Dietetic Internship Program History

The Indiana University dietetic internship program, founded in 1918, is the second oldest dietetic internship in the United States. Accredited (approved/recognized), depending on the term in use at the time, by the American Dietetic Association since its inception, the program was the sole internship in Indiana until 1972. Over the last 90 years, the program has varied considerably in enrollment (2 to 36 interns/year), length (6 to 12 months) and content. Beginning in 1930, interns earned graduate credit of differing amounts as a part of the internship. The dietetic internship has graduated 1,508 dietitians over its 90-year history.

Leadership for the dietetic internship has been provided by the following: M. Lute Troutt (1923-1948), president of the American Dietetic Association 1937, winner of the Copher Award 1963; Louise Irwin (1948-1961); Arlene M. Wilson, RD (1961-1979), president of the American Dietetic Association 1973, winner of the Copher Award in 1987; Sheila Ward, DSc, RD (1979-1990) and Jacquelynn O'Palka PhD, RD (1991 to the present).

The dietetic internship program was revised in 1995 as a result of the realignment of the education programs with the School of Allied Health Sciences (now the School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences) and the patient care restructuring occurring at the IUMC. Affiliations include University Hospital (424 beds), James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children (268 beds), The Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center (367 beds), Methodist Hospital (1,067 beds), St. Francis Hospital (540 beds), Hancock Memorial Hospital (92 beds), Johnson Memorial Hospital (165 beds), LaRue Carter Hospital (146 beds), Community Hospital South (150 beds), Columbus Regional Hospital (225 beds), Lakeview Manor, Lockefield Village, the Marion County Public Health Department, the Marion County Women, Infants and Children's Program, Indiana Department of Education, and a wide array of community programs.

The current internship program is 10 months in length and provides 12 weeks of food service systems experience; 7 weeks of community experience; 13 weeks of clinical nutrition experience; 5 weeks of specialization; 3 weeks of orientation and 3 weeks of vacation. Monday is reserved for formal lectures, workshops and field trips, while Tuesday through Sunday are reserved for supervised practice time (32 hr/week). The program provides a minimum of 1,184 clinical practice hours.

As a part of the internship, interns earn a total of 30 credits of graduate course work in nutrition, food service systems and research methods. Eight graduate course work credits (the equivalent of one full-time semester) may be applied to a Master Program. Course content is structured to complement the supervised practice component of the internship and includes various individual and group projects.