Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are medical professionals who are experts in food and nutrition. Their field combines the study of food, nutrition, and health in relation to proper diet and food choices. RDNs assess nutritional status and recommend foods or medical products to treat disease or help individuals reach optimal fitness and health.
The Master of Dietetic and Nutrition (MDN) program prepares candidates to practice dietetics and nutrition in a variety of settings including organizations and businesses. Graduates require knowledge and skills to function in diverse practice settings. An essential requirement for completing the supervised practice component of the MDN program is the ability use critical thinking, professional judgement, and didactic knowledge to function within a clinical learning environment and to interact with a variety of interprofessional teams and patients. This program is rigorous and intense and places specific requirement and demands on the students enrolled in the program.
The technical standards set forth in this document by the MDN Program establishes the essential functional requirements necessary for enrolled students, in conjunction with the academic and accreditation standards, for admission, retention, and program completion. The term “student” refers to anyone who has applied for admission into the Master of Dietetics and Nutrition (MDN) program, as well as current students in the MDN program.
MDN students must:
- Students must have the ability to communicate effectively by using multiple communication techniques (oral, written, nonverbal) to effectively and professionally communicate with preceptors, patients/clients, and other members of the health care team and precepting sites. Students must be able to report to members of the team, express accurate information to patients/clients, and teach, explain, direct, and counsel people. The student must be capable of responsive, empathetic listening to establish rapport in a way that promotes openness on issues of concern and sensitivity to potential cultural differences. In patient care settings, the student must be able to process and communicate information on the patient’s status with accuracy in a timely manner to physicians, colleagues, and other members of the health care team. Communication should be timely, within 2 business days for standard topics, and within 24 hours for topics of high importance, if possible.
- Students must accurately observe lectures, demonstrations, research, and practice situations. These observations may be in person, recorded, or by virtual means. Observation is necessary to perform competent health assessments and interventions. Students must also be able to observe, learn from, and analyze health record content, including discernment and use of clinical data displayed within the health record. Students must possess functional use of the senses that permit such observations as listed here.
- Students must have adequate psychomotor skills. Sufficient motor capacities and motilities are needed to: generate, calculate, record, evaluate and transit information; prepare assignments; deliver public presentations to large and small audiences; collect specimens and perform basic tests and physical assessments on individuals, e.g., finger sticks for blood glucose testing, using glucometers, assessing skinfold thickness, taking blood pressure and placing feeding tubes; work in institutional and food demonstration kitchens to prepare foods and direct employees involved in food services; and conduct patient visits individually and with health care team members to provide nutrition care. Students must be able to travel to supervised experiential learning sites on a consistent and regular basis.
- Students must possess the intellectual and cognitive abilities necessary to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate, and be able to apply information. Creative problem solving and clinical reasoning requires these intellectual abilities. It is also necessary to apply critical thinking skills using evidence-based tools as part of the learning process in the classroom, supervised experiential learning setting and any other professional activity. Students should be able to carry out professional and administrative tasks with minimal direct supervision.
- Students must demonstrate professional and social attributes including good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities required of the program. They must develop mature, sensitive, and effective professional relationships with others. Candidates must be able to evaluate one’s own performance critically, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve. Self-reflection is an important skill to possess and develop to learn and improve. In addition, students must be able to tolerate taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities. Concern for others, interpersonal competence and motivation are requisites for the program.
- Students must demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors and must perform in an ethical manner in dealing with others. Personal integrity and the ability to adhere to standards that reflect the values and functions of the dietetic profession are required all times during the MDN program. Students are required to abide by the professional code of ethics for dietetics and student honor codes as set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Following acceptance into the MDN program, students are required to verify they understand and meet these technical standards or that they believe that, with certain accommodations, they can meet the standards. This is accomplished using the Technical Standards Certification Statement. For students who believe they can meet these standards with accommodation, the University’s Office for Disability Services will validate their need for accommodation and will work with the MDN Program to determine if reasonable accommodation can be made. This determination will take into account whether accommodation would jeopardize clinician/ patient safety or undercut an essential element of a course, clinical experience or clinical rotation.