Dietetic Internship Program
Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Medical Center
The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) Dietetic Internship (DI) was first established in 1952. The MEDVAMC DI is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and offers a 16-month Master of Science/Dietetic Internship (MS/DI) program which includes a 12-month (48-weeks) supervised practice experience. Our program partners with Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Houston, TX for a Master of Science in Nutrition degree or students can also choose to obtain a Master of Science in Exercise Sports Nutrition (ESN). The MEDVAMC program does also accept applicants with a previously obtained Master of Science in Nutrition (or similar with approval), to the DI only (48-weeks) program without the requirement of applying and completing their master's degree component at TWU.
When enrolled in the MS/DI, dietetic interns will take a total of 27 credit hours at TWU during the supervised practice academic year (August through July), generally 9 credits each semester thru a combination of face to face and on-line courses. After the supervised practice portion of the internship program is completed in late July, interns will then spend the next 4 months working on completing their remaining graduate courses to complete the masters degree. Enrolling in TWU for graduate school is a requirement of the combined master's dietetic internship.
Once the supervised practice rotations and Master of Science in Nutrition are successfully completed, Dietetic Interns will receive their ACEND Verification Statement (VS) allowing them to sit for the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR) examination to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). For Dietetic Interns with a completed master’s degree, they will receive their VS following the completion of the supervised practice portion of the DI.
The MEDVAMC is a tertiary care medical center that provides a broad range of inpatient and outpatient health care services. MEDVAMC Nutrition and Food Service (NFS) provides exceptional nutritional care by its knowledgeable clinical nutrition staff, extensive outpatient counseling and education programs, and quality inpatient services. As a hospital-based DI, approximately three-fourths of the supervised practice are spent in clinical rotations (inpatient, outpatient, and home based care), and the remaining time is spent in food service management, school food service, community, and management rotations.
The MEDVAMC DI program is proud to offer dietetic interns a paid stipend for their training provided by The Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) during their 48-weeks of supervised practice at the hospital. It is paid in bi-weekly deposits. Note: This stipend is only available for dietetic interns who hold U.S. Citizenship.
All applicants must apply to our program through Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System (DICAS) by the deadline (January 15, 2026). All applicants must show proof of verification of/or intent to complete their Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Applicants joining our program with a MS in Clinical Nutrition (or similar), must have completed with their graduate program degree requirements by the start of the internship. Further details about the application process may be found on the DI "Application Information" page.
Open House: Each year, the MEDVAMC hosts Open House sessions which provide attendees with the opportunity to learn all about our program, learn about the MEDVAMC, and meet many key people involved in the program. Preceptors, faculty, and interns will all be on hand to meet with those who attend. For those unable to attend, visitors are welcome throughout the year and small group tours can be arranged. Three informational sessions are planned for this year. If you would like to attend a virtual open house, please RSVP to Kristy.Becker2@va.gov at least one week prior to the event or you can RSVP for the September 19th open house at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FDXPJ6C or you can RSVP for the November 14th open house at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MGFJSFG
Virtual Open House Dates:
Friday, September 19, 2025
1:00-2:30pm CST
Friday, November 14, 2025
1:00pm-2:30pm CST
In Person Open House Dates:
Coming Soon!
To get the most out of this event, please review the information posted on the program's website beforehand.
Important Dates for Applicants for the 2026 - 2027 Class:
Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
Read an important personal message from the Program Director.
Accreditation
The program is currently granted continued accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Address:
Accreditation Council for Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Telephone: 1-800-877-1600 ext. 5400
email:acend@eatright.org
