Attention A T users. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. 1. Please switch auto forms mode to off. 2. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). 3. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links.

Dietetic Internship Program

Menu
Menu
Quick Links
Veterans Crisis Line Badge
My healthevet badge
 

VA Caribbean Healthcare System (San Juan)

Program Rotations

The VA Caribbean Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program is 47 weeks long, with more than 1,600 supervised practice hours. The program is full-time (40 hours/week) and begins annually in August. The dietetic interns are four days in the rotations (32 hours/week) and one day (8 hours/week) in Learning Activity Days (i.e., planned didactic class activities and projects). The interns take one week (40 hours) of vacation between the Christmas and New Year holidays and are off during federal holidays.

Clinical Rotations (26 weeks)

  • Clinical Dietetic Technician (1 week)
  • Medicine (3 weeks)
  • Acute Behavioral Health Inpatient Care Unit (ABHICU) (1 week)
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (1 week)
  • Oncology (2 weeks) 
  • General Surgery, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Parenteral Nutrition (2 weeks) 
  • Spinal Cord Injury and Related Disorders (2 weeks)
  • Intensive Care/Critical Care Unit (2 weeks) 
  • Hospice Care (1 week) 
  • Community Living Center (1 week)
  • Home Based Primary Care (1 week) 
  • Hemodialysis (2 weeks) 
  • Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) (2 weeks)
  • Social Media & Video Production (1 week)
  • Women's Clinic/Home Telehealth (1 week)
  • Geriatric Clinic (1 week) 
  • Cardiology Clinic (1 week) 
  • Metabolic Clinic (1 week) 

Food Service and Management (10 weeks)

  • Food Service Administration and Purchasing (3 weeks) 
  • Menu Planning and Quality Monitoring (3 weeks) 
  • Commercial Cafeteria (2 weeks) 
  • Leadership and Clinical Management (2 weeks) 

Community Rotations (Affiliations 3 weeks)

  • Pediatric (1 week)
  • Sport Nutrition (1 week)
  • WIC (1 week) 

Other:

  • Research week (1 week)
  • Orientation (first week in the program) (3 weeks) 
  • Vacation (Christmas break) (1 week) 
  • Professional Dietetic Experience/Staff Relief (3 weeks)
* In addition to the assignments and daily work from the rotations, there are several projects that must be completed.

Projects and other learning activities:

  • Research Study
  • In-depth Clinical Case Study
  • Clinical Seminars
  • International Food Seminar
  • Coding and Billing Project
  • Articles for magazines, or social media
  • Cooking Demonstration and Healthy Teaching Cooking
  • Podcast Recording
  • National Nutrition Month
  • Public Policy Project
  • Retail Dietitian (visit)

Program Length

DIP Only Track

The DIP-only track's program length includes 1,664 planned supervised practice experiences and is generally 1,880 hours long or 47 weeks in duration (11 months).

DI/Master Program Track

The VA Caribbean Healthcare System DI/Master Program Track it is 24 months long, with the first 12 months completing graduate coursework and 11 months (47 weeks) completing the supervised practice portion while also enrolled in graduate coursework during the first academic semester.

DI/Master of Nutrition Science (MHSc):

Students enrolled in the DI/MHSc program are able to complete 36 graduate coursework credits within 24 months. In the DI program, students will receive 12 Prior Learning Assessment credits for the required 36 credits for the master's in nutrition. These 12 credits will be awarded upon verification of completion of the DI. The remaining 24 credits can be completed within a 15-month timeline. Typically, students begin their first fall semester in late August and complete their coursework in early November of the following academic year. In the fall semester of the second year, students will enroll in their final courses while simultaneously participating in the Dietetic Internship Program, which usually runs from August to June (11 months).

DI/Master of Science in Integrative Exercise Science (MSIES):

In the DI/MSIES program, students can complete 36 graduate coursework credits within 24 months. In the DI program, students will receive 12 Prior Learning Assessment credits towards the required 36 credits for the Master’s in Integrative Exercise Science. These 12 credits will be awarded upon verification of completion of the DI. The remaining 24 credits can be completed within a 15-month timeline. Typically, students begin their first fall semester in late August and complete their coursework in early November of the following academic year. In the fall semester of the second year, students will enroll in their final courses while simultaneously participating in the Dietetic Internship Program, which usually runs from August to June (11 months).

DI/Master of Professional Studies (MPS):

In the DI/MPS program (formerly MMS, Modular Master of Science), students are able to complete 30 graduate coursework credits within 24 months. Graduate courses (18 credits) are expected to be finished in 12 months, while PLA credits (12 credits) can be completed in 11 months. Typically, students begin their first fall semester from August to December, followed by the spring semester from January to May, and then take the summer II session in July and August. In the fall semester of the second year, students will enroll in their final courses while simultaneously participating in the Dietetic Internship Program, which usually runs from August to June (11 months).

DI/Master of Business Administration (MBA):

In the DI/MBA program, students are able to complete 36 graduate coursework credits within 24 months. Graduate courses are expected to be finished in 12 months (30 credits), while PLA credits (6 credits) can be completed in 11 months. Typically, students begin their first fall semester from August to December, followed by the spring semester from January to May. They take coursework over the Summer from May to August. In the fall semester of the second year, students will enroll in their final courses while simultaneously participating in the Dietetic Internship Program, which usually runs from August to June (11 months).

DI/Master of Public Health (MPH):

In the DI/MPH program, students are able to complete 42 graduate coursework credits within 20 months. Students enrolled in the DI program will receive 15 credits of Prior Learning Assessment credits towards the required 42 credits in the MPH. These 15 credits will be awarded upon verification of completion of the DI program. The remaining 27 credits can be completed within the 20-month time frame. Typically, students begin their first fall semester in late August and complete the coursework in May of the following academic year. In the fall semester of the second year, students will enroll in their final courses while simultaneously participating in the Dietetic Internship Program, which usually runs from August to June (11 months).
return to top go