Dear Potential Applicant:

Thank you for reviewing information about the Mid-Willamette Valley Dietetic Internship (MWVDI). Information and brochure and application information are below. Please type all application materials and compile an application packet containing all of the following:

1) Letter of Application (describing yourself & your goals).

2) Completed Dietetic Internship Application and Recommendation Form.  This is available from www.depdpg.org

3) Official Transcript(s) sealed in official envelope

4) Three letters of recommendation (each in sealed envelope)

5) Academic Verification of Plan V/DPD or Declaration of Intent for Completion

6) Application Fee of $25 (payable to: MWVDI)

The completed Internship application packet for the April 2008 computer matching must be postmarked on or before February 15th, 2008. Please send the application packet to:

Nancy Dunton, Ph.D., R.D.
Program Director, MWVDI
Capital Manor Retirement Community
1955 Dallas Hwy. NW, Suite 1200
Salem, Oregon 97304

The MWVDI participates in the D&D Digital Computer Matching. Please provide D&D Digital with:

1) DI/AP4 preferences marked on the mark/sense card (front and back of card filled out),

2) A check or money order to D&D Digital Systems for $50.00,

3) The signed release card all in the protective folder provided by D&D Digital and postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 15, 2008.

Please send D&D Digital information listed above to:

D&D Digital Systems
304 Main St., Suite 301
Ames, IA. 50010-6148
Phone: (515) 292-0490, Fax: (515) 663-9427, E-mail: dnd@netins.net 

www.dnddigital.com

If you are interested in applying for financial aid, contact the American Dietetic Association regarding scholarship information from that organization. If you have any questions, write to the address below or call me at (503) 362-4101. It is our policy that no site visits will be granted.

Good Luck!

Sincerely,

Nancy Dunton, Ph.D., R.D.
Program Director MWVDI
Capital Manor Retirement Community
1955 Dallas Hwy. NW, Suite 1200
Salem, Oregon 97304

MWVDI@capitalmanor.com

INFORMATIONAL BROCHURE

The MWVDI was developmentally accredited as a Dietetic Internship in 1994, received accreditation under the Standards of Education (4th Edition) as a Dietetic Internship with the American Dietetic Association as of July 27, 1999, and recently completed a successful PAR review (5-year interim report).  The accreditation is valid thru 2009. The philosophy of the MWVDI, that supervised practice and didactic experiences should be available in work settings other than the traditional acute care health care facilities, is reflected in the variety of work settings (and their faculty) which comprise the program. The internship reflects an emerging recognition by the profession that entry level RDs will require a larger repertoire of skills to meet the needs of the future. Inclusion of facilities which offer experiences encompassing long-term health care, home health care, school food service, WIC, the restaurant industry, outpatient nutrition counseling, and community nutrition education, in addition to the traditional acute care setting which provides nutrition care to individuals, serve to meet the goals of the proposed program. Students will gain insights into clinical and administrative dietetic practice among older healthy and ill adults, as well as community-based, family-centered care of adults. The clinical practice associated with feeding in a variety of settings and the community networks between state and local agencies are special areas unique to this internship.

The MWVDI was designed with the primary purpose to prepare entry-level generalist RDs. The rotation is commensurate with categories of work settings identified as current areas in entry-level RDs spend much of their time (JADA, 1995 Commission on Dietetic Registration Dietetics Practice Audit). Although specific rotation sites have changed since the inception of the internship, the philosophy and experiences has remained consistent. The MWVDI is the next step in the educational and supervised practice process required by the American Dietetic Association to prepare entry-level RDs. After successfully completing the dietetic internship, the student is qualified to take the Registration Examination to become an RD.

ROTATION SITES

Capital Manor Retirement Community:

A continuing care community (CCRC) providing meals and nutritional care to independent and residential care residents. Interns work in food service, clinical and community areas at this site.

Salem Hospital (SH): 

Clinical in-patient care, acute-care facility. Ambulatory/outpatient care. Food service for in-patients, out-patients, community and staff.

