VA San Diego Healthcare System
1. Do you have a Grade Point Average Requirement (GPA)?
2. Do you really provide a stipend? Are there any strings attached?
4. What areas of dietetic practice are graduates from your program currently working in?
5. Is there a distance option to your program? Can we work remote?
1. Do you have a Grade Point Average Requirement (GPA)?
A minimum of a 3.0 GPA is required. This includes Cumulative GPAs and the DPD Science, DPD Professional, and Total DPD GPAs.
2. Do you really provide a stipend? Are there any strings attached?
Interns accepted into our program receive a stipend of $25,600 (2023-2024) paid over the course of the internship in the form of a biweekly paycheck. There are no strings attached. Interns are not required to work for the VA, the government, or the military upon graduation. Although employment with the VA upon graduation is not a requirement, it has been our experience that most graduates have a desire to work for the VA Healthcare System.
One week of vacation may be scheduled mid-way through the program to coincide with the holidays. Interns are also scheduled off for some government holidays depending on their rotations. Other vacation days are, typically, not approved by the Internship Director, because the time off could cause an intern's supervised practice hours to fall below 1200, which could result in a program extension.
4. What areas of dietetic practice are graduates from your program currently working in?
Our program prepares future Registered Dietitians to work in a variety of areas in dietetics. Graduates from our program have found dietetic-related jobs in inpatient and outpatient clinical nutrition; pediatrics; community nutrition, including wellness programs and the WIC program; school nutrition; business and industry; consulting; sales for pharmaceutical companies; positions in management; and other positions in a variety of unique areas, including research and sports nutrition.
5. Is there a distance option to your program? Can we work remote?
Our program requires all dietetic interns to be located within the county of San Diego for the entire internship and does not offer distance options for supervised practice. While completing supervised practice at locations housed within the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), you will not be allowed to work remote due to VA policies that are set at a national level by the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA). While completing supervised practice at affiliate sites, you may be asked to work remotely. In those cases, you can choose to work from home if you have proper technology, or can come on-site to the VASDHS to utilize the computer and associated technology in the internship office.
