Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic Internship, MS

Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic Internship Technical Standards

Rush University is committed to diversity and to attracting and educating students who will make the population of health care professionals representative of the national population.

Our core values - ICARE - Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Excellence translate into our work with all students, including those with disabilities. Rush actively collaborates with students to develop innovative ways to ensure accessibility and creates a respectful accountable culture through our confidential and specialized disability support. Rush is committed to excellence in accessibility; we encourage students with disabilities to disclose and seek accommodations.

The following technical functions are required of all students enrolled in the Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic Internship program:

Acquire Information

• Acquire information from demonstrations and experiences in courses such as lecture, group, and physical demonstrations.
• Acquire information from written documents and computer systems (e.g., literature searches & data retrieval).
• Identify information presented in accessible images from paper, slides, videos with audio description, and transparencies.
• Identify information presented in images from paper, slides, videos, and transparencies.
• Recognize and assess patient changes in mood, activity, cognition, verbal, and non-verbal communication.

Use and Interpret

• Use and interpret information from assessment techniques/maneuvers. Use and interpret information related to physiologic phenomena generated from diagnostic tools.

Motor

• Possess psychomotor skills necessary to provide or assist in holistic Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic care and perform or assist with procedures and treatments.
• Practice in a safe manner and appropriately provide Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic care and assessment in emergencies and life support procedures and perform universal precautions against contamination.

Communication

• Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and families.
• Communicate effectively with faculty, preceptors, and all members of the healthcare team during practicum and other learning experiences.
• Accurately elicit information including a medical history and other information to adequately and effectively evaluate a population’s, client’s or patient’s condition.

Intellectual Ability

• Measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize data related to diagnosis and treatment of patients and populations.
• Exercise proper judgment and complete responsibilities in a timely and accurate manner according to the Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic role.
• Synthesize information, problem solve, and think critically to judge the most appropriate theory, assessment, or treatment strategy.

Behavioral

• Maintain mature, sensitive, effective relationships with clients/patients, families, students, faculty, staff, preceptors and other professionals under all circumstances.
• Exercise skills of diplomacy to advocate for patients in need.
• Possess emotional stability to function under stress and adapt to rapidly changing environments inherent to the classroom and practice settings.

Character

• Demonstrate concern for others.
• Integrity, accountability, interest, and motivation are necessary personal qualities.
• Demonstrate intent and desire to follow the Rush University and Clinical Nutrition/Dietetic Code of Ethics.

The technical standards delineated above must be met with or without accommodation. Students who, after review of the technical standards, determine that they require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program, should contact the Office of Student Disability Services to confidentially discuss their accommodations needs. Given the clinical nature of our programs time may be needed to implement the accommodations. Accommodations are never retroactive; therefore, timely requests are essential and encouraged. To learn more about accommodations at Rush University please contact:

Marie Ferro-Lusk, MBA, MSW, LSW
Manager, Office of Student Disability Services
Rush University
600 S. Paulina St. AAC 440
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 942-5237
Marie_S_Ferro-Lusk@rush.edu

Applicants for the Combined Master of Science (MS)/Dietetic Internship

All applicants for the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship must have earned a baccalaureate degree and have a verification statement tht represents completion of  requirements of an accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) listed by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org/ACEND.

Application requirements, fees and the application process are specified on the Department of Clinical Nutrition website at www.rushu.rush.edu/cndi.

Contact Diane Sowa, MBA, RD Dietetic Internship Director at Diane_C_Sowa@rush.edu or 312-942-5212 for questions.

Students  verbally accept the appointment and the Rush Dietetic Internship Director will email the student  an acceptance letter form that students are required to complete and return.

Once students are accepted into the Dietetic Internship, they are then required to complete the application for Rush University at http://ruapplying.learn.rush.edu. A program acceptance confirmation fee of $250 is required at this time. This fee is nonrefundable and will be applied to tuition for the first term. There are two tracks in the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship degree. There is a thesis and non-thesis track. The students will decide during the first semester which track they will pursue. Schedules will vary based on the track selected.

