Welcome to the Dietetic Internship Program Home Page. You'll find a complete packet of information on this Web site, including application and recommendation forms.
Dietetic interns at OHSU experience the future of dietetics at innovative learning venues on and off campus. The main campus is located on scenic Marquam Hill minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon. The program is currently granted continuing accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The internship prepares students to qualify to take the national examination to become a Registered Dietitian and for performance in entry-level dietetics positions.
All dietetic interns are expected to be active ADA student members.
The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association accredits the Oregon Health & Sciences Dietetic Internship.
For more information you can contact:
CADE - American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2000
Chicago,Illinois 60606
Telephone: 1-800-877-1600 OR 312-899-0040 Ext. 5400
www.eatright.org/cade
Dietetic Internship Philosophy
The Mission of the Dietetic Internship is to prepare competent dietetic practitioners who demonstrate positive personal and professional characteristics, who choose to practice in the state and region, and who are prepared to function in the ever-changing scientific and professional environment.
The education/teaching mission of OHSU attempts to instill a sense of altruism and to create clinicians who care for the needy and vulnerable, as well as for those of greater means. The Dietetic Internship faculty believes that measurable professional competencies as outlined in the Standards of Education of Commission on Dietetics Education and professional characteristics as determined by the faculty will develop a sense of altruism, initiative and cooperation among students, faculty, and staff and thus must be an integral part of the Dietetic Internship curriculum. Clinical practice and community service are integral to preparing competent practitioners who will fulfill this sense of altruism.
OHSU is vitally concerned with training professionals whose abilities correspond to the needs of the state and region, and who will choose to work where they are needed. Thus interns are exposed to both urban and rural experiences and environments so that graduates may choose to practice in diverse geographical settings in the state and region. The faculty also believes that flexibility should be built into the program to accommodate strengths, weaknesses and interests of individual interns.
OHSU is a research and primarily graduate institution. In support of the research mission of OHSU, the dietetic internship curriculum is designed to incorporate a research component that leads interns to graduate programs available within the university, state and implementation of research in applied practice.
Scholarship through continuous evaluation of both the program and students is fundamental to strengthening the program and to preparing competent practitioners who will remain current and exude the spirit of inquiry.
Comments from past and current students
Program Highlights
- 36 Graduate credits awarded
- Excellent preceptors
- Successful careers for graduates
- Primarily a graduate university
- Medical center environment
- Rural and Urban educational experiences
- 86% CDR exam pass rate on 1st try
- Oldest program on the West Coast and West St. Louis, MO.
- Emphasis in technology and research
- Great Northwest climate and outdoor activities
Opportunities for Learning
We accept 23 graduates of ADA didactic programs in dietetics (DPD) as interns each academic year. Interns learn from clinicians in Eugene, Medford/Grants Pass, Portland, and Vancouver, WA. From the first week of the program, a balance is struck between academic and practical experiences. This melding of theory, research and experience gives students proficiency in the art and science of dietetics. After program completion, the graduate is qualified to take the national registration examination for dietitians offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
