Dietetics students achieve perfect placement rate to post-graduate internships
Dietetics students in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences have again achieved a 100 percent placement rate to post-graduate supervised practice programs.
Including the spring and fall application cycles, all 30 students who applied were selected by dietetic internships, an important step in becoming credentialed as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN).
“Our graduates are headed to top-notch programs in Georgia and throughout the United States,” said Emma Laing, clinical professor and director of dietetics in the department of nutritional sciences. “I am so proud of their hard work and dedication toward achieving this milestone that will launch their careers.”
Applying to dietetic internships is highly competitive and is a similar process to other allied health professional training programs like physician assistant, dental and medical schools.
UGA students seeking to become an RDN must first complete STEM coursework in a nationally-accredited program – the FACS dietetics major is a Didactic Program in Dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics – then earn a minimum of a master’s degree and finish approximately 1,000 hours of supervised practice in an accredited internship.
After successfully completing their graduate degree and dietetic internship, students then have to pass the national comprehensive Commission on Dietetic Registration RDN exam before seeking licensure to practice in their state.
"We are proud to see that once again, our dietetics students have achieved this impressive 100 percent match rate,” said Connie Rogers, the Bill and June Flatt Professor of Nutritional Sciences and head of the department of nutritional sciences. “It speaks volumes about the leadership of Dr. Laing and our dedicated faculty and staff who recruit and train high-quality students who are fully committed to becoming top-tier professionals.”
Laing agrees that her program’s success is a reflection of the student-centric approach prevalent throughout the college.
“Our students receive exceptional training delivered by the faculty and staff in our department and in the Student Success and Advising Center,” she said. “With tailored resources and multiple levels of support, our graduates are well-prepared to become successful and compassionate future RDNs.”
Madeleine Zeiler, who was matched to her first choice of Johns Hopkins Medicine, credits Laing for preparing her for the rigorous process.
“In the days leading up to match day, I was riddled with anxiety that I wouldn’t get a match since nearly a third of internship applicants don’t match anywhere,” she said. “But I found calm in the knowledge that I was coming from a program with a 100 percent match rate (in previous cycles). With Dr. Laing as a mentor, the sky is the limit.”
Below is a list of students who were accepted into supervised practice programs this year, shared with permission.
Allison Arters, Wellness Workdays
Gabrielle Arters, Wellness Workdays
Mary Elizabeth Altman, Morrison Healthcare
Julia Bailey, University of Georgia
Grace Burton, Morrison Healthcare
Jackson Call, Virginia Tech
Whit Cooney, Morrison Healthcare
Holly Cothern, Bay Pines Veterans Affairs
Celia Croxton, Garden to Table
Emily Crum, Emory University Hospital
Tevin Duncan, New York Distance
Tristan Forbes, Emory University Hospital
Ava Harris, Diet to Lifestyle
Rachel Hopper, Appalachian State
Taylor Lowe, Public Health Foundation Enterprise WIC
Avery Lusk, Wellness Workdays
Chisom Okoli, Diversify Dietetics
Julia Pittman, Sodexo
Grace Potts, Morrison Healthcare
Samantha Pregel, Sodexo
Stephanie Robbins, Morrison Healthcare
Lindsey Sewell, Georgia State University
Kassidy Sharpe, Diversify Dietetics
Paloma Vega, Emory University Hospital
Tiffany Vo, Emory University Hospital
Tiersly Wanka, Georgia State University
Libby Wunderlich, Vanderbilt
Bethany Younce, Emory University Hospital
Madeleine Zeiler, Johns Hopkins
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Dietetics students achieve perfect placement rate to post-graduate internships
The highly-competitive process is an important step toward becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist