Prairie View A&M University is a state-assisted, public, comprehensive land grant institution of higher education. The university was designated in a 1984 amendment to the Texas Constitution as an “institution of the first class.” It is dedicated to achieving excellence and relevance in teaching, research and service. It seeks to invest in programs and services that address issues and challenges affecting the diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of Texas and the larger society including the global arena. The university seeks to provide a high-quality educational experience for students who, upon completion of bachelor's, master’s, or doctorate degrees, possess self-sufficiency and professional competences. The experience is imbued by the institution’s values, including, but not limited to, access and quality, accountability, diversity, leadership, relevance, and social responsibility.
Prairie View A&M University Dietetic Internship (DI)
Program Mission
The mission of the Prairie View A&M University Dietetic Internship (DI) Program is to provide excellent supervised practice experience and high-quality education that provide students with the education and professional competencies essential to entry-level registered dietitians nutritionists. The PVAMU DI is aligned with the university’s mission in its dedication to achieve excellence and relevance while addressing programs and services affecting diverse populations.
Goal 1. Graduates will be competent entry-level dietitians with the skills to practice in a variety
of settings.
Outcome Objectives & Measures
- At least 80% percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
- The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of the first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- At least 80% of employers responding to a survey will indicate graduates are prepared for entry-level practice.
- At least 80% or more of program graduates will rate themselves as well prepared for entry-level practice.
Goal 2. Graduates will be a diverse population of competent practitioners who demonstrate
commitment to the field of dietetics.
Outcome Objectives & Measures
- At least 80% of interns complete program requirements within 13.5 months (150% of planned program length).
- Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80% percent are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
- Graduates from the DI will be from a diverse population with at least 25% representing minority populations over 5 years.
Program outcomes
Program outcomes data are available upon request from the Dietetic Internship Director:
Janet Antwi, Ph.D., RD, LD
Assistant Professor & Internship Director
Human Nutrition & Dietetics
Prairie View A&M University
Box 519; Mail Stop 2004
Prairie View, TX 77446
Main Office: (936) 261-2536
Fax: (936)261-2501
Email: jaantwi@pvamu.edu
Admission – The program participates in the spring match only for admission in April. The internship begins in the fall semester.
Length of Dietetic Internship Program: 36 weeks or 1200 hours (late August-early May)
ACEND’s Board of Directors voted April 6 to reduce the number of hours from 1,200 to 1,000 for registered dietitian nutritionist programs and from 450 hours to 375 hours for nutrition and dietetics technician, registered programs. The temporary reduction covers all students graduating between the period starting January 1, 2020, to June 30, 20.
Living Accommodations & Meals – Students are responsible for their housing arrangements and meals.
Uniforms – Each Dietetic Intern will provide his/her laboratory coat.
Transportation – Because affiliated practice facilities are located throughout Houston & surrounding areas, each intern will need access to private transportation and must carry sufficient automobile insurance coverage for collision and liability. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS NOT AVAILABLE
Professional Liability Insurance – The University secures liability insurance for each student before the start of the internship.
The number of Dietetic Interns – 10 interns will be accepted each year.
Program schedule, Vacations, Holidays, and Leaves of Absence – The Dietetic Internship observes the University calendar for the following holidays. Thanksgiving (Thursday & Friday); Christmas (2 weeks) and one day Spring Break.
POLICY: The program recognizes the university academic calendar including student holidays.
In addition, interns are allowed 3 days' absence.
PROCEDURE:
- Any additional time taken must be made-up.
- The dietetic intern may be scheduled for additional hours until the time lost is completed., or
- The intern may be required to stay after the program's conclusion to make up for hours missed.
- At no time will there be more than ten interns in the program.
- If the intern does not make up the time missed, the intern will not have completed the
program and will not receive a verification statement.
Work Responsibilities – The workweek is a minimum of 36 hours. There may be some weekend and evening assignments. Students are expected to utilize evenings and weekends to study or complete projects.
Scholarships and federal financial aid – Federal financial aid and or departmental scholarships are not available.
Association Membership – All Dietetic Interns are required to have membership in the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
RD Eligibility – After successful completion of the dietetic internship program, students will be eligible for active membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and will be eligible to write the registration examination.
Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen – All participating interns undergo drug screen and criminal background checks throughout the program.
Prior learning – The internship does not consider prior learning experiences as a substitute for practice hours.
Availability of Financial Aid and Loan deferments – For information on loan deferment contact the financial aid office at Phone: (936) 261-1000
- Minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Original Verification Statement of completion of academic requirements or declaration of intent to complete academic requirements by the internship start date.
- A minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree from a U.S. accredited university or college OR foreign equivalent verified by a Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) approved agency (Approved nonprofit agencies available at ACEND website) https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/students-and-advancing-education/information-for-students/foreign-degree-evaluation-agencies
- A non-refundable application fee of $50.00
The dietetic internship program participates in the computerized Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services (DICAS) for the spring application process. Specific instructions on the DICAS application process is available from the DICAS portal. (Click Here) The following are some of the items that must be in the DICAS application: The program deadline for the dietetic internship is the same deadline for the DICAS application.
- Transcripts and three letters of recommendation are a required part of the application submitted to DICAS. Letters of recommendation should include at least two academic references and one from a current or recent employer.
- A personal statement – The statement should describe the applicant’s professional and educational goals, interests, and achievements.
- Application and ranking set with D&D Digital Systems
Note: Do not apply for university admission until notified of a match to the dietetic internship program.
Second Round Match Requirements
If the program does not fill all openings in the first round match the program will participate in the second round through DICAS. All applicants must submit the required application fee to the dietetic internship program.
Admission is open to qualified individuals regardless of race, national origin, sex, religion, age, veteran status, or disability. A selection committee comprised of departmental faculty and dietitians review applications that meet the minimum requirements. All applications are due before or on the deadline date established by DICAS. Applications are evaluated in the areas of academic record (including overall GPA), work and volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, and applicant’s statement. Applications must meet the academic requirements of a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
Minimum eligibility requirements:
- A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (on 4.0 scale)
- Non-refundable application fee of $50.00 payable online at PANTHERS Market Place
Computer Matching:
- The Prairie View A&M Dietetic Internship participates in the spring computer matching process.
- Applicants need to make a Digital DI Application File through DICAS.
- Applicants must register online with D&D Digital Systems for the selection of DI program priority and computer matching. This request should be made early to allow turnaround time to submit internship preferences to D&D Digital Systems. D&D Digital charges a $50 computer-matching fee.
- D&D Digital Systems will provide all applicants their matching results via posting on the D&D Digital Systems website. D&D Digital Systems will provide all DI Directors the list of applicants matched to their program on match date. Applicants should contact D&D Digital Systems if matching results are not available to them via the Web site.
- Applicants who receive a computer match are responsible for contacting the DI Director and accepting or rejecting that match by email to the program director.
- As a participant in computer matching, applicants who receive a match will adhere to the results of the match and accept the match. It is unacceptable to decline a match to pursue appointment at another supervised practice program.
- As a participant in the computer matching process, applicants who do not receive a computer match will not contact any program with open positions until the allowed D&D date. Delaying contact allows time to confirm acceptance from their matched applicants and determine the process they will use to fill open positions. Also, please do not ask your Didactic Program Director to inquire about or contact programs with open positions before the allowed date.
D & D Digital Systems
3100 S. Riverside Drive
PO Box 887
Ames, Iowa 50010
Phone: (515) 292-0409
Email: dnd@netins.net
Website: www.dnddigital.com
Eligibility to take the registration examination requires that all students receive a verification statement confirming the successful completion of the dietetic internship.
To complete the Dietetic Internship Program and receive a verification, each participant must
- receive a score of satisfactory or better on each supervised experience
- receive a score of at least 80% on each major exam
- complete all assignments with a grade of satisfactory or better
- complete 1200 hours of practicum experience
- meet all core competencies for the registered dietitian nutritionist during the internship
Upon completing the program, each participant will be eligible to register and take the Registration Examination for Dietitians sponsored by The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
Information on meeting RDN Registration Eligibility can be found here ↵
The Dietetic Internship will provide students with supervised practice in a variety of settings. The following is a partial listing of the affiliated practice sites:
Management & Food Service Rotations
- Alief Independent School District – Alief
- Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District – Cypress
- Houston Independent School District – Houston
- Waller Independent School District – Waller
- Hempstead Independent School District – Hempstead
- KIPP Houston Public Schools – Houston
- Sodexo – Prairie View A&M University
- Ripe Cuisine
Clinical Rotations
- Tomball Regional Hospital
- DaVita Inc.
- City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services
- Kindred Hospital
- Scott & White Hospital – College Station
- Joseph Regional Health Center – Bryan
- Atrium Medical Center Hospital
- Dietitians in Healthcare LLC
- Kingwood Medical Center Hospital
- HEB
Public Health/Community Rotations
- Access Health
- The Houston Food Bank,
- Gulf Coast Community Service
- Recipe For Success
- Atrium Medical Center Hospital
- Seven Acres Retirement Facility
- Baker Ripley
- Cooperative Extension, Prairie View A&M University
- City of Houston Department of Health
- Harris County Public Health
- UTMB – WIC
Students accepted into the internship program must submit a separate completed application packet to the graduate school for admission to the university. Transcripts, recommendations, and other information submitted to the internship program are not part of the graduate school application and should be submitted to the university with the graduate application after the match process and upon admission to the internship program. See graduate admissions at the Graduate School for more detail.
The following outlines the pathway to becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
- Completed a minimum of a bachelor's degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college or foreign equivalent, and coursework through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Didactic (DPD), Coordinated (CP), Future Graduate (FG) or Foreign (FDE) or International Dietitian Education (IDE) program.
- Completed required supervised practice/experience through an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship (DI), Coordinated (CP), Future Graduate (FG) or International Dietitian Education (IDE) Program or an Individualized Supervised Practice Pathway (ISPP) offered through an ACEND- accredited program.
- Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
For other career guidance information, contact the Accreditation and Education Programs Team (800/877-1600, ext. 5400 or education@eatright.org).
The total cost of the dietetic internship varies. The following indicates the expected expenses and fees with their estimated cost.
Dietetic Internship (Resident) – $7,733 (Non -Resident) $16, 656. (Information link)
Application to Internship Program fee $50
DICAS application fee - $50 for the first application, $25 for each additional application (Information link)
D&D Digital application fee - $50
Lab Coat - $30
Immunization and TB test – cost varies
Professional Liability Insurance - 85.00
Drug Screen $50 - However, some facilities require a drug screen to be done by specific facilities.
Student membership to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - $50
Criminal background check – no cost
Textbooks and supplies – varies with individual students
Meals, housing, and transportation vary – Student must have reliable private transportation. Public transportation is not available.
Cost of living: the average rent for northwest Houston is $800.