Philosophy, goals and non-discrimination

Program philosophy

The dietetic internship was created to reflect the Academy’s philosophy that “Education is a dynamic and complex process that translates the theoretical and ideal into actual application and practice.” The program builds from knowledge level to skill acquisition as interns complete assignments beginning with didactic activities and then proceed to supervised practice rotations.

The engagement of several rotation sites allows for progression within diverse settings serving varied populations from theory to practice for clients of different ages and with different needs. In addition, the program strives to foster professional development of interns who exhibit leadership and excellence in the profession.

Program mission, goals and graduate outcomes

The mission of the OSU-DI is to provide a challenging supervised practice program that mentors and trains entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who are prepared to be leaders with advanced skills in diverse practice areas of food and nutrition practice, including clinical, food service systems, community, and primary care practice areas. This mission is consistent with the OSU mission to promote economic, social, cultural and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation and the world.

The dietetic internship has a goal of facilitating the development of entry level RDs through the integration of the dietetics competencies from the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics Educational Requirements and Standards 2017. Interns are developed to readily make application of theory to practice in a variety of settings.

The dietetic internship program goals include

• Graduates will be prepared for careers as entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists in a variety of food and nutrition practice settings.
• Graduates will demonstrate advanced skills in food and nutrition, critical-thinking, research, and leadership.

The dietetic internship program objectives include

• Within three years of completing the program, at least 25% of graduates will pursue an advanced practice credential and/or be involved in leadership or research in the profession or elsewhere.
• At least 80% of interns complete program requirements within 13.5 months (150% of planned program length).
• Of graduates who seek employment, at least 75% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
• At least 90% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for registered 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 registered dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
• At least 50% of employers who respond to the graduate evaluation survey will indicate a mean overall performance satisfaction score of 3.5 on a 5-point scale.

Program outcomes data are available by request.

Non-discrimination policy

It is the policy of the dietetic internship to not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, color, creed or nation of origin, disability, sexual orientation, Veteran’s status or otherwise consistent with Oregon State University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Access which are similar to the non-discrimination policies of all participating facilities and rotation sites in the internship. This policy applies to all program aspects including intern selection, faculty, evaluation, discipline and grievance.