Dietetic Internship Program

James J. Peters Bronx VA Medical Center

JJPVA Dietetic Internship Application Information 

General and VA-Specific Admission Requirements, Application Instructions & Fees, and Selection Process

A maximum of 7 dietetic interns are appointed annually during each Spring cycle. Note: While we only accept up to 7 interns annually, our maximum dietetic intern enrollment is 14. Dietetic interns in the 16-month MS/DI track will still be completing NYU coursework in their final full-time semester (2nd program year) following the 12-month supervised practice portion of the Dietetic Internship is completed while a new class of interns in the MS/DI and standalone DI will start the program. 

A sincere note to applicants: While our program is competitive, we take the time to review every application received, considering all aspects of each application. If you are contemplating applying, we encourage you to do so. 

General Admission Requirements

• Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS). JJPVA DI participates in the application match via DICAS. No paper applications will be accepted. 
• Degree Requirement: Applicants matched to our program must hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university (conferred before the internship start date) and must have completed the requirements of an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) set forth by Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Please note: During the application process, a DPD Letter of Intent will suffice however, an official transcript indicating the confirmation of your degree and a DPD Verification Statement are required prior to the start of the internship. Our program has a policy on recency of education which requires all applicants to have taken a Medical Nutrition Therapy or similar nutrition and therapy course of 3-credit hours within the last 3 years prior to time of application. 
• JJPVA MS/DI Program: All applicants without a previous master's degree in clinical nutrition (or related field) MUST apply or already be enrolled in the Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition at New York University to be considered. 
• GPA Requirement: A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0. 
• Work and Volunteer Experience: Experiences (excluding practicum experience) which demonstrate exposure and commitment to the field of dietetics and professional practice.  
• Extracurricular Activities: related to dietetics. These may include volunteer experiences, food drives, student nutrition/dietetic club membership, nutrition education materials and/or classes/programs you have developed.
• Letters of recommendation: We require 3 letters of recommendation. Tip: We are interested in how your college professors/instructors and work supervisors evaluate you and your work. Please carefully choose those who can adequately assess your abilities to perform as a dietetic intern.
• Personal Statement: The JJPVA DI requires a personal statement specific to our program. This statement allows the reviewers to get a sense of who you are as a person, your interests, your commitment to the profession, the reason you chose to pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian, your long- and short-term career goals and the reason for choosing the program. For those considering the MS/DI track, please specify the reasons for choosing our program. 
• Supplementary Material (Proof of U.S. Citizenship): Applicants MUST be United States Citizens to receive a stipend. Proof of U.S. Citizenship (valid passport or birth certificate) is required to be submitted as a supplemental document through the DICAS portal.

VA-Specific Admission Requirements

For successful appointment, once selected for the JJPVA DI: 

• Selective Service: Male born applicants ages 18-26 will be required to register for selective service or be exempt and provide verification of their status through Selective Service Online Registration Search.
• Background Check: All trainees must complete fingerprinting and pass a background check (paid for by the VA). 
• Physical Examination: To be eligible for appointment, all trainees must show verification of good mental and physical health to meet the demands of a Dietetic Internship. This document will be obtained through the applicant's primary provider prior to reporting to duty. Should need present, VA may be available to support the completion of this required document. Please connect with internship director.  
• Immunization/Vaccination Documentation: All trainees must be up to date on vaccinations for health care workers as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers | CDC and VA. Human Resources, the program director and occupational health will provide necessary forms for documentation that are required for onboarding. 
• Drug Testing: All trainees are subject to random drug testing per Human Resources guidelines during their time of employment with VA. Drug screening is not required by the VA for admission to the internship. Drug testing has not been required by an outside affiliate. If an outside affiliate site begins to require drug testing, it will be at the interns' expense. No estimated costs for this are currently available as it is not required at this time.

Note:
Courtesy fingerprinting and health screen may be available at JJPVA or at your local VA medical facility. If your local VA facility cannot accommodate, it is the appointee's responsibility to present for onsite at the JJPVA MC prior to their start date to complete these requirements. For more information about the above VA-Specific onboarding requirements, please see 'OAA Am I Eligible?' Checklist. Should the background check or physical examination be unsatisfactory, no part of the expenses involved in reporting or returning home can be borne by the Federal Government.

