Dietetic Internship Program
Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Medical Center
Application Instructions
The MEDVAMC program participates in the Spring DICAS application process. Our application period begins August 5th, 2024. Applications must be received and completed in DICAS by January 15th, 2025 at 11:59pm (Central Time). MAILED APPLICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
Notification and Appointment Procedure and VA-Specific Admission Requirements
*Note: this section will be updated with additional details following the formal release of guidance from ACEND.
This program is using the on-line centralized internship application, DICAS, which may be accessed at http://dicas.liaisoncas.com beginning in August 5th for the Spring 2025-2026 Application; Customer service can be e-mailed at DICASinfo@Dicas.org. The on-line application must be completed for our program by 11:59 p.m. central time by the January 15, 2025 program deadline. The fee to use DICAS is $50 for the first application submitted and $25 for each additional application. No paper applications will be accepted.
As part of the DICAS application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement in 1,000 words or less. Questions to be addressed in the personal statement include:
- Why are you interested in the Houston VA Medical Center?
- Why do you want to enter the dietetics profession?
- What are some experiences that have helped to prepare you for your career?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- What are your strengths and areas you are seeking to improve?
Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent to DICAS Transcript Dept. Please visit the DICAS website for complete instructions. When completing the DICAS application form, applicants must include the name and contact information (specifically an e-mail address) for each reference. This will trigger an e-mail message requesting completion of a reference form. The form will be completed on-line. Students applying to more than one program will need to use the same individuals as references for each application.
VA Specific Admission Requirements
- Applicants must have a DPD Verification Statement demonstrating completion of an accredited ACEND program.
- If applying for the internship only option, applicants will need to provide a completed masters transcript prior to the start of the program in August.
- Applicants MUST be a US citizen to be eligible to receive the VA stipend. Proof of US Citizenship (valid passport or birth certificate) is required to be submitted as supplemental documents through the DICAS portal.
- If selected for our program, male applicants will be required to have registered for selective service or be exempt and provide verification of their status through Selective Service System - It’s Your Country. Protect it. : Selective Service System (sss.gov).
- If selected for our program, to be eligible for appointment, all trainees must show verification of good mental and physical health to meet the needs of a DI.
- If selected for our program, to be eligible for appointment, all trainees must be up to date on vaccinations for health care workers as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Vaccine & Immunization Information for Health Care Providers | Vaccines & Immunizations | CDC and VA. This includes COVID-19 vaccination. Human Resources will provide the necessary forms for documentation that is required.
- If selected for our program, to be eligible for appointment, all trainees must pass a background check (paid for by the VA).
Application Checklist
Important Fees
- Appropriate application fees sent to DICAS.
Items to be uploaded on the DICAS website.
- Professional Statement
- Resume
- Completed DICAS application.
- Verification statement (or "Declaration of Intent" to complete degree and approved minimum requirements). This form will be completed by your DPD director.
- Three letters of recommendation (at least one letter from a work or volunteer supervisor and at least one letter from an academic reference professor or advisor, the third letter can be from either)
- Official transcripts
- If verification statement is older than 5 years, please provide a transcript which shows you have taken the minimum number of required refresher courses
- GRE will no longer be required for application.
- Upload proof of completed master’s if applying for internship only option.
Program Application Fees
There is no application fee for the dietetic internship program. Appointees accepted into the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship will be required to apply to the Texas Woman's University master’s in nutrition graduate program and proof of enrollment will be provided to the dietetic internship director prior to starting the program. There is a $50.00 application fee for this program. For application information, deadlines and course descriptions please visit the university website https://twu.edu/nutrition-food-sciences/graduate-programs/ms-in-nutrition/ It is advisable to enroll in graduate school no later than January of your application year to increase the chances of receiving a competitive scholarship from TWU. Non-residents can avoid non-resident tuition rates if they are awarded at least $1000 in scholarship funds from TWU. The difference is approximately $10,000-12,000 and offers a significant savings in the overall cost of the graduate degree. Only students who are accepted to the graduate school may apply and the scholarship deadline is March 1, well in advance of the internship match date.
