Bay Pines VA Healthcare System
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Curriculum
During the 11 months of supervised practice, clinical rotations constitute the largest portion of the internship program. Core competencies are developed and achieved through supervised practice.
The clinical experience is structured into several rotations that provide both broad-based and in-depth exposure to nutrition therapy. General rotations include geriatrics, general medicine, outpatient care and surgery. Specialty areas covered encompass diabetes, home-based primary care, mental health, whole health, nutrition support and oncology. The culminating experience involves interns assuming full responsibility for the duties of a clinical dietitian in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
The administrative rotation offers interns diverse management experiences within food service systems including food production and procurement, food service operations, personnel management and employee education. Interns will also have the opportunity plan and supervise a theme meal. In addition, interns will dedicate time to clinical nutrition management, where they will develop skills in overseeing nutrition services within the healthcare system. This includes participating in the coordination and supervision of nutrition care delivery, managing clinical workflow, evaluating patient outcomes, and implementing quality improvement activities.
Community rotations provide experience through various affiliate sites, enabling Interns to work with diverse populations and cultures outside of the VA System. Throughout the internship, interns will also participate in visits to various alternative practice settings through arranged field trips.
Interns have the unique opportunity to complete a Special Project that allows them to demonstrate leadership, and coordination of previous administrative, clinical and community learning experiences in nutrition to meet an established goal. The Special Project will be completed throughout the program with allocated rotation time and some scheduled Mondays allotted for project requirements.
The Paul M. Russo Dietetic Internship does not grant credit for prior learning or experience.
Orientation
Orientation begins early August. During this period, interns receive a comprehensive one-week overview of the VA, its facilities, and the Nutrition and Foodservice Program, along with an introduction to the internship and its activities. This is followed by an additional week focused on clinical introduction to nutrition screening and assessment. The orientation discussions emphasize the philosophy of learning, the interns' role as professional-in-training and location of resources available to support their development. Initial classes on essential skills for patient care are also included to prepare interns for their clinical responsibilities.
Schedule and Holidays
Each intern will engage in a minimum of 32 and up to 40 hours of supervised practice weekly, typically from Tuesday to Friday. Some Mondays will be designated for didactic class days or time allocated to work on project assignments. The program offers two options for completion, both beginning in August and involving identical supervised practice hours and rotations at Bay Pines VAHCS and affiliate sites. Vacation days and those holidays granted to federal employees are also included in the program.
Internship Completion/Graduation Requirements
Completion of the Dietetic Internship requires the following:
- Successful completion of all planned supervised practice rotations and special project, as evaluated by preceptors and the Dietetic Internship Director.
- Successful completion of each rotation, which is based on the internship program’s progression of learning and can be made available upon request.
- Completion of required 1448 supervised practice hours.
- Attendance at all scheduled workshops, field trips and class days throughout the internship.
- Completion of a Master of Public Heath (MPH) degree with a concentration in Nutrition and Dietetics.*
*For those completing the MPH/DI program option, MPH degree requirements may be found here.
After satisfactory completion of the supervised practice experiences and verification of degree requirements for the Master of Public Health at the University of South Florida, College of Public Health, the Dietetic Internship Director will issue the graduate a Verification Statement.
For graduates who already hold a completed master’s degree, the Verification Statement is awarded upon completion of the supervised practice portion.
Graduates of the internship are eligible to take the Registration Exam for Dietitians once successful completion of the 24-month MPH/DI program or the 11-month Verification Statement only program is achieved.
Accreditation
The Paul M. Russo Dietetic Internship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
The contact information for ACEND is as follows:
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
(800) 877-1600, ext. 5400
University of South Florida is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
The contact information for the Commission on Colleges is as follows:
Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, GA 30033
(404) 679-4500
