VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Admission Requirements and Application Instruction
1. Internship Only Track
VA ECHCS DI Program participates in the Spring online centralize internship application process, DICAS, which can be accessed here DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com). Applicants must have a completed master’s degree prior to the start date of the internship to be eligible for this track.
2. Combined Dietetic Internship/Master's Degree Track
Applicants interested in applying to the MS / DI option will need to apply to both the University of Alabama Graduate School and the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program. Applicants to the combined program must meet requirements for both the internship program and the University of Alabama. While VA ECHCS DI does not have a GPA requirement, The University of Alabama does require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission. To be considered for regular admission to the Graduate School, you must have at least one of the following GPAs (on a 4.0 scale): an overall 3.0 GPA, an overall 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours, or a 3.0 GPA in your graduate program. If your GPA is lower than recommended, you may be considered for admission with additional requirements. Please check with your prospective program for more information.
All Applications
- United States Citizen by the application deadline.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution earned prior to starting the internship/graduate program.
- Applicants must possess an official Verification Statement of Completion or Declaration of Intent to Complete from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), with original signatures issued within the last 5 years.
- Federal law requires that most people assigned a male gender at birth who lived in the US between the ages of 18 and 26 register with the Selective Service System. People required to register but who failed to do so by their 26th birthday, are barred from any position in any Executive Agency. Visit https://www.sss.gov to register, print proof of registration or apply for a Status Information Letter
- Satisfactory background check (performed by ECHCS)
- Satisfactory physical examination (at the applicant's expense) prior to reporting for duty. This includes COVID-19 and other vaccinations or appropriate medical or religious exemptions.
- Signed MS/DI FERPA Waiver
University Admission criteria
Information about graduate program admission requirements can be found on the university website: Supporting Documents – Graduate School | The University of Alabama
Record of Prior Learning
Applicants must have completed the requirements of an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and hold a bachelor's from an accredited college or university. Official transcripts indicating the date of confirmation of your degree plus a Verification Statement of Program Completion are required prior to the start of the internship. In addition, applicants must show proof of a completed master’s degree or enrollment in the UA Master’s Program in Human Nutrition. Please note that no credit will be given for previously obtained learning or work experiences prior to entering the internship program.
Selection Process
The VA ECHCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Selection of interns will be made without discrimination as to age, gender, race, color, religion, handicap, or national origin. Interview are conducted for our highest scoring applications. Interviews are conducted with the Dietetic Internship Director and two additional members of the selection committee who may include RD preceptors, Chief of Nutrition, members of the VA interdisciplinary team or UA faculty. All interested applicants should consider attending an open house. Open house information can be found on our Program Information page.
Criteria for Internship Selection
The VA ECHCS DI Program values diversity, equity, and inclusion by taking a holistic approach to intern selection. The selection criteria are summarized below.
Internship Application Instructions
Following are instructions for applying to both the non-degree and the combined master's track. The on-line application must be completed on the DICAS website DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com) by February 15. Instructions for DICAS application components specific to the VA Selection Criteria are listed below.
Personal Information: If you are a Veteran, please select that option on the DICAS application Personal Information section. Veterans receive preferential application scoring.
Education History: Completion of a DPD program prior to the beginning of internship start date is required. Please include all education history. The VA ECHS DI Program also considers other degrees and certifications. It is highly encouraged for applicants to explain how their additional degrees and/or certifications have prepared them to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
Experiences and Honors: All honors, academic, work and volunteer experiences will be considered in admission selection. Please include all transferrable skills from dietetics and non-dietetics-related experiences on the DICAS application. It is highly encouraged for applicants to provide detailed information on how the skills have prepared them to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
Personal Statement: Complete a personal statement in 1,000 words or less. Please address the following questions in your personal statement:
- Why are you specifically interested in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program? What makes you a 'good fit' for our program?
- What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you to be a successful intern and future RDN?
- What do you hope to contribute to the dietetics profession?
- What are your strengths? What areas do you feel you need to improve in?
Letters of Recommendation: The VA ECHCS DI Program requires 3 letters of recommendation. It is recommended that at least one letter is written by a current or previous supervisor, and at least one letter is written by a current or previous professor.
Application Process
The VA ECHCS Dietetic Internship will participate in the online centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed in early October at DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com). The online application must be completed by the deadline set by ACEND (11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15). The computer matching fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application and an additional $25 per subsequent application. Applicants must also register online for D&D Digital https://www.dnddigital.com/ada/index.php for computer matching and select dietetic internship priority choices by the deadline set by ACEND (typically 11:59 p.m. Central Time on February 15). There is a $50 computer matching fee. No paper applications will be accepted.
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