Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Chicago offers a Dietetic Internship (DI), which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that prepared students to become entry-level Registered Dietitians. Starting in 2010, a revised program will be offered to meet CADE 2008 education standards for dietetic internships. Please note that an additional track may be offered, which combines the DI with a Master of Science degree, pending CADE approval. Please check this site for additional information in November 2009 for updates which apply to the applicants for February 2010.

Nutrition is a profoundly important aspect of human health and quality of life. The Niehoff School of Nursing offers students the opportunity to gain experience in this important field through the ADA-accredited Dietetic Internship.

Established in 1995, the program accepts 20 full-time interns annually and begins on the first day of fall semester. All dietetic interns will complete 1,200 hours of supervised practice within organized as 8 supervised practice experiences..

Students benefit from the Niehoff School of Nursing's constructive and supportive environment, learning the leadership, communication and management skills they need to pass the registration exam and enter dietetic practice as competent, highly qualified professionals.

Graduates of Loyola’s Dietetic Internship program are highly sought for positions in health care and wellness nutrition programs. Students enter a wide range of dietetic careers, including:

• Clinical dietitian in an acute or long-term care facility
• Community nutritionist
• Food-service manager/director in food operations
• Private practice consultant
• Consultant in food business and industry
  • Supervised Practice
  • Graduate-Level Coursework
  • Monthly Seminars and Activities
  • Application Requirements
  • Admission Requirements
  • Approximate Program Cost
  • Rotation Sites
  • Open House Information

   
Supervised Practice 

Interns complete eight rotations during the course of the program which are nested within FONU 403, 405 and 407. Interns are scheduled at supervised practice sites Monday through Friday.

FONU 403 (2 credits)

Medical Nutrition Therapy (50 days): Interns learn to complete the tasks of a clinical dietitian and follow the host facility's standards of care and practice guidelines. Interns are initially assigned a low number of assessment, screening, educational and follow-up activities per week on less-complex patients. As the weeks proceed, interns are assigned more complex cases and the volume of patients increases. In addition, interns participate in the quality management program for clinical nutrition care, in-service presentations, patient care conferences and departmental meetings.

Dialysis Medical Nutrition Therapy (5 days): Interns develop medical nutrition therapy skills with a focus ont he renal patients. 

FONU 405 (2 credits)

Public Health Nutrition (30 days): This rotation allows interns to work with diverse age groups, as well as socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Interns are involved in planning and conducting group classes, planning and evaluating menus for group feeding programs, planning and implementing community-based intervention programs, and communicating nutrition information to groups through written and oral measures.

Professional Development (10 day): Students identify an area of professional dietetic practice that they would like to explore with additional experiences.  The DI Director and student collaborate to develop this individualized experience using available resources.

Research (10 days): Students develop and engage in scholarly inquiry under the direction of faculty and preceptors including perspectives of ethical considerations, research methods, statistical analysis and dissemination of findings. Projects may be individual, group and/or at other supervised practice sites.

Marketing Rotation (5 days): Interns have the opportunity to work on marketing a food product or nutrition service, employing market strategies, evaluating consumer needs and trends, testing products and interacting with the media. Possible sites include food and pharmaceutical companies, public relations firms and wellness programs.

Nutrition Education Rotation (10 days): In this rotation, interns develop a professional-level presentation or publication on a current topic in dietetics. In addition, interns provide assistance to local professional associations in planning and implementing their educational programs.

FONU 407 (1 credit)

Management Rotation (25 days): Interns actively participate in all aspects of food-service management, including production, purchasing, service, inventory systems, human resources, safety and sanitation. Through this experience, interns gain experience in problem solving, quality management and fiscal management.

Long-Term Care Rotation (5 days): Interns work collaboratively with site preceptors to provide nutrition care to the elderly, developmentally disable, psychiatric and rehabilitation residents in long-term care facilities. This rotation includes expereinces in both clinical nutrition care of residents and management of food-service operations within long-term care facilities.

   
Graduate-Level Coursework

LDI requires completion of 13 graduate credits in the School of Nursing as follows: a) 8 credits in didactic course work (FONU 400, 402, 404, 406), and b) 5 credits in supervised practice (FONU 403, 405, 407 as described above). Once a week, students come to Loyola University Medical Center campus in Maywood, Illinois to participate in a three-hour class covering topics related to their supervised practice. Class time is not calculated in the supervised-practice hours. Classes include lecture, discussion, group problem-solving, critical-thinking activities, exams and additional assignments.

