2009-10 Dietetic Interns Celebrating Program Completion
Welcome to the Viterbo Dietetic Internship Program!
Viterbo's Dietetic Internship is open to students who have completed the ADA foundation knowledge and skills as part of a DPD program and who have completed a bachelor's degree.
The Dietetic Internship at Viterbo is based on ADA's Core Competencies for Dietitians with an additional emphasis area in Community-Medical Dietetics. This emphasis allows dietetic interns to gain additional skills in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention through nutrition. Skills of health appraisal, counseling and nutrition assessment of individuals and groups are practiced in most of our 18 affiliating agencies. Some of these are:
- Gundersen/Lutheran Medical Center
- Franciscan/Skemp Healthcare
- Bethany St. Joseph Care Center
- HoChunk Nation, Health & Human Services
- Hillview Care Center
- Tomah VA Medical Center
- La Crosse County Health Department
- School District of La Crosse
Viterbo's Philosophy
Health care is a dynamic, changing part of our society, and dietetics, as an integral component of the health care system, is a changing profession. One of the important changes that has taken place is the growing importance of prevention and just not the treatment of disease. There are growth programs aimed at prevention of problems and promotion of general “good health”. These programs require nutritional care that continues over time; after a patient has been released from the hospital; nutritional care that is close at hand; and nutritional care provided by a registered dietitian who can bring personal support and science-based expertise to bear on nutritional problems. The curriculum at Viterbo combines knowledge and skills of both the hospital and community dietitian to meet societal demands for comprehensive nutritional care.
Program Goals and Outcomes
Viterbo's dietetic program monitors quality of its educational experiences through a system of continuous improvement.
The Dietetic Program at Viterbo will:
Provide quality education to a diverse student body in order to prepare entry-level dietitians
- 80% of Viterbo graduates will pass the RD exam as first time examinees.
- 80% of graduates will be employed at a professional level within 6 months of graduation.
- Graduates will rate themselves as "prepared" in 80% of entry level competencies which are related to their present jobs.
- Employers will rate graduates as "acceptable " or "outstanding" in at least 75% of commonly performed job duties
Prepare graduates who engage in nutrition specific health promotion activities on their first job.
- At least 75% of graduates will provide nutrition specific health promotion in their job or as volunteers.
Recruit and retain diverse students.
- At least one minority (including males) will successfully complete the dietetic internship.
- 90% of students beginning the internship will successfully complete the program.