Department of Nutrition

UIW Fully Accredited Dietetic Internship

Applicants to the University of the Incarnate Word should download all three of the following documents:

 

UIW Fully Accredited Dietetic Internship

The Dietetic Internship at the University of the Incarnate Word is currently granted full accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council of Post-secondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education, of The American Dietetic Association. The address and phone number of CADE are 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, and (312) 899-0040, Extension 5400. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be eligible to apply to the Commission on Dietetic Registration to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians. After passing the registration examination, a student will become a Registered Dietitian.

Mission Statement

The Mission of the University of the Incarnate Word Nutrition Program is to prepare professionals committed to providing nutrition and dietetic services to improve the health and well-being of individuals and groups.  The program emphasizes the importance of scientific and evidence-based practice, ethical decision-making, and understanding of social justice issues including regional through global ecological dimensions of food and nutrition.

The Dietetic Internship prepares competent, entry-level registered dietitians to meet the regional needs of individuals and groups while interacting with clients and colleagues with professionalism and respect for individual human dignity.


Program Goals and Outcomes

Graduates of the Dietetic Internship program receive ten semester hours of graduate credit, and are eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

The goals for the Dietetic Internship of the University of the Incarnate Word are:

1. The dietetic internship will prepare innovative, competent, entry-level dietitians committed to the advancement of the profession of dietetics.

2. The dietetic internship will increase the supply of registered dietitians prepared to meet the nutritional needs of South Texas.

Program Curriculum and Structure

The University of the Incarnate Word Dietetic Internship begins with orientation during the first full week of August. All interns begin their completion of over 1,000 supervised practice hours during the second full week of August, with full-time interns completing all required hours in 29 weeks (usually March) and part-time interns completing all required hours in 45 weeks (usually June). Student holidays and vacations include Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, two full inclusive weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, and Memorial Day.

As students accepted into the University of the Incarnate Word Dietetic Internship MUST also be accepted into the Graduate School, students should review the information under Graduate Admissions.  The UIW Dietetic Internship is a General Emphasis program that provides training opportunities in clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and foodservice management. Students will enroll in and receive ten Graduate semester hours of credit upon completion of the program:

Fall

NUTR 6100: Dietetics – This is the week-long orientation that occurs during the first full week of August preceding placement in supervised practice experiences.
NUTR 6400: Clinical Dietetics Practice – This course provides for the review of medical nutrition therapy skills and the supervised practice portion of the dietetic internship related to in-patient and out-patient care.

Spring

NUTR 6200: Community Nutrition Practice – This course provides for the review of skills and knowledge and the supervised practice portion of the dietetic internship related to community nutrition services.
NUTR 6300: Foodservice Management Practice – This course provides for the review of skills and knowledge and the supervised practice portion of the dietetic internship related to foodservice management.

Although students enroll in and pay for the dietetic internship as separate classes, one weekly class meeting will have all the interns together reviewing skills and knowledge necessary for overall completion of the dietetic internship.

A class of eight interns is accepted for each fall.  Interns may be matched to either full-time work or part-time work option.  Full-time interns complete the program in eight months.  Part-time interns complete the program in ten months.  The typical class has six full-time interns who work 40 hours per week and two part-time interns who work 25 hours per week. Once assigned to a particular location, each individual intern negotiates her work schedule with the site preceptor. Hours and days of work will vary by location and rotation.

Interns will complete work rotations and experiences that include general clinical (in-patient), nutrition support, diabetes out-patient, clinical management, foodservice management, corporate product development, school district, long-term care, hospice, food bank, and WIC.  Students will acquire over 1000 hours of supervised practice experience.  All supervised practice experiences occur off campus and therefore, require each student to have reliable transportation and current liability insurance.

The Dietetic Internship partners with Christus Santa Rosa Healthcare, Baptist Health System, Southwest General Hospital, South Texas Veteran’s Administration Healthcare, University Health System, City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Morningside Ministries, Diabetes and Glandular Disease Research, Inc., H.E. Butt Grocery Corporation, A Med Community Home Health and Hospice, and the San Antonio Food Bank.  For students demonstrating competent Spanish-speaking skills, we have partners in Laredo, Texas as an alternative training site.  For these students, connection through Blackboard, e-mail, and conference call for weekly class meetings allows for communication and interaction with the rest of the intern class.

Requirements to Receive the ADA Verification Statement

To receive a verification statement and to have paperwork submission to the Commission on Dietetic Registration demonstrating eligibility to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians, dietetic interns in this program must demonstrate the following:

  1. a minimum total of 1000 supervised practice hours;
  2. a minimum average grade of “satisfaction” (i.e., 3.0 out of 4.0) by preceptors on the evaluation forms for each required rotation;
  3. a minimum average grade of 80% or higher across unit exams (i.e., clinical, community, foodservice) or a grade of 80% or higher on the final exam;
  4. acceptable performance and completion of all assignments and projects pertaining to NUTR 6100, NUTR 6200, NUTR 6300, and NUTR 6400;
  5. appropriate demonstration of professional readiness and suitability for a career in dietetics as determined by observation by the instructors and preceptors.

Estimated Program Costs

For more complete information about the University of the Incarnate Word’s cost, click Tuition and Fees.

