All 30 Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics students were honored at Matching Ceremony for matching with their internship site placement
Texas Tech Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics (NSCD) students participate in a national match process. To become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), students need a post-baccalaureate internship of 1000 plus hours of supervised practice and master's Degree before taking the RD Exam. So, matching with a supervised practice is essential and is a very competitive process.
This year, all NSCD seniors applying for an internship received a match. Comparatively, the national average accepted to dietetic internships is about 60%. This incredible match rate speaks to the quality of the students, instructors and the Department of Nutritional Sciences. Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics, Holli Booe, successfully lead the program.
“This class had an impressive 100% match rate with all 30 students who applied matching for a dietetic internship,” Booe said. “These 30 students will represent the Texas Tech Didactic Program in Dietetics at 18 sites across the country.”
Applications for matches were submitted through a centralized application service. The students then ranked the programs they were interested in. Once the programs received and processed the applications, students were contacted on Notification Day (Match Day) on April 3.
Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics students were recognized on April 28 at the NSCD Match Ceremony. Friends and family came to celebrate the recognition and achievements of the students. They were given a Texas Tech badge holder containing a placeholder of the ID badge they will be wearing in their various internships across the country.
The Nutritional Sciences faculty has nine faculty members who are registered dietitians with over 200 years of combined professional experience. Faculty members work from their expertise in the field to teach students about all aspects of nutrition and dietetics, including Medical Nutrition Therapy, Community Nutrition, Nutrition Research, and Biochemistry.
“Our faculty are dedicated to building our students and committed to the success of all of our students,” Booe said. “I believe that students recognize and appreciate the commitment they see and trust the guidance and wisdom offered.”
Texas Tech's Department of Nutritional Sciences prepares students for a career as an RDN through skilled educators and hands-on experiences. Courses are created for students wanting to develop business, professional and health skills used in the dietetics field.
“We have practicum courses where students get “hands-on” training in Food Systems Management, Nutrition Counseling, and Nutrition Education,” Booe said. “In the initial dietetics-specific course, students learn what will be required from the NSCD degree plan and about all the varying aspects and opportunities in the field of dietetics, including many RDN guest speakers.”
The capstone dietetics-specific course prepares students for applying to an internship and eventually the workforce by navigating resumes, personal statements, interviews and other aspects of professionalism that help the students stand out. Specialized opportunities are available and give a unique approach to the field. Through the Nutritional Sciences program, students can learn valuable skills they will use in future careers as dietitians, nutritionists, health care providers and many more.