Mission Statement

Consistent with the missions of our university, college, department, and unit, the mission of the Dietetic Internship and Residency program is to prepare graduates able to apply the science of nutrition in the promotion of care for individuals or groups.

Program Goals and Outcome Measures

Goal 1

To provide an educational experience that gives students both the practical and didactic knowledge and skill to practice as an entry level RD.

Outcome Measures

• At least 85% of our students will successfully complete the program.
• Of the graduates who intend to work as an RD, at least 50% will successfully complete the RD exam within six months of graduation and 100% will successfully complete the RD exam within one year of graduation.
• At least 80% of our graduates will successfully pass the RD exam on their first attempt.
• Annual means for RD exam scores (total score) will be at or above the national mean.
• 100% of our graduates who desire employment will be successful in finding employment that utilizes the training and knowledge they received in the program within 6 months of graduation.
• At one year post-graduation, at least 85% of graduates will rank their rotation and coursework preparation for entry level dietetics as 3 or above (on a scale of 4).

Goal 2

To provide a course of study that gives students the skills and knowledge to incorporate scientific information into their future practice.

Outcomes Measures

• At least 80% of the first post-graduate employers of our graduates will report at least a 4 (out of a possible 5) when asked about the ability of our graduates to incorporate scientific knowledge and evidence into their practice.
• When surveyed at one year post-graduation, at least 85% of the DI graduates will report at least a 3 (out of a possible 4) on their program preparation to incorporate scientific knowledge and evidence into their practice.

Goal 3

To develop within our graduates the skills and motivation to pursue lifelong professional learning.

Outcomes Measures

• When surveyed at one year post-graduation, at least 85% of the DI graduates will report active RD status and active ADA membership.
• When surveyed at one year post-graduation, at least 50% of the DI graduates will report membership in at least one DPG.
• At least 80% of the first post-graduate employers of our graduates will report at least a 4 (out of a possible 5) when asked about the skill and motivation of our graduates to pursue professional learning.
• When surveyed at one year post-graduation, at least 85% of the DI graduates will report at least a 3 (out of 4) on the professional foundation they received in the program regarding professional activities and development.

Accreditation Status

The Dietetic Internship at the University of Memphis is currently granted accreditation (re-accredited May 2006) by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of The American Dietetic Association (ADA), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 312/899-0040 X5400.

History Of Clinical Program

The program is structured according to the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) 2002 Eligibility Requirements and Accreditation Standards. A master's degree in clinical nutrition was established in 1987 as a part of the Consumer Science and Education Department (CSED) and received initial accreditation from CADE in 1996. This program was housed under the College of Education. In 2003 the clinical nutrition and dietetic programs in CSED were moved to another department within the College of Education, Human Movement Sciences & Education (HMSE). In 2004, our new department was re-named Health & Sport Sciences.  In the summer of 2004, the nutrition and dietetics faculty moved to new office space in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse and is now located in FH 161.

The clinical nutrition program offers four semesters of graduate study that includes both didactic coursework and supervised practice experiences. Each intern in the clinical nutrition program is encouraged to pursue an area of special interest within the basic nutrition and behavioral science courses. Didactic study is offered on the University of Memphis campus, and clinical experiences are provided in affiliated private and public hospitals and clinics, as well as community and corporate facilities. Graduates of the program receive a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition and a certificate of internship completion from the University of Memphis.

We are very proud of the completion rate for our internship – more than 98%. We believe that the supportive environment provided by our faculty and preceptors, as well as our competitive selection process, is responsible for this excellent rate of completion. While this is one indicator of the quality of our graduates, another is the ease with which our graduates obtain positions in dietetics. Of the interns who were seeking employment in recent graduating classes, 100% had obtained a position in dietetics within one month of graduation and most had accepted positions prior to graduation. We are excited about the possibilities that lie in the future of our program. Nutrition is an exciting and ever-changing field and we are striving to ensure that our graduates can meet the new demands.

Overview

Our program covers 16 months, beginning in mid- to late-August of one year with continuous classes and/or rotations through the end of the fall semester of the second year.  The program focuses on clinical nutrition and the rotations are split into those covering child and maternal nutrition, adult nutrition, and management. The program is 42 semester hours, which includes a Master’s Project or an optional thesis. Our curriculum focuses on preparing our interns to do clinical rotations. The first two semesters (fall and spring) interns take 12 hours of coursework and have graduate assistantships in a clinical site.  The second two semesters (summer and fall) are primarily rotations. During these two semesters, interns are in rotations 40 hours per week and meet for classes only ~ 2 hours/week. Our interns have 900+ hours of supervised practice plus 120 hours of an additional culminating residency experience.

Program Schedule

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships (GAs) have always been an important part of our program. GAs are done at area hospitals, clinics, wellness sites, and nursing homes; and each offers additional nutrition training as well as a stipend. Interns hold 20 hour/week GAs only during the first fall and spring semesters in our program. Our GAs pay the interns $10/hour and that stipend is paid directly to the interns.

Courses

The clinical nutrition program is designed with 42 hours of study in nutrition, behavioral sciences, collateral subjects, research, and a thesis or Master’s Project.

Current courses include:

• Life Span Nutrition
• Nutrition Care Process I
• Seminar in Counseling
• Nutrition Care Process II
• Pharmacology for Nutrition Professionals
• Cellular Nutrition I
• Professional Issues in Nutrition
• Cellular Nutrition II
• Clinical Internship in Nutrition
• Clinical Residency in Nutrition
• Advanced Food Systems Management
• Thesis OR Masters Project
• Applied Educational Research

For a full description of current courses, see the graduate catalog

Although the academic curriculum is prearranged, there are multiple opportunities to tailor parts of the program to each intern's area of interest. Special rotations, a thesis or Master's project, and a culminating residency experience are chosen by the intern and faculty with the goal of providing the intern with experiences specific to their areas of interest.

Clinical Experiences

Numerous resources are available in Memphis to reinforce the program's emphasis on nutrition and dietetics in a clinical setting. Hospital and clinical experiences focus on nutrition assessment, diagnosis, care planning, and counseling for people of all ages. Over 5,200 patient beds and a variety of outpatient services are available for training interns in this program.

Some of the providers for clinical experience that are affiliated with the program in the community are:

• American Diabetes Center
• Baptist Memorial Hospital
• Church Health Center
• Cordova Rehabilitation
• DSI, Inc.
• LeBonheur Children's Medical Center
• Memphis Jewish Home
• Memphis/Shelby County Health Department
• Methodist Hospitals of Memphis
• Regional Medical Center Hospital and Clinics
• Spring Gate Health and Rehabilitation
• St. Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss
• St. Francis Hospital
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• University of Tennessee Medical Center Sites
  • The Newborn Center - Intensive Care Unit
  • Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• Weight Management Center - Methodist Unviersity Hospital

Costs

Current tuition rates are always in the University of Memphis graduate bulletin. In the past our interns with GAs have been granted tuition waivers, which effectively meant that they did not pay any tuition the semesters they had GAs. This has been true both for out-of-state and in-state residents, but is subject to approval.

Internship fees are set at $1,250 per semester for the first 3 semesters an intern is at the University of Memphis. The internship fee is due at the beginning of each semester and covers costs involved in administering the internship. Textbook costs vary each semester. Housing costs in the Memphis area are reasonable. Information regarding locating an apartment can be found at City Search.