Dietetic Internship Program

Memphis VA Medical Center

Memphis Program Intro Program Rotations Program Mission & Goals Financial Information Application Information Comments From Recent Grads Frequently Asked Questions Life in Memphis Memphis VAMC Web Site

Program Rotations and Schedule

Dietetic Internship Only Track
Length:  40 weeks of supervised practice

The standalone DI is a fulltime program with 40 hours of supervised practice scheduled per week.  The Program starts in early-September and finishes in mid-June.  Interns are scheduled Monday through Friday.  In addition to supervised practice hours, dietetic interns have assignments or readings to supplement their hands-on learning experience.  Graduates are issued a Verification Statement after successfully completing the supervised practice hours and completing a research or quality improvement project.

Combined MS/Dietetic Internship Track
Length:  40 weeks of supervised practice with 14 or 18 months of graduate school

The combined MS/DI program is a fulltime program with 36 hours of supervised practice per week combined with online graduate classes.  In addition to supervised practice hours and required coursework dietetic interns may have assignments or readings to supplement the hands-on learning experience.  Graduates are issued a Verification Statement after successfully completing the supervised practice hours, completing a research or quality improvement project, and conferral of a graduate degree.

For more information on graduate school, contact tmhylton@ches.ua.edu and see the MS in Human Nutrition webpage. For a general overview of the program, click here.  A more detailed Q&A session can be found here. Course descriptions can be found on the University of Alabama's website. 

University of Alabama and Catherine Austin Dietetic Internship at the Memphis VA Course Schedule for Spring Match:

1. Summer Semester:  Start online MS program and complete two courses (if on 18-month schedule) or three courses (if on 14-month schedule).
2. September:  Start rotations at the Memphis VA Medical Center.
3. Fall Semester:  Complete two online courses along with supervised practice.
4. Spring Semester:  Complete two online courses along with supervised practice
5. June:  Complete the dietetic internship program. 
6. Summer Semester:  Complete two courses (if on 18-month schedule) or complete degree with last three courses (if on 14-month schedule).
7. Fall Semester:  Complete degree with last two courses (if on 18-month schedule).
8. Receive Verification Statement upon successful completion of both the graduate degree and the dietetic internship.

Clinical and Community/Outpatient Rotations

The Catherine Austin Dietetic Internship at the Memphis VA Medical Center has a strong concentration in clinical skills.  Dietetic interns have opportunities to develop their analytical skills, utilize the nutrition care process and get an in-depth education on managing patients with complicated medical histories.  Our dietetic interns serve in multiple settings including our Dialysis, Cardiology, Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units and a Geriatric Rehab Facility.  Interns are provided with an opportunity to learn counseling skills in a variety of settings including our American Diabetes Association (ADA) Recognized Diabetes Education program, MOVE! Program, metabolic syndrome clinics, outpatient clinics, Healthy Teaching Kitchen, and Home Based Primary Care.  The Memphis VA Medical Center is also a regional center for women's health and caters to female Veterans of a variety of ages.  Opportunities for rotations at Church Health, and UT Center for Developmental Disabilities may also be available.  As dietetic interns are considered employees of the Medical Center and are provided a stipend to cover living expenses, 85% of rotations must take place at the Memphis VA Medical Center.

Management Rotations

The food service systems management experiences are planned to give the intern experience in a variety of food service and management situations.  In-depth experience involving food service production, staff training, quality assurance and financial management are incorporated into the rotation.  

Affiliate Rotations
Offsite rotations, field trips and seminars are evaluated each year and may change based on site availability and OAA approval.

Staff Relief

The final component of the dietetic internship is staff relief.  This is when the dietetic intern assumes the role of the registered dietitian.  Each intern is allowed to choose their field of interest for staff relief and optional rotations.  This experience is designed to allow the intern to utilize the counseling, assessment and communication skills they have acquired during the internship while developing their leadership and time management skills.  Our goal is that every intern that graduates from our internship is fully prepared and ready to assume the responsibilities and challenges of a Registered Dietitian.

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