Assessment of selection criteria used by internship directors for choosing Bastyr students, and of their competence as interns

Abstract

We aimed to assess the selection criteria used by dietetic internship (DI) directors for choosing Bastyr University (BU) didactic program in dietetics (DPD) students and to assess their competence as dietetic interns. A 10‐question survey was sent to internship directors, annually from 2006 – 2009, who accepted BU‐DPD graduates. Selection criteria (volunteer and nutrition work‐related experience) and competency questions (communication skills, interpersonal relationships, research, whole foods, medical nutrition therapy, management/leadership, health systems, environmental science, and integrative medicine) were used. The survey compared BU‐DPD interns to interns from other programs. Of 103 surveys, 71 were completed (69% return rate). The DI directors considered volunteer (73.2%) and nutrition‐related work (87.3%) as highly relevant. They rated work/volunteer experience as follows: hospital experience most important (77.5%); community experience very important (43.7%); food service experience least important (42.3%). DI Directors rated BU‐DPD preparation as “Above Average” or “Excellent.” Bastyr interns scored “more than satisfactory” to “outstanding” in the competencies surveyed, especially integrative medicine and whole foods. Bastyr graduates were perceived to perform at a high level compared to the preparation of other interns in some of the specific competencies surveyed.