Oregon Dairy Council (ODC): 

Community/public health program.

Silverton Hospital (Sil H):  

Inpatient and outpatient care in an acute-care facility. 

Providence Benedictine Nursing Center (PBNC): 

Long-term facility, assisted living, adult day care. Foodservice and clinical care for long-term individuals.

Quali-Centers (QC): Renal Dialysis Unit 

DaVita Salem Dialysis (DV): Renal Dialysis Unit

Holland, Inc. (HI): Restaurant Food service

Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKSD): Food Management and Child Nutrition 

Salud Medical Center (WIC): Community Child and Maternal Nutrition

The MWVDI program administration is directed by the current program director, Nancy Dunton, Ph.D., R.D., Food Service Director at Capital Manor Retirement Community.

The curriculum for the Mid-Willamette Valley Dietetic Internship consists of a total of 1368 clock hours of supervised practice and didactic learning. Interns complete 1280 practice hours and 88 didactic hours. A three-day orientation is included in the internship calendar. One class per month (full day) is included from October through May. Outside speakers present topics which all interns are required to know. There is also time for sharing of experiences, review questions, the class project, case studies and journal article review, and presenting case studies. Projects, which meet the competency statements for the supervised practice component of entry-level dietitian education programs, are planned at each rotation.

Homework outside of the internship is a part of the curriculum at some rotations. Two weeks of vacation are planned into the internship at Christmas time, as well as Thanksgiving and the day after and Memorial Day. A four-week staff relief is planned at the end of the internship. The internship can be completed on a full-time basis in approximately 39 weeks (including planned experiences, orientation, didactic hours, vacation, and staff relief) or 52 weeks on a part-time basis (24-32 hours/week). For students wishing a part-time Internship experience, the program must be completed in one calendar year (to avoid overlap with the next class of Interns).

All students will begin the internship the last Monday in September, regardless of full-time or part-time status. Full-time students will complete the curriculum in June, and part-time students will complete the curriculum in August or September, depending upon the number of hours worked per week. The schedule will be developed to have only one intern at a rotation site at a time if at all possible. The only exception will be SH, where there may be overlap of interns, due to the length of the rotation. The internship does not offer health insurance for the students. Students are strongly recommended to provide their own health insurance throughout the internship, and are required to have it during the rotation at the Qualicenters renal dialysis unit. No stipend will be offered and there will be a $2500.00 tuition charge, payable during orientation.

PROGRAM CONSTITUENTS

The program constituents are briefly described below:

Sponsoring Facility: Capital Manor (CM)

Capital Manor is located in Salem on the West side of the Willamette River. Capital Manor is a 475 resident, 33 acre accredited Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). The complex has 230 independent living units and 83 villas. The complex has 44 buildings, including residences, meeting rooms, community centers and guestrooms. A residential care unit provides additional assistance to their residents in need. Residents may move to and from independent and residential care.

A CCRC is a not for profit, life care facility offering physical, social, emotional and spiritual services for the residents. A CCRC provides levels of healthcare during the resident's stay. CM provides care for the residents residing in the residential care center, as well as a variety of services for the independent living residents. Independent living residents can visit the in-house nurse practitioner who visits the facility on a regular basis. In addition, nursing and social services are provided to residents that may need them in their independent living units. Home health services for independent living residents are arranged through the Capital Manor clinical coordinator. A rehab staff (OT, ST, and PT) is provided on an "as needed" basis. Educational, recreational and spiritual programs sponsored by residents, staff, as well as outside organizations, is offered to all residents.

CM provides all meals for the majority (80%) of the residents. The Foodservice Department employs a staff of approximately 50 in the provision of 1000 daily meals to residents and guests. There is one conventional production-style kitchen, along with eight separate dining rooms; buffet and table service is provided in the independent resident dining room, while family style and tray service is provided to the residential care residents. Room service is also provided for those who request it. There are often special functions, which require foodservice. The responsibility for all food, food-related and nutrition care activities at CM are those of the Foodservice Director. The facility offers Dietetic Interns strong and varied experiences in Foodservice Systems Management, Clinical and Community Dietetics rotations through the regular activities of the Foodservice Department. Students will be involved in menu and standardized recipe development, food purchasing, food production, service and production, in servicing, scheduling, resident diet histories, nutrition screening and assessment, and a seminar presentation. Interns spend 5 weeks in didactic and supervised practice while at Capital Manor, including food systems management, community nutrition education and clinical care.

