      
   
|
California WIC is
working to provide you with the latest information on
educational programs and resources
to help you achieve your career goals in community nutrition.
|
 |
Nancy Nesa, MA, RD, Career Development Coordinator
Nancy is available to answer your questions about
advancing your career in WIC through undergraduate and
graduate programs in nutrition and for assistance to
pass the registration exam to become a registered
dietitian.
For
information regarding career development programs or
assistance preparing for the RD exam, please complete
the
California WIC Career Development Form (MS Word
doc).
E-mail
your completed form to Nancy at
nnesa@projects.sdsu.edu
or fax to 858.569.7906.
 |
|
Career Development Programs
::
Helping California WIC employees "grow"
their careers with WIC.
|
In
California, the nation's largest WIC program, over 1.4
million young families are dependent on WIC. WIC has
been shown to be a cost-effective and important public
health intervention program. The health outcomes of WIC
participants are dependent on qualified, well-trained
nutrition professionals with the language and culture
skills of WIC participants. WIC employees have the
important language and culture skills needed to provide
quality nutrition services to WIC participants. |
|
WIC
employees are "growing" their careers with the support
of the state's career development services, which
provides a range of resources and a statewide
coordinator. The coordinator provides assistance to
agencies and their employees regarding educational
options for completing the requirements to become a
registered dietitian (RD). The type of assistance
available includes:
-
Individualized career counseling
-
Information on current dietetic programs
-
WIC and non-WIC dietetic internships
-
Application procedures
-
Assistance to pass the Registration Examination for
Dietitians.
|
|
Making
Dreams Come True
Together they
have 48 years of WIC experience.
PHFE WIC was the first WIC-based dietetic
internship in California and
the first class of WIC employees graduated in 1997 to
become Registered Dietitians. |
|
|
To
further support the career advancement of WIC employees,
in 2002, the
California WIC Association established their highly
successful scholarship fund, the California Nutrition
Corps.
|
|
|
|
|
Q.
How
can I reduce my anxiety about
taking the RD exam?
| A. |
Feeling relaxed and well prepared is the best
way to ease anxiety. Stress increases if you
feel you're not spending enough time studying or
if you're cramming and exhausted. Good
organization and using study time efficiently
will help build your confidence and reduce your
stress. Establish a consistent routine study
schedule and stick to it. Keep a positive
attitude and remember the test is neither a
reflection of self-worth nor a measure of
intelligence. Consider the study and test
experience as a positive step in your career.
|
|
Q. I was eligible to take the RD
exam a couple years ago, but for personal reasons did
not take the exam. Can I still take the exam?
|
A. |
You can take the exam, but ADA/CDR authorization
is for one year so you must reapply for another
year. Since you have been out of school for
awhile, you may need to take a "refresher"
course to update your knowledge in medical
nutrition, food service management and nutrition
assessment and the new nutrition care process.
As a WIC employee, you may be eligible for the
RD Exam Study Program through the California WIC
Career Development Services. It includes online
study assistance, access to library resources
and an individualized study plan.
|
|
Q. I was a dietitian in the
Philippines; do I need to take the RD exam?
|
A. |
You must pass the Registration Examination for
Dietitians by the Commission on Dietetic
Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency of
the American Dietetic Association to be a
registered dietitian in the U.S. Reciprocity is
extended to individuals who completed all
certification requirements (didactic,
experiential and examination) in the country
with whom CDR has an agreement. CDR currently
has a reciprocity agreement with the Philippine
Commission. You are required to submit an
eligibility application with required
documentation directly to CDR. Once CDR notifies
you that you are eligible to take the exam, you
have one year to pass the exam. After one year,
you will have to apply again. Although, CDR does
not require recency of education to take the RD
exam, you will need current information in all
areas of dietetics to be successful passing the
exam. For more information on reciprocity, go to
the
ADA/CDR Web page.
|
|
Q. How can WIC help me prepare for
the exam?
|
A. |
As
a California WIC employee you may be eligible
for the RD Exam Study Program offered at no cost
to you or your agency through the California WIC
Program. The study program provides access
to a variety of resource materials and online
practice exams as well as an individualized
study plan. If you graduated more than 5
years ago from a DPD program, you will need to
take classes before entering the RD Exam Study
Program. For more information or to request
assistance complete the
California WIC Career Development Form
(MS Word document) and e-mail to
nnesa@projects.sdsu.edu or fax to Nancy Nesa
at 858.569.7906.
|
|
|
|
Preparing for the RD Exam
 |
The RD exam presents questions to determine your ability
to apply the principles you learned in college and in
your internship and to think critically as an
entry-level dietitian. It is not simply memorizing facts
or cramming like many of us did in college.
