Central Texas VA Medical Center
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Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a 3-step process:
- First complete both an undergraduate and graduate ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). The DPD provides all the prerequisite and core dietetic courses needed for preparation for the supervised practice portion of the RDN training.
- The supervised practice portion is completed during the dietetic internship which is the second step to becoming an RDN. This step requires you to apply for, be accepted to, and complete an ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship program.
- After successful completion of a dietetic internship, you must then take and pass the national Registration Examination for the RDN credential, which is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Effective January 1, 2024, the CDR will require a minimum of a graduate degree to take the Dietetic Registration Exam.
State Certification or Licensure
After obtaining your RDN, it is encouraged to obtain state licensure, as it may be required with non-federal employers. We recommend students contact the appropriate state licensing agency in their state or the state where they intend to work to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding state licensure/certification requirements before beginning the program. For the state of Texas, successful completion of a bachelor’s or Graduate Degree from an ACEND accredited dietetics program, completion of an accredited dietetic internship program, passage of the examination for registered dietitian nutritionists, and passage of the Texas Jurisprudence Exam are all required. The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System Dietetic Internship Program meets the requirement of an accredited dietetic internship program. Information on Texas State Licensure for Dietitians is available at the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation for Dietitians Website. For further information regarding other state licensures please visit State Licensure - Commission on Dietetic Registration (cdrnet.org).
Program Overview
The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) will offer a 46-week Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Dietetic Internship Program and will prepare the graduates to work in a variety of entry level dietetic settings including clinical dietetics, food service management, general nutrition education, long term care, weight management, and a variety of other community positions. Supervised practice experiences for Medical Nutrition Therapy, foodservice systems management and community nutrition are offered in accordance with practice areas of registered dietitians at the CTVHCS. This program is not affiliated with any universities and requires a master's degree upon admission. Dietetic interns are eligible to take the Registered Examination for Dietitians upon completion of the CTVHCS Dietetic Internship Program.
During this 46-week internship program, the intern will be on duty 40 hours per week between the months of August to June. One day each week will be dedicated to a didactic review class while the other 4 days of the week comprise of supervised practice in various nutrition rotations. There will be a 2-week orientation period at the beginning of the program and most rotations are two to three weeks long, outside of the food service rotation. Interns will receive a one-week vacation at Christmas, as well as observed federal holidays. Our program will select up to 6 interns each year.
The 46-week program will include practical experience, class days and lectures with a minimum of 1192 hours of supervised practice. Clinical practice with our acute care inpatient unit focuses on Medical Nutrition Therapy and includes cardiology, acute medicine, surgical, and critical care units. We also house a Domiciliary drug, alcohol and mental health rehab unit and a Community Living Center for physical rehabilitation and long-term care. We have a large multi-site food service operation at our Temple and Waco campuses. Our outpatient clinics focus on general nutrition education, diabetes, the VAs MOVE! weight loss program, and specialized nutrition care with separate counseling clinics for eating disorder treatment, oncology patients and a women’s health clinic. Interns will also work with community partners such as our local Women, Infants and Children’s clinic to gain knowledge in the pediatric population as well as a local dialysis clinic.
Interns will not be required to locate their own supervised practice sites or preceptors. The CTVHCS DI Program is not a distance program and thus all practice will occur within the CTVHCS facilities or local affiliate sites. No credit will be awarded for prior learning experiences or classwork.
Program Completion Requirements
To graduate from the CTVHCS DI Program, the dietetic intern is responsible for the following:
- Successfully complete all rotations and assignments with at least 1192 hours of supervised practice during the planned 46 weeks of practical experience, class days, and lectures.
- Successfully meet all required ACEND competencies via completion of supervised practice rotations and assignments by specified due dates with a minimum passing grade of at least 80%.
- Successfully complete a clinical staff experience rotation with an overall rating of “Competent” at entry-level.
- Attend professional meetings, workshops, and/or seminars as assigned.
- Completes a preceptor evaluation form for all rotation preceptors and provides to the DI Director.
- Completes all of these program requirements within the maximum of 69 weeks of entry into the program (150% of the program length).
After completion of the program requirements interns will be program graduates and will be issued 5 copies of their Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Dietetic Internship Verification Statement.
Dietetic Internship Director Contact Information
Name: Autumn Taylor, MS, RDN
Email: Autumn.Taylor1@va.gov
Phone Number: 254-743-0634