The Program Director is also the Food Service Director and Registered Dietitian at Capital Manor. Capital Manor is the sponsoring institution for the MWVDI and is responsible for the program maintenance, management and evaluation. The program director signs the statements to The American Dietetic Association verifying students' completion of the internship.

Other Required Rotation Sites

In addition to Capital Manor, interns have 9 other facilities in which rotation is required. These include:

Salem Hospital (SH): Salem Hospital is a not-for-profit community hospital located in Salem, a town of 120,000 located in the mid-Willamette Valley approximately 55 miles south of Portland. As the largest (a 454 licensed beds) and only full-service acute care facility in the area, comprehensive care is available to both hospitalized and ambulatory patients/clients. In addition to traditional medical and surgical units, hospital services include an in-patient dialysis unit, an open-heart surgery unit, a special care nursery, and a community cancer center. SH also includes a psychiatric medicine unit, a regional rehabilitation center, a sleep disorders unit and a home health team. Other activities include nutrition education programs for diabetes, weight management, healthful living and risk reduction (Lean Way) and ambulatory parenteral and enteral support (SHAPES). Active community service provided by ongoing classes in wellness, low-fat cooking, and in a variety of other nutrition topics as needed makes SH an excellent worksite for both Clinical and Community Dietetics rotations in addition to a rotation site for Foodservice Systems Management. Students will spend 9 weeks in this facility while involved primarily in clinical dietetic practice, but also in community dietetics and food service systems management. Students report to the Director of Nutrition Services and the Clinical Nutrition Manager while at SH.

Oregon Dairy Council (ODC): The Nutrition Education Services of the ODC is a leader in nutrition education in the state, providing Oregonians with scientifically accurate information to encourage healthy food choices for life. The ODC worksite is located in Portland and employs three RD Nutrition Educators who will review with Dietetic Interns the principles of nutrition education to promote behavior change. Students will complete nutrition education projects according to the ODC's current program plan which may include presenting workshops, developing recipes, marketing materials and products, and participating in media interviews, making the ODC an excellent training grounds for the Community Dietetics area of practice. Students will spend 2 weeks involved in community nutrition education at ODC and report to the Nutrition Educator.

Silverton Hospital (Sil H): Silverton Hospital, located in Silverton, Oregon, is 15 miles east of Salem in a small rural community. Interns will spend 2 weeks with the in-patient dietician working on clinical nutrition, 1 week with the out-patient dietitian and 1 week in Woodburn. Sil H represents the type of worksite many generalist RDs find themselves in, where the RD provides a variety of experience and serves in a variety of roles. Students will spend 4 weeks (160 hours) at Sil H.

Providence Benedictine Nursing Center (PBNC): BNC is located in the town of Mt. Angel, 20 miles northeast of Salem. BNC is a 130 bed, private pay Medicare/Medicaid licensed long-term care facility with a newly opened assisting living and adult day care center. Student experiences include the nutritional evaluation of the Foster Care and Assisted living residents, development of a tube feeding protocol, menu development, inservicing, nutritional assessment and documentation of new residents, involvement in new program development, QA on meal satisfaction and monitoring of the meal service. The registered dietitian is also the food service director. Students spend 3 weeks at BNC and report to the Food Service Director.

Quali-Centers (QC): Quali-Centers is a renal dialysis unit with sites in Albany and Salem. Interns provide medical Nutritional Therapy to assist Pre-Dialysis, Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis patients. A full-time RD is on staff to assist interns. Two interns spend 2 weeks at Quali-Center.