Establish a consistent, routine study schedule and stick
to it. Make sure you allow adequate time to cover the
material thoroughly without feeling overloaded. Select
at least three study methods using a variety of learning
styles with information specifically designed for the RD
exam review. The
RD Exam Resources
describes several excellent
resources to help you prepare for the exam.
A
critical factor in preparing for the exam is knowing
what to expect, especially if you are not comfortable
with the online testing format. The Commission on
Dietetic Registration (CDR), "Study Guide for the
Registration Examination for Dietitians," 8th
Edition is absolutely essential. You can order it
through the
American Dietetic
Association (ADA). It provides a
notebook describing in detail what is covered in the
exam and how the exam is administered and a CD with a
tutorial to practice the online testing format so you
know what to expect. |
|
For WIC Employees Only:
If you are a WIC employee and preparing for the
Registration Examination for Dietitians, you can request
assistance from the RD Exam Study Program. You have
access to a variety of resource materials and online
practice exams as well as an individualized study plan.
If you would like assistance preparing for the RD exam,
complete the
California WIC Career Development Form
(MS Word document)
and e-mail it to the Statewide Career Development
Coordinator at
nnesa@projects.sdsu.edu.
Resources to Help You Prepare for the RD Exam:
Web
Resources
-
Nutrition Care Process
::
With your American Dietetic Association membership you
can access an excellent online review of the Nutrition
Care Process at the
ADA Website.
-
Total Parenteral
Nutrition :: A computer-based tutorial is free on
the Web to review the basics of total parenteral
nutrition, and is located at the
California State University Northridge Website.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Q.
Is there help paying off my student loan if I
work for WIC?
|
A. |
Yes, your WIC employment could
help you pay off a Federal
Perkins student loan. Your
federal student loan may be
discharged or canceled under
certain conditions. A discharge
or cancellation releases you
from all obligation to repay the
loan. Conditions that may
qualify include working
full-time in an agency (like
WIC) providing services to
high-risk families from
low-income communities. If you
think you qualify, you must
apply to the holder of your
loan. Check with the school that
made you the loan or with the
school's loan servicing agent. If
you're not sure what type of
loan you have or who holds it,
go to
www.nslds.ed.gov. The
holder of your loan can answer
any questions you have about
loan discharge.
For more information go to:
Student Aid on the Web, and
select "Repaying Your Loans" and
"Loan Discharge" (cancellation).
 |
|
Q.
Are
there any scholarships available for a
dietetic internship?
|
A. |
WIC employees may qualify for
financial support through the
California Nutrition Corps
Scholarship administered by the
California WIC Association. The
California Nutrition Corps
Scholarship was established to
support California WIC employees
who are advancing their
professional careers. This
scholarship helps employees in
an approved dietetic internship
or employees taking upper
division college or
graduate-level coursework. For
more information, go to the
California WIC Association. Other
scholarships are
offered through universities,
but are usually only available
for students enrolled in a
degree program and not for a
post graduate dietetic
internship. Scholarships may
also be available through the
American Dietetic Association
Foundation and the
California Dietetic Association
Foundation.
|
|
Q.
What other types of
funding may be available?
|
A. |
Another source of funding
includes scholarships and
individual grants through
religious organizations, private
foundations, labor unions,
businesses and local community
groups. A good place to start
your search is with professional
organizations connected with
allied health and nutrition
careers and local organizations
and businesses in your
community. Finding resources to
help finance your education is
no easy task but may be well
worth the research. The
following Websites will help you
get started in your search:
|
|
FastWeb.com
This is a free
customized list of
financial aid sources
with a database of more
than 400,000 private
sector scholarships,
fellowships, grants and
loans. |
|
|
FinAid.org
A government-sponsored
financial aid
information site where
you'll find a variety of
free information
including private sector
scholarships,
fellowships, grants and
loans. |
|
|
Foundation Center
:: Get Started ::
Individuals
Foundation grants to
individuals online
is an
online database of more
than 6,200 foundation
and public charity
programs that fund
students and other
individual grantseekers.
