VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Admission Requirements and Application Instruction
1. Internship Only Track
VA ECHCS DI Program participates in the Spring online centralize internship application process, DICAS, which can be accessed here DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com). Applicants must have a completed master’s degree prior to the start date of the internship to be eligible for this track.
2. Combined Dietetic Internship/Master's Degree Track
Applicants interested in applying to the MS / DI option will need to apply to both the University of Alabama Graduate School and the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program. Applicants to the combined program must meet requirements for both the internship program and the University of Alabama. While VA ECHCS DI does not have a GPA requirement, The University of Alabama does require a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission. To be considered for regular admission to the Graduate School, you must have at least one of the following GPAs (on a 4.0 scale): an overall 3.0 GPA, an overall 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours, or a 3.0 GPA in your graduate program. If your GPA is lower than recommended, you may be considered for admission with additional requirements. Please check with https://ches.ua.edu/nhm/ms-in-human-nutrition/ for more information. To give the UA graduate and DI program adequate time to review applications, MS/DI track applicants must apply to the UA graduate program by January 15th. This is needed to assure that timely admission information is provided for DI program application review.
All Applications
- United States Citizen by the application deadline.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution earned prior to starting the internship/graduate program.
- Applicants must possess an official Verification Statement of Completion or Declaration of Intent to Complete from an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), with original signatures issued within the last 5 years.
- Federal law requires that most people assigned a male gender at birth who lived in the US between the ages of 18 and 26 register with the Selective Service System. People required to register but who failed to do so by their 26th birthday, are barred from any position in any Executive Agency. Visit https://www.sss.gov to register, print proof of registration or apply for a Status Information Letter
- Satisfactory background check (performed by ECHCS)
- Satisfactory physical examination (at the applicant's expense) prior to reporting for duty. This includes COVID-19 and other vaccinations or appropriate medical or religious exemptions.
- Signed MS/DI FERPA Waiver for those applying to the MS/DI track.
University Admission criteria
Information about graduate program admission requirements can be found on the university website: https://ches.ua.edu/nhm/ms-in-human-nutrition/.
Record of Prior Learning
Applicants must have completed the requirements of an ACEND accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and hold a bachelor's from an accredited college or university. Official transcripts indicating the date of confirmation of your degree plus a Verification Statement of Program Completion are required prior to the start of the internship. In addition, applicants must show proof of a completed master’s degree or enrollment in the UA Master’s Program in Human Nutrition. Please note that no credit will be given for previously obtained learning or work experiences prior to entering the internship program.
Selection Process
The VA ECHCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Selection of interns will be made without discrimination as to age, gender, race, color, religion, handicap, or national origin. Interview are conducted for our highest scoring applications. Interviews are conducted with the Dietetic Internship Director and two additional members of the selection committee who may include RD preceptors, Chief of Nutrition, members of the VA interdisciplinary team or UA faculty. All interested applicants should consider attending an open house. Open house information can be found on our Program Information page.
Criteria for Internship Selection
The VA ECHCS DI Program values diversity, equity, and inclusion by taking a holistic approach to intern selection. The selection criteria are summarized below.
Internship Application Instructions
Following are instructions for applying to both the non-degree and the combined master's track. The on-line application must be completed on the DICAS website DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com) by January 15. Instructions for DICAS application components specific to the VA Selection Criteria are listed below.
Personal Information: If you are a Veteran, please select that option on the DICAS application Personal Information section. Veterans receive preferential application scoring.
Education History: Completion of a DPD program prior to the beginning of internship start date is required. Please include all education history. The VA ECHS DI Program also considers other degrees and certifications. It is highly encouraged for applicants to explain how their additional degrees and/or certifications have prepared them to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
Experiences and Honors: All honors, academic, work and volunteer experiences will be considered in admission selection. Please include all transferrable skills from dietetics and non-dietetics-related experiences on the DICAS application. It is highly encouraged for applicants to provide detailed information on how the skills have prepared them to be successful as a dietetic intern and future RDN.
Personal Statement: Complete a personal statement in 1,000 words or less. Please address the following questions in your personal statement:
- Why are you specifically interested in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program? What makes you a 'good fit' for our program?
- What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you to be a successful intern and future RDN?
- What do you hope to contribute to the dietetics profession?
- What are your strengths? What areas do you feel you need to improve in?
Letters of Recommendation: The VA ECHCS DI Program requires 3 letters of recommendation. It is recommended that at least one letter is written by a current or previous supervisor, and at least one letter is written by a current or previous professor.
Application Process
The VA ECHCS Dietetic Internship will participate in the online centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed on August 5th at DICAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com). The online application must be completed by 11:59 p.m. MST on January 15. The computer matching fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application and an additional $25 per subsequent application. No paper applications will be accepted.
Selection/Appointment Process
- Open House: All interested applicants should consider attending an open house. ECHCS DI will be part of the VA Open House Forums. (Please visit the “Program Information” tab on our website for dates and attendance information) If you are unable to attend any of the open houses, please take time to review our website for program details in addition to reaching out to the DI Director with any questions.
- Application Submission: Completed applications must be received in DICAS by January 15th, 2025, at 11:59pm (MST).
- Application Review: Completed applications are reviewed and scored by the DI Director and the selection committee on a rolling basis. Members of our selection committee change each year but include the DI Director and program preceptors.
- Interviews: Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis for applicants who meet minimum program requirements. Notification of interview offer will be sent out to the applicants via the email listed on their DICAS application. Interviews will be conducted virtually with the interview committee including DI Director and program preceptors and/or dietitian staff.
- Appointment Notifications: The 2025-2026 selection cycle will include the new pilot procedures for appointment notification and acceptance procedures. For additional information from ACEND regarding the Application Process for Students visit: Application Process for Students (eatrightpro.org).
Notification and Appointment Procedure
- Offers of admission may be extended to any applications deemed complete by the program at any time during the admission cycle.
- March 1st, 2025, (no later than at 10AM MST): All applicants notified of status (i.e., acceptance offer, a waitlisted status, or a rejection notification).
- March 15th, 2025 (no later than 4PM MST): All applicants offered an appointment must contact the DI Director via either email or telephone (Please see “Program Intro” tab for contact information) to either confirm or decline offer. No commitment to hold acceptance offers will stand after this deadline.
- March 16th, 2025: Any available appointments will be offered to applicants on waitlisted status as available via email. (*applicants may be notified sooner if positions become available).
- A letter will be sent to appointees confirming the dietetic internship appointment. This letter is considered tentative until the appointee has successfully completed all hiring and onboarding requirements of the VA including but not limited to a background check with fingerprints, physical/mental health examination, and demonstrating satisfactory immunization/vaccination status.
For more information regarding the Dietetics Applicant and Program Code of Conduct and Traffic Rules for the 2024-2025 Pilot Year visit: dietetics-code-of-conduct-and-traffic-rules.pdf (eatrightpro.org)
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