Courses (13 graduate credits as follows)

   
Monthly Seminars and Activities

Interns broaden their perspective on various areas of dietetics through seminars, group tours and other activities. Examples include:

• Participation in the Illinois Dietetic Association Annual Assembly and the Illinois Dietetic Association Lobby Day in Springfield
• Seminars on sports nutrition, ethical issues in dietetic practice and media training
• Ethnic food tours

Participation in these activities is required. This time is not calculated as part of supervised-practice or didactic hours.

   
Application Requirements

1. completed standard Dietetic Internship application using the ADA form,
2. Three (3) letters of recommendation using the standard ADA form,
3. Original transcripts from all colleges or universities in sealed envelopes,
4. Verification statement of completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics or the Intent to Complete form completed by the DPD Program Director,
5. Application fee of $40 payable to Loyola University Chicago,
6. The letter of application to the Loyola Dietetic Internship should be one page, single-spaced, and address:

• how your work experiences (paid or volunteer) has prepared you to complete a dietetic internship,
• your strengths and weakness (areas for improvement), and
• your career plans for the next five years.

Applications should be postmarked by February 14 and sent to: 

   
Admission Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission to the Dietetic Internship Program in the Niehoff School of Nursing:

• Completion of the Didactic Program in Dietetics from college or university with a CADE (Commission on Accreditation in Dietetics Education) accredited program,
• Completion of Baccalaureate Degree with GPA greater than 2.8,
• Submission of application materials described above.

The Loyola Dietetic Internship participates in the nationwide, computerized matching process which is administered by D&D Digital Company, Ames, IA. It is necessary for you to submit your dietetic internship ranking preferences according to D&D Digital requirements. You can obtain more information about this process and requirements at: http://www.dnddigital.com/ada/index.php. The LDI receives over 100 applications yearly for 20 openings per CADE Accreditation. Not all applicants will be accepted. These are the minimum requirements for consideration.

Additional information about Dietetic Internships and Accreditation can be obtained from CADE, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606, and 1-800-877-1600 or cade@eatright.org.

   
Approximate Program Cost

Note: Please check the Loyola tuition website for the most recent graduate-level tuition rates for the School of Nursing at http://www.luc.edu/bursar/tuition_2009_2010/tuition_grad_son.shtml.

Financial Aid through Loyola University Chicago is not available. However, students may request loan deferments and or scholarships through outside sources. Please note that costs are approximate and do not include housing, transportation, supplies, etc.

   
Rotation Sites

Loyola has collaborative partnerships in primary, tertiary and non-traditional health care settings. These sites include acute care medical centers, community hospitals, WIC clinics, senior citizen congregate feeding programs, school-based nutrition programs, residential long-term care facilities, wellness programs, private practices, and community organizations. Faculty members design the supervised practice and guide students in placement of appropriate sites to meet individual goals and interests.

Clinical	Christ Hospital Edward Hospital Lake Forest Hospital Loyola University Medical Center Chicago Mercy Hospital Northwestern Memorial Hospital Resurrection Hospital Rush North Shore St. Joseph Hospital Trinity Hospital
Community	DuPage County Senior Citizens Council Chicago Nutrition Education Center; Lake County Health Department) City of Chicago Department on Aging Lake Shore Campus Wellness Center LaRabida Children's Hospital Catholic Charities Proviso High School WIC (Cook County Economic Development Agency)
Management	Alden North Shore ARAMARK Dining Services Lake Forest Hospital LaRabida Children's Hospital Resurrection Hospital St. Paul Home
Marketing	Burson-Marstellar Public Relations Edelman Public Relations Sunset Foods Wilton Industries

   
Open House Information

Please join us on Friday, January 8, 2010, from 6:30pm-8:00pm at our annual Open House to learn more about the LDI from faculty, current and past students. This will be held in Room 160, Stritch School of Medicine Building, Loyola Health Sciences campus, 2160 S. First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153

For more information about the LDI including program goals and student learning outcomes, please request brochure by contacting:

Joanne Kouba, PhD, RD, LDN
Dietetic Internship Director
jkouba@luc.edu
Phone: 708.216.4132
Fax: 708.216.9555 
APPLICATION: http://www.depdpg.org