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Dietetic Internship Program

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VA St. Louis Health Care System Dietetic Internship



Get paid for your internship with a $25,200 stipend! The VA St. Louis Health Care System (VASTLHCS) Dietetic Internship offers comprehensive administrative support, eliminating the need to find your own rotations, preceptors, or activities to meet competencies.

Dear applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the VA St. Louis Health Care System Dietetic Internship (VASTLHCS DI). 

VASTLHCS is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Heartland network, providing care at ten locations throughout east central Missouri and southwestern Illinois and serving more than 65,000 Veterans annually.  The VASTLHCS maintains the only 5-Star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the St. Louis area, a confirmation of the excellent care provided.   

Our program was established in 1982 and continues to provide well-rounded, individualized, hands-on experiences in clinical settings, administration, food service management, and community dietetics. 

Interns learn how to reduce risk for chronic disease through health promotion and to help those with chronic disease/illness better self-manage while developing MNT clinical expertise, effective communication skills, and professional excellence. Interns explore how dietitians contribute to improving the health of citizens by understanding the social determinants of health which lead to health disparities and inequities. There are opportunities to provide advocacy across the profession, utilize evidence-based research, and appreciate the value of life-long education.

Benefits of interning at the VASTLHCS:

  • Stipend: Interns receive a stipend of $25,200 while completing the supervised practice portion of the internship which is paid bi-weekly minus taxes and benefits. In addition to the stipend, there is no separate application fee or tuition charge.
  • Increased job opportunities: Our program provides assistance with resume writing, interview preparation, and identifying job opportunities within the VA system nationwide. VA is committed to hiring health professionals who trained in VA.  Dietitians who trained at a VA facility are given hiring flexibilities when applying to any VA in the country.  With over 170 VA Medical Centers across the country there are many opportunities to stay in the VA. While the pay for entry-level dietetic positions varies across the country, within 5 years, most dietitians in the VA earn a higher salary than those who have been working in the private sector for 20 years!
  • Preceptors: We have a very dedicated staff of preceptors, most with over ten years of experience teaching and guiding interns through their supervised practice rotations. Here at the VASTLHCS our dietitians are highly respected by the medical staff and work at the top of our scope of practice.  Many of our preceptors hold advance practice certifications giving them enhanced knowledge and skills they share with our staff and interns.  Except for our administration rotation, our preceptor to intern ration is 1:1. Our small class size assures individualized attention from the program director and preceptors.
  • Resources: While interning at the VASTLHCS you will be issued a laptop and lab coat to be used while in the program. You will have a dedicated workspace.  You will have free online access to the eNCPT, Nutrition Care Manual, top quality medical journals, and other medical center library resources.

As you explore our program website, you will discover that our internship program offers many exciting and unique learning experiences.  We hope you will consider applying to our program and becoming one of the many successful graduates of the VASTLHCS DI!

Open House Events

To learn more about our program, please join us for one of our open houses.  To RSVP, please email the internship director, Angela Franklin, at least one week prior to the scheduled event.  Once the RSVP is received, you will be emailed the link for the virtual event.

Virtual open houses:

  • October 15, 2025, at 9:00 AM CST
  • December 19, 2025, at 12:00 PM CST

In addition to our open house events, the internship director is available to answer questions via phone, email, or an onsite visit/tour.  Please feel free to contact the internship director at any time.
Email: angela.franklin@va.gov
Phone: 314-652-4100 ext. 64594

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     


Accreditation

The VA St. Louis Health Care System Dietetic Internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).

Email: ACEND@eatright.org

Phone: 1-800-877-1600 ext. 5400
Website:  https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend

Mail: Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
         120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
         Chicago, IL 60606-6995


Note: Links above will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website.  The VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.
Page updated October 2025



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