This two-year dietetic internship program is designed for students who have received a baccalaureate degree (B.S.) that meets the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Academic Requirements.

During the first year, students complete required supervised professional practice courses and start graduate coursework in clinical nutrition.  During the second year, students enroll in core courses for the graduate program, complete a graduate practicum, conduct research, and write a thesis. Graduates of the program receive a Master of Science (M.S.) degree, and are eligible to sit for the National RD examination. 

Approved Tracks
Students may select any of the approved tracks, including clinical nutrition, allied health education, or allied health management.

Mission
The mission of The Ohio State University Combined Dietetic Internship and Masters Degree Program is to educate dietitians for high-quality entry level practice and advancement to positions of leadership and influence.  Our graduates are prepared to think critically and engage in ethical decision making, provide leadership for nutrition services, practice and manage in a variety of environments, function as active multidisciplinary team members, and continue professional development throughout life.

Philosophy

A dietetic internship is an excellent way to educate entry level practitioners to provide high quality  nutrition services in diverse practice settings that comprise our rapidly changing professional environment.  A high quality internship is scholarly, futuristic, and collaborative.  Our internship scholarship is fostered in three ways: the program is established in a world-class academic health center; the interns are required to complete a masters degree; and emphasis is placed on integration of theory and high level professional competence.  To be futuristic our curriculum takes into account current trends and projected future practice.  The internship faculty and staff continually strive for innovation and flexibility.  In addition, critical thinking, leadership development, management skills, and team building are emphasized throughout the program.  Collaboration results from the commitment and involvement of faculty, staff, medical facilities and other resources within the local professional community, and represents a vital part of program quality.

Accreditation
This program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education.  It began in 1988 as an Approved Preprofessional Practice Program.  In 1994, it was awarded developmental accreditation as a dietetic internship and it was granted full accreditation in 1998.   The next site visit will be conducted in 2008.

Internship
The internship provides flexibility.  All interns need to develop a minimum set of core competencies.  Beyond that, flexibility is achieved in several ways.  For example, students are afforded the freedom to select an emphasis in medical nutrition therapy or community nutrition that may be in the context of subacute/long term care dietetics or nutrition counseling and education.  The emphasis selected is apparent in the courses selected, the area of choice for the culminating seven week experience, and the practicum experience that occurs during the second year of the program.  When determining placements and experiences for each rotation, faculty and preceptors build on the interns' previous experiences and levels of competence.  Thus, if an intern has worked in a nursing home food service and can demonstrate mastery of performance requirements, they will have the opportunity to expand their skills in other areas of long term care such as consultation, applied research, or administrative projects.  Also, students may request placement in nontraditional settings, including services not provided in Franklin County.  Examples might include placements in rural areas of Ohio or corporate wellness programs in other cities.

The internship is futuristic in that it prepares interns to assume leadership roles in a rapidly changing health care marketplace.  Graduates are prepared to meet the challenges of dietetic practice along the continuum of care in hospitals and other institutions, community-based programs, long term care, industry, and entrepreneurial enterprises. An emphasis on team work, leadership development, management skills, critical thinking, and professional competence, makes OSU interns particularly suited for emerging roles in medical nutrition therapy, nutrition education and counseling, wellness and healthy lifestyles, consultation, geriatrics, nutrition-oriented food systems, and community nutrition.

The combined internship and masters degree program is firmly rooted in the scholarly and practice traditions of a major academic health center.  Interns must complete the graduate degree; credits for supervised practice do not count toward the degree.  Interns have the opportunity to be mentored by established practitioners in a variety of highly respected practice settings.