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Dietitian Course
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 12 2010
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What kinds of dietician courses are included in a degree program?
Dietitian programs include a variety of dietician courses specifically focused on science and how food affects the body. Below are some examples of specific course requirements- Organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Food Science
- Family Consumer Science
- Food Service Management
- Anatomy and physiology
- Biology
- Microbiology
- Nutrition and the life cycle (starting with newborns all the way up to geriatric aged patients and learning what kind of problems can exist with each population)
- Biostatistics
Is an internship required as part of a dietitian degree program?
If a person’s goal is to become a practicing registered dietitian, completing an internship accredited by the American Dietetic Association is required. An individual can technically graduate with a dietetics degree without having completed an accredited internship, but they are unable to become registered or practice as a dietitian without the internship. Most internships take 9 months to a year to complete after earning a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree programs offer a variety of different venues to complete the required dietetic internship. Some provide the option to complete this while taking courses, while others, have internship programs. Dietetic internship placements are highly competitive and are not always guaranteed even for the best students. There is a limited number of internships available and not many other alternatives to obtain the R.D. without one. This has raised the demand considerably. Schools with dietetics/nutrition programs have internship coordinators or department directors to help place students in internships at hospitals and universities. The application process for the internships can be tedious and most students apply for multiple internships to increase their chances of landing one. Applying for these opportunities involves completing an application, and sending signed and sealed letters of recommendation along with transcripts. Some organizations weigh grade point average as the highest criteria for admission. There is usually a score for overall GPA and then science GPA and major courses GPA score. Also, points are awarded for individuals who have had hands-on experience that will assist in their role as a dietitian. There are two types of dietetic programs for internships. There is a coordinated didactic program where the director of the dietetics department places students in their respective internship. The second type of program is the didactic program where the students are responsible for finding their own internship.
Internship applicants then number their preference of the internships they are most interested in, and the organizations hosting the internship number their choice of applicants with their top preferences being at the top of the list. Applicants are then matched accordingly.
Regardless of the organization a student completes their internship experience with, there are typically four rotations included; food service, clinical, community, and long-term care. The hospital or university has an internship director who coordinates these rotations for the student. Typically a fee of $50-100 is required for each internship a student applies for. There is also a cost associated with requesting transcripts; therefore, it is important that students are truly interested in an internship before they spend the money to apply.
