LSU dietetic program receives 100% match rate for second consecutive year

Twenty-seven spring 2021 graduates and four alumni of the LSU dietetics concentration pursing the path to become a registered dietitian were matched or accepted admission to a dietetic internship or graduate program with a supervised practice pathway.

Being accepted into an accredited internship is a vital step to becoming a Registered Dietitian. Students must complete a 1,000-hour supervised internship as a prerequisite for becoming a Registered Dietitian. Unfortunately, the national rate of placement hovers around 70%.

Dr. Erin McKinley is the director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics for LSU. She has been with LSU and the LSU AgCenter since 2018, and this marks the second consecutive year that the program has recorded a 100% rate for placement of students seeking dietetic internships or graduate programs.

McKinley credits much of her student’s success with placement to the preparation they receive from the classroom.

She says, “Going through the process of applying for dietetics internships is extremely stressful. It requires a lot from our students.”

All dietetics concentrations are required to enroll in NFS 3025, a course designed to teach professionalism in dietetics. This includes learning about the application process and preparing pieces of their application.

“I’m very proud of our students and all that they have accomplished. They’ve all earned their spots, and I wish them the best in their journeys,” said McKinley.

McKinley also hosts a podcast as a resource for her students. The podcast “Geauxing ‘All In’: Get the Edge You Need to Succeed” focuses on how students can get the edge they need to succeed in their journey to become a Registered Dietitian.

Internship directors from across the country join McKinley to discuss topics like placement, student success, and how to better position themselves as applicants. In addition, the podcast has exposed students to programs across the country.

Graduates have been accepted into internships across the county. View a complete list of students and their placements below.

For more information on the dietetics program, contact Erin McKinley, emckinley@agcenter.lsu.edu.

• Audrey Barrilleaux (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Madeline M Barrois (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Madelyn M Borel (’21), Auburn University, Auburn, AL
• Jeanette Rene’ Courville (’21), Keith & Associates Distance DI, Tulsa, OK
• Callia Cox (’21), UNC - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
• Sydnie Darby (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Margaret Deshotel (’21), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
• Sydney Nicole DeVille (’21), Lagniappe Wellness Distance DI, Ocean Springs, MS
• Marlena Ferrara (’21), Tulane University, New Orleans
• Madison Grace Guidry (’21), North Oaks Hospital System, Hammond
• Blayr N. Drumm (’21), Lagniappe Wellness Distance DI, Ocean Springs, MS
• Naomi G. Keller (’21), Lagniappe Wellness Distance DI, Ocean Springs, MS
• Madeline Lacroix (’21), University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
• Shelby LeBlanc (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Madison Rebecca Loewe (’21), North Oaks Hospital System, Hammond
• Morgan Claire Mayeux (’21), Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA
• Hunter K. Marr (’21), Wellness Workdays Distance DI, Hingham, MA
• Peyton Elizabeth Mercola (’21), North Oaks Hospital System, Hammond
• Laura Mihova (’21), UT Health, Houston, TX
• Gianna Ragosta (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Carolyn Kay Reed (’21), North Oaks Hospital System, Hammond
• Claire O Reinking (’21), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
• Andie Nicole Rhoden (’21), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
• Amy Louise Scheuermann (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Sierra D Scott (’21), Florida State MS Program, Tallahassee, FL
• Taylor Anne St. Pierre (’21), Nicholls State University, Thibodaux
• Jewel Alysse Williams (’21), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Tilton Lipoma (’20), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU), Baton Rouge
• Camille Colomb (’19), Tulane University, New Orleans
• Stephanie Presedo (’19), Tulane University, New Orleans
• Maria Rowe (’06), NutriSourceRD Distance DI, Holmedel, NJ

By Annabelle Lang, 05/20/2021