Admission Requirements and Process

  1. Admission to the University of the Incarnate Word Dietetic Internship is based on the following requirements:
    1. A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or, for international students, validation of the equivalent through a degree audit service. Addresses for these services are available from ADA in the Fact Sheet for Individuals with Foreign Degrees.
    2. An American Dietetic Association Didactic Program Verification Statement completed within the past five years. For students in the process of completing their Didactic Program requirements, they must submit a Declaration of Intent to Complete form. For international students, validation of a bachelor's degree equivalency and all transcripts will need to be reviewed by a Didactic Program Director for fulfillment of requirements to obtain a verification statement. For students who completed their Bachelor of Science degree within the last 5-15 years at a university other than University of the Incarnate Word, contact the originating school for updating of the Verification Statement. If this is not feasible, then 6-12 hours of additional coursework will need to be completed prior to a re-issuing of a Verification Statement by the Didactic Program Director of the University of the Incarnate Word. The necessary courses will be specified after the Didactic Program Director and at least one other member of the Nutrition faculty have reviewed a degree audit and a documented work experience portfolio.
    3. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 on all undergraduate work and an average of 3.0 in nutrition and dietetics courses; or a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in graduate work.
    4. A Graduate Record Exam total minimum score of 800 in the Verbal and Quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3 on the Analytical essay.
    5. A score of 560 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language for international students whose undergraduate studies were conducted in a language other than English. Students whose English proficiency is judged to be inadequate for graduate studies will be required to pass appropriate English courses before being admitted into the graduate program.

  2. Applicants must complete and send a Graduate School application to the School of Graduate Studies:

    Admissions-Graduate
    The University of the Incarnate Word
    4301 Broadway
    San Antonio, TX 78209

    The School of Graduate Studies must accept all applicants to the Dietetic Internship. To be eligible for financial aid, students should apply as a degree-seeking student. If an applicant already has a Master of Science in Nutrition, the applicant should apply as a non-degree-seeking student if he or she does not wish to pursue an additional Master's degree. Students should review the information under Graduate Admissions.

  3. Applicants meeting the admission requirements must submit a Dietetic Internship Application form by the designated February deadline. If you do not meet the minimum requirements as specified above, or if you are not admitted into the School of Graduate Studies, your internship application will not be reviewed. The application will include:
    1. A complete application form, including signature certifying application information. The standardized ADA Supervised Program Application may be used; however, applicants must ensure that the additional sections specific to the application for this internship are included in their completed application packet. Incomplete applications will not be accepted for review.
    2. A set of all current transcripts from all schools attended.
    3. Three recommendations, using the ADA Waiver and Recommendation Form, from:
      1. A nutrition faculty member from an accredited institution.
      2. An employer from a paid or voluntary work experience (not a practicum experience used to fulfill course requirements).
      3. One additional professional or academic reference.
    4. If necessary, a personal or phone interview with the Dietetic Internship Director. The admissions committee will make determination of necessity for this interview.
    5. All application materials become the property of the University of the Incarnate Word. No application materials will be returned.

  4. An admissions committee consisting of the Dietetic Internship Director, one additional University of the Incarnate Word Nutrition faculty member, and one representative each from the areas of clinical dietetics, community nutrition, and foodservice management will review each individual application based on scholarship, experience, references, cultural sensitivity, and personal statements. Review of all applications will be in accord with the University of the Incarnate Word’s Non-Discrimination Policy as published in the Student Handbook.
  5. The admissions committee will rank the applicants based on the above criteria. This ranking is submitted to a nation-wide computer matching service.

  6. Interns matched to the program must give written notification of acceptance into the program by the designated April deadline. Students completing their Didactic Program requirements during the spring or summer need to provide a copy of their Verification Statement by the start of the internship.

Computer Matching and Appointment Phase

All applicants to this dietetic internship must participate in computer matching. Applicants should request instructions and a mark/sense card to prioritize their supervised practice preferences. Applicants should request this material from any ADA-approved Didactic Program in Dietetics or from D&D Digital Systems. This request should be made to allow turn-around time for submitting by the February 17 postmark deadline each year. There is no charge for this material. However, there is a $50 charge for computer matching that is due with the applicant's prioritized ranking.

Address requests to: D&D Digital Systems
304 Main Street, Suite 301, Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-292-0490 Fax: 515-663-9427
E-Mail: dnd@netins.net

February 17 is the postmark deadline for all dietetic practice program applicants to submit a mark/sense card with dietetic practice program prioritized choices to D&D Digital Systems. The card must be sent "Certified Mail -- Return Receipt Requested" and must be accompanied by a check or money order in the amount of $50.

How will you know if you match?

D&D will notify each applicant to which, if any, supervised practice program she or he has been matched.  This notification will be by e-mail, and will occur on April 20, 2009.  The matched dietetic internship will not make notification.

Applicants matched to the UIW dietetic internship must phone or fax the dietetic internship director by 5:00 p.m., Central Time Zone, April 21, to confirm their match to the program.  Programs with open positions will be posted on April 22.  Applicants who did not receive a match may not contact this or any dietetic internship program until April 22.

What to Do for Financial Aid?

Students enrolled as degree-seeking students in the University of the Incarnate Word Dietetic Internship are eligible for a Graduate Student Loan. The FAFSA is available on-line after January 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Priority for financial assistance is given to those submitting completed forms prior to April 1. For expediency in processing, the application should be completed and submitted to the Office of Financial Aid at the same time the student's acceptance of appointment letter is sent to the Dietetic Internship Director. For further information and applications for financial aid contact the Office of Financial Aid at (210) 829-6008.

What to do if There's a Problem ...

Whenever a student feels that a situation has been dealt with in an unjust manner, grievance procedures have been established to assist the student. Applicants desiring assistance in clarification of a particular circumstance regarding the application process should first discuss it with the Dietetic Internship Director, Dr. Joseph Bonilla,(210) 829-3908, and/or the Graduate Nutrition Advisor, Dr. Beth Senne-Duff, (210) 829-3165. If resolution is not obtained, the Dean of Math, Science & Engineering, Dr. Glenn James, (210) 829-3148 , is to be consulted.

What if you Have Other Questions?

If you have additional questions about the program, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Joseph Bonilla, Dietetic Internship Director, at josephb@uiwtx.edu.