Dietetic Internship, Certificate

Standalone Dietetic Internship

The OUHSC Dietetic Internship program is a post-baccalaureate supervised practice experience designed to assist the candidate in meeting the necessary competencies required for registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Characteristics of the program include the following:

• A generalist experience with a 4-week elective rotation 
• Begins in June of each year and ends in December before Winter Break
• Up to 15 interns accepted
• Approximately six months in length
• A minimum of 1056 clock hours of scheduled supervised practice
• Sites of each rotation vary and include locations throughout the state of Oklahoma (please note: some interns, not all, may be required to move from one geographical location in Oklahoma to another at least once during the internship)
• Interns are assigned to rotation sites based on availability, intern preference, and sometimes facility interviews
• There are four rotation modules (not completed in any particular order)
• Eight-week food service/management rotation
• Eight-week community rotation (experiences in wellness, public schools, renal disease, WIC, out-patient counseling, weight management, etc.) 
• Eight-week clinical rotation 
• Four-week elective rotation (interns are responsible for securing their own elective rotation facility/preceptor)
• The first week of the Internship is spent on-site at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Interns then go to their assigned rotation site. Interns attend a one-day class day in Oklahoma City or Tulsa at the end of each eight-week rotation.

Program Description

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) Dietetic Internship (DI) program offers a post-baccalaureate supervised practice experience designed to assist the candidate in meeting the necessary competencies required for registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The OUHSC DI offers two options to obtain the Verification Statement, which provides eligibility for application to take the National Registration Exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

• Option 1: Standalone Dietetic Internship Program for those prospective applicants who possess or will possess a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Foreign Dietitian Education (FDE) Verification Statement and a graduate degree upon admission to the program. The graduate degree obtained can be in any academic discipline.
• Option 2: Combined Masters of Science with Dietetic Internship (M.S./DI) Program for those prospective applicants who are seeking a graduate degree upon completion of the Dietetic Internship program.

Accreditation

The OUHSC Internship was granted full accreditation in 2019 for 7 years through December 31, 2026 by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For additional information on accreditation, please contact:

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995
Phone: 800/877-1600, ext. 5400
Website
Email

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). In order to be approved for registration examination eligibility with a bachelor’s degree, an individual must meet all eligibility requirements and be submitted into CDR’s Registration Eligibility Processing System (REPS) before 12:00 midnight Central Time, December 31, 2023. For more information about this requirement visit CDR’s website: http://www.cdrnet.org/graduatedegree. In addition, CDR requires that individuals complete coursework and supervised practice in program(s) accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Graduates who successfully complete the ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship Program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

Cost

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are enrolled in the prescribed courses and to pay tuition and fees at the time designated by the Bursar's Office. Details regarding tuition/fee charges and collection are available from the Bursar's Office.

Admissions Information

• Evidence of meeting the minimum academic requirements from an ACEND-accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (Verification Statement or Declaration of Intent to Complete Degree must be provided via Dietetic Internship Centralized Application System portal).
  • Individuals appointed to OUHSC Dietetic Internship will be required to provide an original, signed verification statement.
  • If verification statement is not dated within last five years, applicant should show evidence of continuing education and competence in dietetics-related domain knowledge (e.g. recent medical nutrition therapy course).
• Preference is given to students with grades of B or better in all dietetics courses.

Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Coursework
NS 7426	Dietetic Internship	6
or NS 5426	Dietetic Internship
Rotation Modules
Food service/management rotation (nine weeks)
Community rotation (nine weeks)
Clinical rotation (nine weeks)
Elective rotation (five weeks)
Additional Requirements
Scheduled supervised practice (1,208 clock hours) *

*

Approximately eight months in length

Prerequisites

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Individuals appointed to OUHSC Dietetic Internship will be required to provide official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Degree must be posted on official transcript.
• GPA ≥3.0
  • Cumulative GPA of ≥3.0 over the last 60 hours of academic work taken, whether undergraduate or graduate hours. Please note: in calculating GPA from the last 60 hours, the entire semester in which the 60 hours fall is counted. The College of Allied Health does not recognize academic forgiveness nor reprieve policies. All attempts of a course are included in the calculation of GPAs;
• Science GPA ≥3.0

Program Mission and Goals

The mission of the OUHSC Dietetic Internship program is to provide the best possible supervised practice experience for our students to become competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists and future healthcare leaders. The program prepares students through excellence in teaching, research, service and appropriate supervised practice sites which foster creative activity and innovative lifelong learning to therefore provide exceptional patient care to the public.

Goals and desired outcome measures are to:

Prepare graduates to become competent entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists.

• At least 80% of program students in the DI only track complete program/degree requirements within 9 months (150% of the program length).
• At least 80% of program students in the M.S./DI track complete program/degree requirements within 12 months (150% of the program length).
• At least 80% of participants in the ISPP track complete program/degree requirements within 18 months (150% of the program length).
• Eighty percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
• The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
• At least 70% of interns will receive an overall score of ≥3 on the Evaluation of Nutrition Focused Outcomes.
• Eighty percent of program graduates will agree or strongly agree that the program prepared them to succeed in their dietetic career.

Prepare competent graduates to obtain employment in dietetics-related positions.

• Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• At least 80% of employers responding to survey will answer “yes” that alumni were prepared for entry-level practice.
• At least 80% of alumni responding to survey will answer they were “satisfied” with the level of preparation the internship program provided in preparing them for entry-level practice.

Program outcomes data are available upon request.