Low monthly,
three-month, and yearly
subscription rates. |
|
|
Health Professions:
Scholarships for
Disadvantaged Students
Information on
Scholarships for
Disadvantaged Students (SDS)
Program under the
Disadvantaged Minority
Health Improvement Act
of 1990. |
|
|
Student Aid on the Web
Your source for free
information from the
U.S. Department of
Education on funding
education and repaying
your federal student
loans. |
|
|
College
Scholarships
Free information and
easy to search for many
types of funding
including scholarships
for minorities |
|
|
Hispanic
Alliance for Career
Enhancement
Hispanic grant offers |
|
|
BrainTrack College &
University Directory
The financial aid
section offers articles
and links for students
pursuing financial aid,
including guidance on
obtaining aid from the
federal government,
state governments,
colleges and
universities, private
organizations, community
service, scholarships,
and more. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q. How can WIC help me become a RD?
|
A. |
Since 1997, more than 150 WIC employees have
become RDs through the WIC dietetic internships
in California. The WIC-based internships were
developed to help employees advance their
careers and to meet the growing need for
registered dietitians (RDs) in WIC programs. The
statewide coordinator is a resource to all
California WIC programs regarding educational
options available to help employees advance
their careers to RDs. Another important aspect
of career development is to support
"RD-eligible" WIC employees in preparing to pass
the registration examination for dietitians.
|
|
Q. I'm ready to complete the requirements and obtain my
RD, where do I start?
|
A. |
If you have been out of college even for a
little while, it may be frustrating trying to
find out what is required and what programs are
available to you. There are more options today
than ever before for completing the
requirements, especially for working students.
The statewide coordinator will work with you to
determine your best choices and resources
available. Since the Career Development Program
was started, WIC employees throughout the state
have completed college courses, WIC dietetic
internships or distance dietetic internships and
received their RDs! To get started you should
complete the
California WIC Career Development Form
(Microsoft Word Doc). E-mail your
completed form to Nancy at
nnesa@projects.sdsu.edu or fax to
858.569.7906.
|
|
Q.
I have a degree in another field,
do I need to start over to become a RD?
|
A. |
If you already have a degree from a U.S.
regionally accredited college or university that
is not in dietetics and are interested in a
nutrition career, you can choose to become a
RD. You will need to have your college
transcripts evaluated by a director of a
dietetics program (DPD) from a CADE accredited
program. The director will evaluate your
transcripts and identify the courses that you
would need to complete the dietetics
requirements for that institution. Although DPD
programs have similar requirements, they may
vary from one institution to another. You may
want to contact more than one dietetics program
to determine the program that is best for you. The number of courses you need and the college's
degree requirements will determine whether you
need to complete another degree or not. It may
be possible to complete the required dietetics
coursework while enrolled in a graduate program.
The dietetics program director can advise you of
your options.
|
|
|
|
Online
Classes ::
Master's Degrees Online &
Dietetic Classes Online
|
Master's
Degrees Online
Student and employer demand for advanced
education and certification within professional
fields of study has sparked the growth in
master's degree enrollments. Today many adults
are earning their master's degrees through
online or distant learning programs. Most
colleges and universities offer accredited
distant learning programs. Check to
make sure the college of your choice is
accredited with the Association of Colleges and
Schools in the region of the country where they
are located. A
master's degree is now the basic qualification
needed for many public health jobs according to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The
public health sector is one of the U.S. economy's
most important areas of employment, and it's
projected to grow quickly in the coming years.
Most positions at the
California State WIC Program require a
Registered Dietitian (RD) and a master's
degree.
Many RDs and Degreed Nutritionists are choosing
a master’s program to gain career advancement
opportunities and additional expertise in areas
such as public health, nutrition, health
education, adult education, health services and
more. Looking
for an accredited distant learning master's
degree program that's right for you will take
some effort. Below are just a few online
master's programs as well as search links to
help you get started.
|
Dietetic Classes
Online
|
Many programs offer one or more courses by distance
education. Currently there are two CADE-accredited
distance education Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
that allow a student to complete the coursework
requirements to receive a VS qualifying you to apply for
dietetic internships; these are at the
University of Northern Colorado, Greeley and
Kansas State University. There is one CADE-accredited
distance education Coordinated Program (CP) at
Eastern Michigan University where you can complete
a bachelor's or master's degree program and internship
at the same time. For a list of CADE-accredited
DPD programs, go to the
ADA Website.
If
you only need a few classes to qualify for a VS, I'd
suggest you first contact the DPD director where you
attended college to see what they require, or you can
contact the program closest to where you live. Make sure
a DPD director from an accredited program has agreed to
accept distance classes and will write the VS. There are
many U.S. regionally accredited colleges or universities
that offer classes online.
|
|
|
|
|