DaVita Salem Dialysis (DV):  A renal dialysis unit based in Salem, Oregon.  Interns provide medical Nutritional Therapy to assist Pre-Dialysis, Hemodialysis, and Peritoneal Dialysis patients.  Two interns spend 2 weeks at DaVita.

Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS): Located in Salem, Oregon, the public school system offers the intern a chance to work with an RD in developing nutrition education materials for the schools, in managing and overseeing the food service and sanitation issues of a large scale food service operation for 2 weeks.

Salud Medical Center (WIC): Located in Woodburn (North of Salem), the Salud Medical Center services a low-income Hispanic and Russian Old Believers population. Interns learn valuable counseling skills with this population and have exposure to child and maternal nutrition. Interns may work at the Woodburn & Salem WIC offices. Interns spend 3 weeks with the RD on staff.

Holland, Inc. (HI): Located in Vancouver, Washington, The Holland Inc. owns Burgerville, Beaches Restaurant, and Noodlin'. Interns will work for 1 week with the Director of Food Safety and gain "hands-on" Food Service in the restaurant environment.

PROGRAM GOALS

The MWVDI program goals:

1) To prepare graduates to assume leadership positions in dietetics.

2) To prepare graduates to be competent practitioners, competitive in the marketplace, and interested in pursuing employment in senior care.

3) To prepare graduates who provide dietetic service to their communities.

PROGRAM COSTS

There is a $25.00 fee to apply to the Mid-Willamette Dietetic Internship.

There is a $2,500.00 tuition charge for all accepted students, payable during the first week of the internship. The tuition charge covers:

1) Cost of classes and materials used in the Internship (except texts, supplies or duplicating that students opt to purchase). Some assignments may require small supply costs.

2) Building facilities while at Capital Manor, including areas for meetings, to study, and library & instructional media services at Capital Manor and other rotation sites.  

3) Admission to the Oregon Dietetic Association Meeting and the SYSCO food show.

4) Administrative fees of the Internship. Costs of fingerprints for criminal background checks as needed.  The cost of TB tests.

5) Reimbursement for class project.

STUDENT COSTS

1) Transportation costs: Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from rotation sites. A car is strongly advised. Public transportation is available, but may require lengthy travel to the Portland and Albany rotation sites. Transportation costs during the internship range from $300-$650 (bus vs. car).

2) Health Insurance: Students are strongly recommended to obtain their own health insurance during the internship. Health Insurance is required during the Qualicenter rotation where students work in a renal dialysis unit. Costs for health insurance range from $75-$200 per month.

3) Living Expenses: Apartments in the Salem area range from $400-600/month; utilities, food and other expenses would be the responsibility of the student.

4) Library/University Costs: Costs accrued when using libraries at local universities become those of the student.

5) Assignment Costs: There may be small costs for materials and supplies associated with projects throughout the internship that are the responsibility of the student.

Program Start Date: Last Monday in September

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Candidate's application packets are initially screened for the following minimum requirements:

* a 3.0 GPA overall

* a 3.2 GPA in professional courses

The MWVDI requires the recency of education, and applications are screened for this standard. Selected members of the program faculty screen candidates meeting these requirements by phone interview using predetermined questions. The program faculty then evaluates each candidate, based on predetermined criteria, using grades, letters of recommendations, the letter of application, work experience, extracurricular experiences as well as the phone interview. Students are evaluated on conceptual ability (ability to master new information/skills, quality of oral and written expression), relevance and quality of professional, volunteer and work experience, self-direction (ability to set goals, organize and work independently), leadership abilities (elected offices, awards and leadership recognition by peers), ability to perform under pressure (flexibility, priority setting, stamina, reaction to stress, ability to balance daily activities) and interpersonal skills (self-perception, self-confidence, ability to work with others).

The top candidates are selected and their names are sent in to the D&D Digital Computer Matching for selection of finalists. Students will be notified by mail on or after the Wednesday closest to April 20. The process will be conducted so that student's rights are protected and the non-discrimination policies of the program are maintained.

Back to Top of this page.

Home

rev 11/11/2003