Program Information
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Program Overview
The Lexington VA Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program is a 29-week program with a clinical nutrition concentration focusing on medical nutrition therapy that will prepare graduates to work as an entry level dietitian. Interns will be on duty 40 hours per week beginning in August. Interns will attend weekly supplemental classes taught by subject matter experts on the chosen topics. Our program requires a master’s degree upon admission and interns will be eligible to take the Registered Examination for Dietitians upon completion of the internship. Supervised practice experiences in medical nutrition therapy, foodservice management and community nutrition comprise the program which is divided as follows:
Clinical Nutrition –17 weeks, rotations include medicine/oncology, cardiology, long term care, renal, nutrition support/surgery, outpatient clinic and diabetes.
Foodservice Management – 4 weeks
Community – 2 weeks
Staff Relief – 4 weeks.
The internship will begin with one week of orientation which will include an introduction to the research project and the weekly class schedule. Class topics include TPN management (taught by PharmD), Crucial Conversations (a leadership class taught by Staff Development professionals), feeding difficulties and resources available (taught by Occupational Therapist), and Generation’s training. One week of vacation, in addition to federal holidays, will be granted.
Clinical rotations are sequenced in a manner that progresses from basic rotations (i.e., long term care, cardiology) where the interns become comfortable with medical team interaction and the Nutrition Care Process to more complex rotations (e.g., renal, nutrition support/surgery) where the interns focus on providing nutrition support to patients with a variety of complex medical conditions.
The end of the program will culminate in a community rotation and staff relief where interns will be able to utilize the knowledge they have acquired during their internship.
Graduation and program completion requirements
To graduate from the Lexington VA Health Care System Dietetic Internship Program, interns must:
- Successfully complete all supervised practice rotations, assignments, classes and the research project.
- Successfully meet all ACEND competencies as defined in the program's learning assessment plan.
- Complete all supervised practice hours and the competency requirements.
- Completion is required within 10 months of starting the progra
- Maintain the professional and ethical code of conduct expected.
- Complete all required rotations, projects and assignments satisfactorily as assessed by the preceptors and/or Internship Director.
- Submit all evaluations of the program and other necessary documentation to the Internship Director.
- Interns who successfully complete the internship program will be issued a verification statement by the internship director. This form confirms the completion of the supervised practice requirements of the program and provides the student with eligibility to write the registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
Steps to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN):
- Earn an undergraduate and graduate degree from an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). DPD coursework will include prerequisites necessary to be successful in a Dietetic Internship.
- Complete a supervised practice requirement. Individuals must complete at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice with an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship program. This step will require applying through DICAS.
- Pass a national exam for RDNs. Once you complete your internship, you will take CDR's Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians to become credentialed as registered dietetics nutritionist. Effective January 1, 2024, the CDR will require a minimum of a graduate degree to take the Dietetic Registration Exam.
- Meet requirements to practice in your state. Many states have licensure laws for food and nutrition practitioners. All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure purposes. Graduates will need to contact state licensing agency in the state where they intend to work to obtain information about licensure requirements.
- Stay up to date in dietetics through continuing education. After successfully passing the national exam and earning the credential, RDNs maintain ongoing professional development in order to stay up to date on the latest research, recommendations and best practices.
State Licensure:
As a federal entity, VHA cannot require every dietitian to hold state licensure when not all states have licensure available for dietitians.
Preceptors for the Community Rotation that are not employed by VA will be required to submit a copy of any registration or licensure that is required for their position. This information will be updated in the internship program files on an annual basis.
For further information regarding other state licensures please visit State Licensure - Commission on Dietetic Registration (cdrnet.org).
