Dietetic Internship

The UAA Dietetic Internship, with a concentration emphasis on Alaska Native culture and Alaska healthcare delivery systems, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The internship offers the supervised practice experience required to sit for the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) examination. At this time UAA is accredited for ten (10) students annually.

The current requirements for becoming an entry-level registered dietitian nutritionist include:

• Complete a minimum of a bachelor's degree at a US regionally accredited university of college and course work accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Complete an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program at a health-care facility, community agency, or a food service corporation or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. Typically, a practice program will run six to 12 months in length.
• Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For more information regarding the examination, refer to CDR's website at www.cdmet.org.
• Obtain state licensure through an application process (in most states, including Alaska).

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: https://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 at the University of Alaska Anchorage are eligible to apply to take the CDR credentialing exam to become an RDN.

In most states, including Alaska, graduates also must obtain licensure or certification to practice. For more information about state licensure requirements click here.

For more information about educational pathways to become a RDN click here.

There are two application cycles for the UAA DI Program:

1.  Applications are reviewed on a pre-select basis from UAA Dietetic majors for the UAA Dietetic Internship.  Up to ten (10) students who meet all program requirements will be considered for the program.  The application cycle will open each fall for eligible applicants, with an application deadline of November 1st.  Notification of acceptance into the program will occur within 8 weeks of the application deadline. 

2. In early December a notice will be posted here to announce whether of not we will be accepting external applications through the national application process. For questions, please contact the Program Director, Dr. Carrie King at cdking@alaska.edu.

November 23, 2020:  UAA will not participate in the national application process in spring 2021.  The dietetic intern class for 2021-2022 has been filled in the first application cycle.

 

• Program Overview

  The UAA Dietetic Internship is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week program that begins in the fall semester with graduation at the end of the spring semester. The UAA Dietetic Internship follows the UAA academic calendar. To apply to the internship, individuals must complete at least a bachelor's degree and course work requirements approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Students will complete up to 15 graduate credit hours through attending a seminar course at UAA and completing their supervised practice.  

  Graduation Requirements:  Upon successful completion of all parts of the dietetic internship, including all learning experiences and satisfactory evaluations from preceptors and the UAA Dietetic Internship Director, students will be given a verification statement showing successful completion of the internship. With the verification statement, graduates can apply to take the RDN exam through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Upon passing the RDN exam, the graduate is eligible to apply for licensure in the state where he or she will work as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

  UAA DI Mission:  "Guide the future of dietetics and nutrition in Alaska through the preparation of entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists."

  Program Goals:  1. Prepare UAA Dietetic Interns to become competent entry-level dietitians. 2. Increase the number of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Alaska.

  The program outcome data is available upon request.

  PROGRAM MISSION, GOALS, OBJECTIVES

• Concentration Area

  Internship Concentration:  Alaska Native Culture and the Alaska Healthcare Delivery System

  The UAA Dietetic Internship offers unique experiences through its concentration area in Alaska Native culture and the Alaska healthcare delivery system. The concentration area is built upon the dietetic internship's mission and goals, one being to retain graduates to work in the profession of dietetics in Alaska. The program's concentration area was designed to help interns prepare to work in this culturally diverse state.

  The competencies required for the concentration area in this program are primarily achieved through a three-week rural Alaska rotation (possible locations: Nome, Bethel, Sitka, Kodiak, or Kotzebue). Interns rotate through many facilities in Anchorage and the surrounding area in addition to the rural rotation and possibly Fairbanks

• Program Requirements

  1.  In order to apply to the UAA Dietetic Internship program, students must be a declared UAA Dietetics Major, with a graduation date prior to the beginning of the Dietetic Internship; have a minimum of 3.0 GPA; and submit an application with all required documents by November 1st.

  2.  Or applicants from other ACEND accredited Didactic Programs in Dietetics (DPD) must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and a DPD verification statement prior to the start of the internship. The D and D digital national matching process and the February 15th deadline must be followed for these applications.

• Distance Education Components

  NOTE (4-15-20):  All travel and rural rotations have been temporarily suspended due to COVID19.

  All interns will spend up to three weeks in one rural Alaska rotation (e.g., Nome, Kotzebue, Kodiak, Sitka, Juneau and other locations).  Travel, room and board expenses are the responsibility of the intern.

  The UAA DI is accredited for up to 10 interns annually.  Interns will be placed at remote sites, based on the site capacity for providing supervised practice rotations, as follows:

  • One to two interns will live in Fairbanks for the duration of the internship and complete their rotations there.  They will travel to Anchorage for orientation, specialty rotations and the program wrap-up. They will also complete a three-week rotation in rural Alaska.
  • One to two interns will spend one semester in Kodiak for a combined clinical/outpatient/WIC rotation and one semester in Anchorage completing the rest of their rotations. They will also complete a three-week rotation in rural Alaska. 
  • Up to eight interns will complete all rotations in Anchorage, except the rural Alaska rotation.

  Additional travel and distance education opportunities may be available.  Please inquire with the program director.

  Applicants will be asked to rank the order of their preference of primary supervised practice location (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak, and other locations that are evaluated for inclusion in the program) in the personal statement in their application for admission.  In the event of multiple interns requesting the same location, the numeric score of the admission application evaluation will be used to break the tie.

• Next Steps after Acceptance

  Upon acceptance into the Dietetic Internship Program, students will be required to complete/obtain the following before the August internship start date (check with the program director for the most current list or requirements):

  • Complete financial aid requirements (if needed)
  • Submit an official transcript indicating a conferred baccalaureate degree
  • Submit a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) verification statement from an ACEND accredited Program
  • Required: Proof of current immunizations or titers including TB (2-step, current 30 days prior to start of any rotation at Providence facilities - see Program Director for clarification), Hep B series, t-DAP (within the past 10 years), MMR (2 shot series or titer), Varicella (2 shot series or titer), and flu shot (available seasonally after September 1st)
  • Recommended: Hep A series for rural travel
  • Health insurance (for the duration of the program)
  • ServSafe Certificate
  • Current CPR card
  • State of Alaska Background Check
  • Independent Medical Terminology course or proof of prior Medical Terminology course
  • CITI Training
  • Drug testing (10-panel drug test)
  • Completion of Title IX training
  • Medical terminology course (independent study)
  • Additional requirements may be added due to the COVID-19 situation