Drug Testing

Rush University Medical Center requires that all prospective employees (including dietetic interns) undergo drug testing as a contingency for employment or enrollment.

Criminal Background Check

All dietetic interns will undergo a criminal background check, the purpose of which is to comply with legislation regarding employment in the health care field to assure patient safety.

Required Testing for all Applicants

Applicants for the MS/Dietetic Internship degree will need to submit results of the following:

• Graduate Record Examination 
• International applicants - graduates who obtained their education outside the United States and its territories must have their academic degree(s) validated as equivalent to the baccalaureate or master’s degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. These applicants also must submit results of TOEFL examination (see College of Health Sciences TOEFL requirements).

Academic Progression

Students in the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship program are required to earn grades of B or better in NTR 655 and a grade of P (pass) (equivalent to a grade of B or better) in NTR 650 NTR 651, NTR 652, NTR 653, NTR 654.  Grades of C or better are required in all other courses. Failure to earn minimum required grades may result in dismissal from the Combined MS/Dietetic Internship program and will result in a performance review by the Clinical Nutrition Academic Progress and Promotions committee. The faculty reserves the right to request the withdrawal of any student whose conduct or performance demonstrates lack of fitness for continuance in the graduate program.

Automatic probation for any student results when a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0 or when a student receives a grade of “D” or “F” in any course. The Clinical Nutrition Academic Progress and Promotions committee notifies any student placed on probation, states the reason(s) for probation and indicates the conditions that must be satisfied for removal of probation. A student who earns a grade of “D” or “F” in a course, other than those listed above, must repeat the course and earn at least a “C.” A student who earns a grade of “D” or “F” in more than one required course will be dismissed. Full-time students on probation must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater by the end of the next two consecutive terms. Part-time students on probation must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater after completing the next three courses (approximately  6 semester hours). Improvement in the GPA must be shown each quarter of probation.

College of Health Sciences/Rush University Academic Policies

Academic policies specific to the College of Health Sciences and Rush University are located in those sections of the catalog.

Year 1

Year 2

Hours Required for MS Degree: 67

Fall Semester

• CHS - 601 Introduction to Biostatistics Credit Hours: 2
• NTR - 621 Regulation of Macronutrients & Energy Metabolism in Human Nutrition Credit Hours: (3)
• NTR - 650 Supervised Experience in Food Systems Management Credit Hours: (5)

Spring Semester

• NTR - 611 Advanced Nutrition Care I Credit Hours: (3)
• CHS - 610 Research Methods in the Health Science Credit Hours: 2
• NTR - 651 Supervised Experience in Clinical Nutrition I Credit Hours: (6)
• NTR - 698 Thesis Credit Hours: (3)

Summer Semester

• NTR - 612 Advanced Nutrition Care II Credit Hours: (3)
• NTR - 652 Supervised Experience in Clinical Nutrition II Credit Hours: (6)
• NTR - 691 Nutrition Epidemiology Credit Hours: (3)
• NTR - 692 Seminar in Clinical Nutrition Credit Hours: (1)
• CHS - 605 Introduction to Ethics in Healthcare: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Credit Hours: (2)

Fall Semester

• NTR - 613 Advanced Nutrition Care III Credit Hours: (2)
• NTR - 613L Advanced Nutrition Care III Lab Credit Hours: (1)
• NTR - 641 Leadership & Management in Dietetics Credit Hours: (3)
• NTR - 653 Supervised Experience in Clinical Nutrition III Credit Hours: (6)
• NSG - 524 Health Promotion in Individuals & Clinical Populations Credit Hours: (3)

Spring Semester

• NTR - 654 Supervised Experience in Clinical Nutrition IV Credit Hours: (5)
• NTR - 655 Management Project Credit Hours: (3)
• NTR - 698 Thesis Credit Hours: (3)
• CHS - 620 Health Care in America Credit Hours: (2)