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