Curriculum
Classes
Classes are generally scheduled Monday morning from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. They are presented by a variety of professionals who are experts in their field. Topics may include: renal disease, transplantation, metabolic nutrition, school nutrition, HIV/Oncology, public policy, ethics, interviewing and others. Classes are frequently combined with other internships in the Atlanta area (Georgia State University and Southern Regional Medical Center).
Monday afternoons are usually reserved for intern presentations. Interns each present one formal clinical case study, a food systems management project, a seminar, and other oral presentations as assigned. When presentations are not scheduled, time may be used for meetings with the director or work on special projects such as National Nutrition Month.
Planned Rotations
Interns are scheduled in rotations Tuesday through Friday. When in rotations, interns keep the same schedule as the preceptor, or as directed by the preceptor. Times will vary during the food service rotation from beginning at 4:30 a.m. to leaving at 7:30 p.m. Hour for most clinical and external rotations, but are generally 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
The rotations planned for 2009-2010 include 18 weeks of clinical, six weeks of food service management, six weeks of community and 2 weeks of elective rotations may vary. The first two weeks of the program are devoted to skills development.
The rotations include:
- Clinical (18 weeks): Cardiology, general medicine, general surgery, geriatric nutrition, oncology, rehabilitation medicine, renal disease and transplantation, nutrition support, including a four week staff experience
- Food Service Management (six weeks): Development and marketing of a theme meal, production, purchasing, human resources, quality improvement and management experience
- Community (eight weeks): May include senior citizen programs, Open Hand, maternal and child health, health and wellness, bariatric medicine, and diabetes
- Elective Rotations (two weeks): Allows the intern to pursue an area of interest in-depth or explore an area not covered in the program. Examples of some elective experiences interns have participated in include: dietitian in private practice, culinary school, spice and herb company, school nutrition, sports nutrition, and genetics
- Skills Development (two weeks): Includes an orientation to the hospital and the program as well as a review of different clinical specialties in nutrition
Graduation Requirements
To qualify for graduation from the program, interns are required to complete all 36 weeks of the program, successfully achieve all CADE competencies, pass all rotations, and complete all assignments.
Sites/Facilities
Most clinical and food service experiences are provided at Emory Healthcare (Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital).
Community experiences are also provided through programs and institutions outside the hospital environment, for example at dialysis centers, maternal and child health programs, diabetes practices, bariatric practices, fitness centers, and community agencies).
Emory University Hospital
Emory University Hospital (EUH) is approximately a 587-bed adult, acute care teaching facility and full service hospital (including a 56-bed rehabilitation center) located in northeast Atlanta. Emory University Hospital provides a full range of specialized care. EUH is recognized as one of the nation's leaders in cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics and transplantation. More than 24,000 inpatients and some 80,000 outpatients come to Emory University Hospital each year.
Dietetic interns may rotate at EUH in the areas of cardiology, general medicine, general surgery, transplant, oncology, rehab medicine, and nutrition support.
Emory University Hospital Midtown
Emory University Hospital Midtown (EUHM) is a 511-bed community based acute care teaching facility and full service hospital located in Midtown Atlanta. Part of Emory Healthcare, EUHM offers a full range of services, including cardiology, gastroenterology, bariatric surgery, general medicine, maternal and infant care, emergency medicine and women's services. More than 23,000 inpatients and 143,000 outpatients come to EUHM for care each year.
Dietetic interns may rotate at EUHM in the areas of cardiology, general medicine, general surgery (including bariatric surgery), renal disease and nutrition support.
Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital
Located less than a mile from the Emory University Hospital, Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital is the geriatric specialty component of Emory Healthcare. It is a 100-bed hospital that provids specialty services for older adults, including medical acute care, rehabilitation therapy, and psychiatry and neuropsychiatry treatment.
Community-Based Environments
To provide a broad range of experiences in the community and in food service management, rotations are also scheduled outside the hospital environment. Currently experiences are provided in maternal and child health, health and wellness promotion, outpatient diabetes counseling, bariatric counseling, Open Hand, and others. Other sites are added when the opportunity to provide an in-depth and enriching experience for interns exists.
Health and Wellness: Blomeyer Health Fitness Center
Used for the health and wellness rotation, Blomeyer Health Fitness Center offers a panorama of health-enhancing options, professional staff, and the latest equipment and amenities.
At Blomeyer, interns will observe fitness assessments, provide individual counseling and group classes to members, promote healthy nutrition in the community and write newsletters.
Emory Bariatrics
Emory Bariatrics helps their patients reach their goal of improved health through a multidisciplinary approach to weight management. Their approaches include nutrition and exercise therapy, lifestyle education, pharmacotherapy and weight loss surgery.
Interns participate in nutrition evaluation, counseling and support classes.
Open Hand
Open Hand is the only community-based nonprofit organization in Atlanta addressing comprehensive nutrition care-healthy, home-delivered meals combined with nutrition education, counseling and therapy for homebound seniors and individuals struggling with chronic, critical, or terminal illness.
The Open Hand rotation offers interns the opportunity to learn about community assessment and outcome measures, participate in community-based grant funded health promotion programs and evaluate these programs.
Maternal and Child Health — Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Maternal and Child Health WIC is a federally sponsored national program that provides nutrition education and supplemental food to low income families. In Georgia, WIC has taken a holistic approach to serve WIC participants.
Interns will rotate with WIC nutritionists in either Dekalb or Gwinnett County, and will participate in nutrition assessment, body measurement, hemoglobin checks, nutrition education and breast feeding support education.
