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.