What to Expect During the Selection/Appointment Process
- Open House: All interested applicants should consider attending an open house. MEDVAMC DI will be hosting 3 open houses for the Spring 2025-2026 application process, 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 about the open houses can be found here Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Medical Center - Dietetic Internship Program
- Application Submission: Completed applications must be received in DICAS by January 15th, 2025, at 11:59pm (Central Time).
- Application Review: Completed applications will be reviewed and scored by the DI Director and the selection committee. Members of our selection committee change each year. It will always include the DI director, along with rotating RDN program preceptors, MEDVAMC Nutrition Department Leadership, members of the MEDVAMC interdisciplinary team or TWU Nutrition faculty.
- Interviews: Virtual interviews will be conducted for those 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 along with one other MEDVAMC preceptor.
- Appointment Notifications: The 2025-2026 selection cycle will include the new 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).
MEDVAMC DI Notification and Appointment Procedure
- MEDVAMC DI may begin extending offers of admission on applications deemed complete by the program at any time during the admission cycle.
- MEDVAMC will notify all applicants of their status no later than March 1st, 2025, at 10 am (Central Time). Applicants may receive an acceptance offer, a waitlisted status, or a rejection notification.
- MEDVAMC DI does not require a deposit to hold acceptance.
- Applicants offered an appointment for the to the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program must notify the Dietetic Internship Director, Kristy Becker, via email Kristy.Becker2@va.gov (preferred) or by telephone at 713-578-5290 to confirm acceptance of their offer by March 15th, 2025, at 4 pm (Central Time). After this time, the MEDVAMC 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 16th, 2025 or sooner as 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.
- Appointees must be physically and mentally able to safely and efficiently perform the responsibilities of a dietetic intern. Appointees will be subject to background checks and will be required to complete a physical examination with their privae doctor prior to the internship start date. The physical examination will include documentation of vaccinations for healthcare workers as recommended by the CDC including the COVID-19 vaccinations. The federal government does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age or disability. At this time drug screening is not required. As a part of your training program requirements you may be required to complete rotations at affiliation sites. The program director will provide you with a list of specific requirements for each affiliate site which must be completed in order to train at that site (drug screening, vaccinations, background checks, etc).
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)
Selection Criteria
Selection of interns is based on the professional goals of the applicant as identified in a personal letter of application, academic achievements, personal attributes presented in letters of reference, and leadership skills as evidenced by student or community activities or work experience. Work experience in an area related to dietetics is not mandatory, but is considered beneficial to the students overall preparation for dietetic internship. A selection committee utilizes established criteria to select the best-qualified applicants.
Applicants are screened for eligibility for admission to the TWU-Houston Graduate School. Candidates are evaluated in terms of academic achievement (minimum GPA is 3.25 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 hours of undergraduate semester credit hours and a minimum 3.25 for all post-baccalaureate and graduate semester credit hours completed ).
Applicants who meet minimum requirements can qualify for the MEDVAMC video interview process of the application. Video interviews will be conducted during January and February with an interview panel. Performance Based Interviewing (PBI) is utilized during this process. For information regarding PBI please visit http://www.va.gov/pbi/
- Students whose DPD Verification Statements are 5 years or older prior to applying to this internship are required to complete a minimum of 2 academic courses to "refresh" their preparation for this program. Courses may be taken at the undergraduate or graduate level from any accredited college or university. One course must address principles of medical nutrition therapy in the treatment of disease states. The other must address principles of management in food service systems operations. Transcripts showing the completion of these courses must be submitted with the internship application for consideration and will not be accepted while the courses are in progress.
Compliance with Equal Opportunity Programs
The Dietetic Internship is in compliance with the institutional equal opportunity policies/programs:
It is the policy of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Texas Woman's University to provide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for all qualified persons; to prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or handicap; to maintain a work environment that is free of any form of unlawful discrimination, including sexual harassment; to promote a positive, continuing affirmative program designed to eradicate barriers to employment and to achieve a representative work force, with special emphasis on minorities, women, handicapped individuals and disabled Veterans; to recognize the special employment needs and problems of women and Hispanics, making the Federal Woman's Program and the Hispanic Employment Program integral parts of the total EEO program; and to provide for the prompt, fair and impartial review and adjudication of complaints involving issues of discrimination.
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