^{The Texas State Dietetic Internship trains entry-level dietitians who provide high quality and current nutrition services to the public in the ever-evolving health care and nutrition and foods professional environments.}

Pre-select option

• Up to 6 applicants from Texas State students can be accepted per year.  This means applicants (current or former Texas State students) will not have to go through computer matching.
  
• Application deadline - January 15, 2010.  You will be notified by February 1, 2010.  This allows time to submit applications to other programs for the April match if you are not selected.
• If you aren't pre-selected for the Texas State DI, you might still be admitted through the matching process.

 

2008 ERAS Adopted

• 1240 hours of supervised practice\
• Concentration identified in Pediatric Nutrition
• Competencies will be met through rotations at:

Austin WIC Clinics
State WIC Office
Meals on Wheels and More
San Antonio Food Bank
Pediatric rotations at acute care facilities
Hays County Health Department Clinic
Mother's Milk Bank 

Competencies and Concentration

Supervised practice is divided into three components - Management/Business, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Community.  Management experiences are done at the Comal Independent School District and the South Texas Veterans Health System where the intern is exposed to state-of-the-art food service operations.  Corporate experiences with HEB Grocery teach sales, media relations, and product development and promotion.  Interns gain experience in developing and evaluating a wellness program at the Texas Department of State Health Services.  Other business rotations expose interns to private practice and food production for a long term care facility.  Clinical skills are developed at the several hospitals, dialysis clinic, and long-term care facilities in the Central Texas area.  Community experiences are offered from Austin to San Antonio, along the I-35 Corridor and include sites at state agencies; children's programs; outpatient diabetes clinics; private practices with dietitians who specialize in working with children and adults; senior feeding programs; the American Botanical Council learning about the therapeutic properties of herbs, a lactation education seminar; and rotation at the Mothers' Milk Bank

The internship has a concentration in Pediatric Nutrition.  Supervised practice at a school district, a local WIC clinic, the state WIC office, children's feeding programs at Meals on Wheels and More and the San Antonio Food Bank, well-child clinic at the Hays County Health Department, Mother's Milk Bank and the lactation education seminar provide opportunities for interns to develop more specialized knowledge and skills in the identification and provision of nutritional services/care for infants, children, and adolescents.

Classes introduce interns to emerging fields of research and practice. Participation in several community education programs and research projects expose the interns to actual community interventions, particularly with low income and minority populations.

Students will complete the program in 43 weeks, beginning in the Fall semester and finishing mid-June. Interns who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the Registration Exam, which is required to become a Registered Dietitian.

Overview

The Dietetic Internship offered at Texas State is housed within the Nutrition and Foods Program of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. This graduate-level practicum program incorporates supervised practice with graduate course work. It is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, 800-877-1600.

Completion of the program requires 18 hours of graduate credit which includes approximately 1,240 hours of supervised practice. No Graduate degree is awarded, but coursework may be credited towards the MS in Human Nutrition.  Separate application to the MS program is required.

Fall

NUTR 5360 - Practicum (Supervised Practice)
NUTR 5362 - Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy

Spring

NUTR 5302B - Advanced Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals
NUTR 5360 - Practicum

Summer (May through Mid June)

NUTR 5360 - Practicum
NUTR 5363 - Advanced Community Nutrition

Goals

 1        Recruit and retain qualified students

1.1        The Texas State Dietetic Internship will receive at least 50 applicants/year, at least 15 of which are from outside of Texas.

1.2        90% of interns will complete the program each year and be eligible for the Registration Examination.

1.3        Website, application materials and the DI brochure will be reviewed for accuracy and relevant information and updated by October 1 of each year.

2        Produce entry-level dietitians who pass the Registration Exam

2.1        Interns will score at least a 3.5 on the 5 point scale for competencies achieved in each rotation.

2.2        Pass rate on the Registration Examination will average 90% over any given five-year period.

2.3        Employers will report interns meeting expected entry-level competencies with an average score of 3.5 on a 5-point scale.

3        Prepare graduates to practice with diverse populations

3.1        50% of rotation sites for each area of practice (administrative, clinical, community) will expose interns to patients/clients of diverse ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

3.2        80% of graduates score at least 4 or 5 on skill level for competencies CD10, CD42.

3.3        10% of alumni will practice in settings that serve diverse groups.

4        Prepare graduates whose practice is based on lifelong learning and the ADA Code of Ethics

4.1        10% of alumni will earn a graduate degree.

4.2        90% of RD-alumni will report maintenance of registration.

4.3        Employers will report a 4 or 5 on questions 10, 11, 12 on Employer Survey.