduates will be employed in the VA Health Care System.
Goals Met
- Surpassed goal of 80% intern completion within 150% of the program length.
- Exceeded goal of 70% employment for graduates in nutrition and dietetics within 12 months.
- Not only do 100% of our graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion, but we also currently have a 100% first time pass rate on the exam.
- Employers rank all graduates at or above entry level in post-graduate surveys.
- All our graduates report high confidence in their ability to use a unified health communication approach.
- Exceeded goal for graduates advocating for public or social policy reform.
- Over 20% of our graduates are employed in the VA Health Care System.
