Dietetic Internship Program
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Rotations
Following are the planned supervised practice rotations that must be completed by all interns enrolled in the VAGLAHS Dietetic Internship Program. Rotations are subject to change based on ACEND and VHA requirements, and the needs of VAGLAHS. Of note, the program does not evaluate and award credit for prior learning experiences; interns will complete all supervised practice hours regardless of past experience.
Interns are not required to find their own rotation sites. Though most rotations are in-person, telework and distance-education will be used during some parts of the program. VAGLAHS provides laptops for distance education components, however interns must provide their own internet service when working off-site.
| Planned Supervised Practice for VAGLAHS Dietetic Internship | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rotation | Length | Practice Hours |
| Orientation | 2 weeks | n/a |
| Administrative Dietetics | ||
| Administrative 1: Food Production, Service, & Supervision | 6 weeks | 192 hours |
| Administrative 2: Clinical Supervision | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Inpatient Clinical Dietetics | ||
| Clinical 1: General Acute Medicine | 3 weeks | 96 hours |
| Clinical 2: General Acute Medicine | 3 weeks | 96 hours |
| Clinical Capstone | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Critical Care | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Community Living Center (long-term care) | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Outpatient Clinical Dietetics | ||
| Ambulatory Care 1: Primary Care | 3 weeks | 96 hours |
| Ambulatory Care 2: Specialty Care | 3 weeks | 96 hours |
| Ambulatory Care Capstone | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Renal | 2 weeks | 64 hours |
| Community Dietetics | ||
| National Nutrition Month | 1 week | 32 hours |
| Eating Disorders | 1 week | 32 hours |
| PHFE WIC | 1 week | 32 hours |
| Special Interest | 2 weeks* | 64 hours |
| Total Weeks/Practice Hours: | 37 weeks | 1120 hours |
Schedule of Intern Learning Experiences
Supervised practice starts in June and is completed in April/May (non-degree track) or June (combined masters track) of the following year.
Interns do not get paid during program breaks unless they have accrued annual leave. Interns in all tracks will have a 2-week program break at the end of the calendar year. Non-degree track interns have an additional 16 days of floating breaks based on scheduling needs.
| September-June: | UCLA - 3 quarters (first year at university only, interns do not receive stipend) |
| June-September: | Internship rotations |
| September-December: | UCLA - 1 quarter coordinated with 100 hours of special interest* and Comprehensive Exam** |
| January-June: | Internship rotations |
| August-May: | Fall and Spring Semesters (first year at university only, interns do not receive stipend) |
| September-December: | Fall Semester (directed research) coordinated with 4 weeks of internship rotations* |
| January-June: | Spring Semester (thesis/directed project) + Internship rotations |
| Post-DI Graduation | Summer and/or Fall terms to complete requirements for the MS degree |
**Dietetic Interns in the combined MPH program track typically complete MPH requirements in 4 quarters and graduate in December at the end of the Fall quarter of the second year.
Program Completion Requirements
To successfully complete the VAGLAHS Dietetic Internship Program and be eligible to sit for the RD Examination, interns must:- Complete all required supervised practice rotations, earning an overall rating of "Meets Expectations" or "Exceeds Expectations" on all final rotation evaluation.
- Complete at least 1000 hours of supervised practice.
- Successfully complete all required internship projects and assignments and be rated as entry-level competent for all associated ACEND competencies.
- Successfully complete a Master's degree program (as of December 31, 2023) by no later than 6 months after completion of supervised practice rotations.
- Provide the Dietetic Internship Director with official copies of a graduate degree transcript indicating degree conferment* and a DPD Verification Statement.
