Undergraduate Dietetics Research Articles

Integrating research and grant writing in an undergraduate dietetics program

The Council on Research of The American Dietetic Association considers research by dietitians a necessity. A number of authors conclude that the link between research and practice needs to begin with the educational experience. We report on a model for integrating research and grant proposal writing in the undergraduate dietetics curriculum that has been used successfully for 6 years in a coordinated program. Students carry out research projects so that they learn teamwork, read research articles more critically, become more skilled with statistical analysis, and learn how to seek funding for their work. This model could easily be adopted by educational programs. Having such research and writing experience as students may stimulate continued research in the practice setting.

Integration of the nutrition care review in a coordinated undergraduate program

The nutrition care review is viewed by today's dietitian as a vital tool in assuring quality care and effective utilization of health care facilities and resources. This project sought to include the principles and process of a nutrition care review in the curriculum of a coordinated undergraduate dietetics program. Didactic instruction included discussion of the components and steps in the process, with emphasis on peer review. Building on this knowledge, students developed general standards and criteria for assigned review topics. As accepted by the entire class, the criteria represented measurable characteristics used for peer evaluations of case study presentations made by each student. All students agreed that involvement in the process assisted them in recognizing problems in nutrition care delivery and in developing corrective and/or more efficient alternatives. J Am Diet Assoc 88:1429, 1988.

A structured approach to clinical education in a dietetic curriculum

The successful integration of clinical and didactic elements to achieve a well coordinated clinical education program is a complex, ongoing task in undergraduate dietetics education, involving both educational and managerial considerations. One effort to achieve improvements in these two areas was the development of a structured learning experience recently field tested with undergraduate dietetics students and clinical dietitians during clinical rotations. The structured experience defined roles, responsibilities, and activities for students, clinical dietitians, and course instructors and included scheduled review meetings attended by all participants. It was implemented with nine students during pediatric rotations. At the end of the course, students completed a standardized course evaluation form to assess course content, educational strategies, and effectiveness. They also rated the structured rotation, unstructured rotations, and their "ideal" rotation on 16 instructional factors. Clinical dietitians were interviewed by the course coordinator to elicit reactions and commitment to future participation. When it was compared with the traditional, non-structured approach utilized in surgery, gastroenterology, obesity/diabetes, and cardiovascular disease rotations, the structured learning experience received superior evaluations by participating students and dietitians. Correlations between ratings of structured, non-structured, and "ideal" approaches indicated directions for further educational and managerial improvements.

Student selection in dietetic internship programs

Recent events mandate that internship faculties review their selection criteria and processes carefully. These events include legal decisions and the implementation of federal regulations, as well as the dietetic traineeship "phase-out" and ADA's decision to rescind application restrictions. This study profiles the 1978 selection criteria and processes used by 47 of the 68 accredited dietetic internship programs. The most common criteria included (in decreasing order of importance): academic records, letters of recommendation, applicant essays, and demographic/biographic data. Standardized tests and applicant interviews were used infrequently. The reliability and validity of certain selection criteria, e.g., letters of recommendation, are questioned. Recommendation for increasing the predictive quality of the letters and other selection tools are included. Criteria of questionable legality should be reviewed and clarified or eliminated from selection processes. Finally, internship directors are encouraged to evaluate their selection processes to assure objectivity and sensitivity. The authors found that the selection criteria used by internship programs corresponded to those used by most academic and allied health professions to predict success in the programs. Although intended for internship faculties, the recommendations may be useful to coordinated undergraduate dietetics programs as they define their selection criteria.