As the public’s interest and fascination with food and nutrition continues to grow, so does our program enrollment.
The DPD has two delivery mechanisms: our traditional on-campus version and our online version. Our on-campus numbers are small but consistent, with approximately 30-45 students in any given semester. It is in our online program that the numbers really jump! Spring 2015 numbers show 151 students enrolled in the online B.S. in dietetics.
Since the first student completed our online program in May 2001, we have had 260 students earn a B.S. degree in Dietetics. An additional 74 students completed our online non-degree program. Non-degree students are individuals who already hold a graduate degree and are just taking the minimum required courses to meet the academic requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Nationally, the competition for post-baccalaureate dietetic internship is brutal, with only about 50 percent of those apply actually matching with an internship on the first try. K-State’s numbers are slightly better than the national, with placement rate averaging around 60-65 percent each match period (April and November).
During the past year, we have had students match to the following internships:
Priority Care Distance Dietetic Internship (MA)
Yale-New Haven Hospital CT)
East Carolina University-Greenville (NC)
Meredith College (NC)
Utah State University (UT)
Wellness Workdays (MA)
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (TX)
North Oaks Health System (LA)
West Virginia University (WV)
Kansas University Medical Center (KS)
The Ohio State University (OH)
Sarasota District Schools (FL)
OSF St. Francis, Peoria (IL)
Loyola University, Chicago (IL)
Iowa State University (IA)
University of Buffalo (NY)
Geisinger Medical Center (PA)
Minneapolis VA (MN)
St. Louis VA (MO)
Aramark (TX)
Another great crew of K-State DPD seniors are participating in internship interviews and nervously waiting for the big match day on Sunday, April 12.
RD exam results for DPD graduates of K-State are stellar. Data for the 2014 calendar year showed a 100 percent pass rate for our on-campus DPD graduates and a 96.67 percent pass rate for our online DPD graduates. Several of these students scored above the 90th percentile among all those taking the exam.
In July 2014, the DPD was granted continuing accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) after submitting our 5-year Program Assessment Report (PAR). So we’re good to go until our next site visit, scheduled for 2019!
Deb Canter, Ph.D., RD, who has been DPD director since 2012, will retire on August 15 after 38 years at K-State. Jennifer Hanson, Ph.D., RD, will assume directorship of the didactic program at that time.