The James J. Peters VAMC is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Selection of our interns follows these guidelines.

Application Instructions & Fees

Applicants to this program must complete the following steps: 

1. JJPVA Dietetic Internship via Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS)

Our program participates in the Spring DICAS application process. The application period begins August 5th, 2024.

Complete applications must be received in DICAS by January 15th, 2025, at 11:59pm (Eastern Time).

Special Instructions for JJPVA DI:
- DICAS Program Code: 96
- Under 'Supplemental Documents" submit proof of US Citizenship (valid passport or birth certificate). 

The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application submitted and $25 for each additional application. For additional information on the DICAS application and cycle dates visit the new DICAS Portal. If you have questions about the centralized application, please contact DICAS customer support at (617) 612-2855 or dicasinfo@dicas.org.

2. New York University Application Procedures (for applicants without a previous MS in Nutrition/Dietetics or related approved field)

Effective January 1, 2024, the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) will require a minimum of a Master’s degree to be eligible to take the credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). All applicants without a previously obtained Master's degree in clinical nutrition (or related approved field) interested in the JJPVA Dietetic Internship MUST apply to New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development-Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition (HOND-CNU) by January 15th, 2025, to be considered.

You may waive the NYU application fee by selecting that you are applying to the JJPVA DI program. Note: No GRE is not required for the NYU or JJPVA application. 

The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development- Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health is located at: 411 Lafayette St, 5th floor New York, NY 10003 Telephone: (212) 998-5580 Fax (212) 995-4194 Steinhardt Nutrition. To obtain information about NYU Steinhardt's graduate admissions programs and application materials for admission to the master's program in Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Nutrition (HOND-CNU) visit the website at: Steinhardt NYU Graduate Admissions. To obtain more information about NYU's graduate study tuition and fees, please visit in the financial information tab of this program. 

Note: While applicants in the MS/DI program will be responsible for their own NYU tuition, no additional tuition or processing fees are paid directly to the JJPVA DI Program.

**Applicants who possess or will complete a Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition (or related approved field) by program start may be exempt from application to NYU through an assessment of their prior learning. This option requires DI Program Director approval and is determined on a case-by-case basis. Contact DI Director, Verzhine Owens, at Verzhine.Owens@va.gov for inquiries.

What to Expect During the Selection Process

• Open House: All interested applicants should consider attending an open house. JJPVA DI will be hosting 3 open houses for the Spring 2025 match, one of which will be in-person at the hospital. If you are unable to attend any of the open houses, you are encouraged to contact the DI Director before applying to the internship. More information can be found on our Program Information page.
• Application Submission: Completed applications must be received in DICAS by January 15th, 2025, at 11:59pm (Eastern Time). 
• 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. It will always include the DI director, along with rotating RDN program preceptors, JJPVA Nutrition Department Leadership, members of the VA interdisciplinary team or NYU Nutrition faculty.
• 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 DI Director + 2 members of the selection committee for the Spring 2025 cycle. At the conclusion of the interview, an educational writing prompt will be e-mailed to applicants for completion within a specified time frame.
• Appointment Notifications: The Spring 2025 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). 

JJPVA DI Notification and Appointment Procedure

• JJPVA DI may begin extending offers of admission on applications deemed complete by the program at any time during the admission cycle. 
• JJPVA will notify all applicants of their status no later than March 1st, 2025, at 10 am (Eastern Time). Applicants may receive an acceptance offer, a waitlisted status, or a rejection notification. 
• JJPVA DI does not require a deposit to hold acceptance.  
• Applicants matched to the James J. Peters VA Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program must notify the Dietetic Internship Director, Verzhine Owens, via email Verzhine.Owens@va.gov (preferred) or by telephone at 718-584-9000 x 6845 to confirm acceptance of their offer by March 15th, 2025, at 2 pm (Eastern Time). After this time, the JJPVA DI Program has no commitment to hold acceptance offers to applicants. 
• For applicants on waitlisted status, should positions become available, they will be notified of their acceptance starting March 15th, 2025 after 2 pm (Eastern Time).  
• 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)

Page Updated: December 2024