An Excellent Comprehensive Learning Experience for Dietitians

Registered Dietitian Residency Program

Thank you for your interest in the Registered Dietitian (RD) Pediatric Residency Program at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.  We are a group of talented and dedicated pediatric dietitians with the common goal of providing excellent mentorship for dietitians new to the field of pediatric nutrition, while upholding a standard of excellence in patient care.

Our mission statement

Our mission is to provide an excellent comprehensive learning experience for registered dietitians, aligned with the vision, mission, and values of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.  

Program goals

  • To advance the knowledge of registered dietitians in pediatric nutrition through the application of evidenced based practice in a culturally sensitive, socioeconomically- informed environment.
  • To prepare registered dietitians for a variety of roles and leadership positions within the pediatric dietitian profession. 

Program overview

  • 7-month intensive practice-based learning experience. 
  • Week 1:  Hospital and nutrition department orientation. 
  • Week 2-25:  Three weeks for each core service to:
    • Observe the role of pediatric dietitians within a multidisciplinary care team. 
    • Participate in providing patient care that is integrated and compatible with family and patient-focused nutrition and medical goals and objectives. 
    • During the final week of each rotation the resident will provide supervised staff relief. 
  • Week 26-27:  Elective service rotation, dependent upon program participant’s area of interest.
  • Week 28:  Focus on capstone project:
    • Resident will have the opportunity to participate in a QI or research project based on their area of interest.
    • Friday of each week is set aside for the resident to work on the capstone project.
    • Resident will present their findings to dietitian staff members on the final day of the residency program.

Examples of resident projects

  • Educational handouts (infant feeding progression, high calorie shake ideas). 
  • NICU infant hematochezia algorithm for NICU residents. 
  • NICU TPN micronutrient guidelines. 
  • NICU TPN progression and outcomes research project. 

The registered dietitian residency pediatric program at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is accredited through the Commission on Dietetics Registration (CDR) for 75 CEUs.

Rotation core services and electives

  • Review pediatric nutrition topics including growth interpretation, infant feeding, enteral and parenteral nutrition.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary care team rounds in the hospital setting.
  • Care for patients with a wide variety of medical diagnoses and feeding regimens.
  • Gain experience providing in-patient nutrition educations to prepare patients for discharge.
  • Top-ranked pediatric pulmonary center in California according to U.S. News & World Report.
  • Our surgical teams (general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and plastics) are ranked in the top 10 centers nation wide.
  • Gain exposure to a wide variety of patient populations including infants followed by the Cardiac and Respiratory Care for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) and Stanford Technology Assisted Respiratory Program (STAR) teams, as well as patients that have undergone complex surgical interventions requiring nutrition support to optimize healing and recovery.
  • Work with a dedicated care team to provide nutrition support for patients with cystic fibrosis at the largest program in northern California with over 200 pediatric patients.
  • This service encompasses both in and outpatient settings, including the care of hospitalized patients with cystic fibrosis, as well as cystic fibrosis and lung transplant clinics.
  • Participate in multi disciplinary care of pre lung transplant candidates and post lung transplant patients with a variety of diagnoses, including cystic fibrosis as well as genetic defects.
  • Our Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report and part of the NCI-designated Stanford Cancer Institute.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary rounds with a number of specialty services involved in the care of children with complex cancer diagnoses.
  • Gain knowledge of nutrition support, including enteral and parenteral nutrition implemented to optimize nutrition in our pediatric cancer patients.
  • Learn about various chemotherapy regimens and their effect on nutritional status.
  • Participate in the nutrition care of patients admitted to the nephrology and rheumatology inpatient service. Nephrology ranked #4 in the nation.
  • Participate in pre-transplant and post-transplant kidney medical nutrition therapy in both inpatient and outpatient setting.
  • Exposure to advanced formula calculations/mixing in efforts to assist with electrolyte balance.
  • Focus on the nutritional care of infants and children with a variety of complex cardiac diagnoses at the Betty Irene Moore Heart Center at Stanford, nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
  • Participate in the multidisciplinary care of patients requiring ventricular assist devices, patients with heart failure and cardiomyopathies, pre-heart transplant candidates, and patients after heart transplant.
  • Gain knowledge of nutrition support, including enteral and parenteral nutrition, and how it can be influenced by fluid status and changes in feeding tolerance with various cardiac diseases.
  • Participate in one of the largest departments among SMCH ambulatory services. 
  • Collaborate in providing nutrition support and management of a wide range of GI related diagnoses. 
  • Experience learning from gastroenterology registered dietitians with subspecialties including, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Disease, Hepatology, and Intestinal and liver Transplant.
  • Explore elective services and dive into groundbreaking research and innovative publications.
  • Learn nutrition care for complex patients admitted in the inpatient pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with focus on nutrition support and participation with our nutrition support team.
  • Focus on the nutritional care for patients with medical and surgical critical illnesses including sepsis, trauma, pneumonia, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, organ failure (kidney, liver, lung, heart), critically ill stem cell & sold organ transplant patients, and patients with neurologic deterioration.
  • Learn about nutrition management for patients requiring CKRT (continuous kidney replacement therapy) & ECMO.

Neonatal intensive care unit

Cardiovascular intensive care unit

Metabolics

Eating Disorders 

Bariatrics

Ketogenics

Outpatient Diabetes

FAQ

Yes, this is a full-time, benefits eligible position for a 7-month fixed term. Current pay rate is $25.00 per hour/non-exempt. This is a daytime, 8-hour shift position. Additional benefits and employee program information can be found on our Careers site:

  1. Benefits:  Employee Benefits - Stanford Children's Health (stanfordchildrens.org)
  2. Wellness Programs: Employee Wellness - Stanford Children's Health (stanfordchildrens.org)
  3. Comp philosophy: Employee Compensation - Stanford Children's Health (stanfordchildrens.org)
  4. Employee Referral: Employee Referrals - Stanford Children's Health (stanfordchildrens.org)

Yes, please visit our Benefits site for more information: Employee Benefits - Stanford Children's Health (stanfordchildrens.org)

This is a full-time, 40 hour a week, paid position, Level 1 Dietitian.

Each day may be different depending on the rotation.  Many of the in-patient dietitians spend the morning collecting data in the medical record (EPIC) on the various patients that they plan to see that day and attend rounds with the multidisciplinary team.  They may then spend time interviewing and counseling patients, followed by time at the end of the day for documentation.

Yes, this position may result in employment opportunities upon completion of the program.

Participant Testimonials

“This residency has been an amazing and challenging experience.  I am so happy with my growth.  I have felt encouraged in my goals, supported in my learning, and challenged to be better each day.”

“The most rewarding aspect of the residency has been seeing the impact I can have on my patients and their families as a pediatric RD.  We have a special role in both their medical care and supporting quality of life.  I love how we can be that bridge.”

“A very rewarding aspect of this residency is seeing my own growth over such a short period of time.  It is a steep learning curve, but I have loved it.  It is amazing to see my own progress.”

Documents Required for Application

  1. Current Resume
  2. Cover letter which indicates reason for applying to LPCH Clinical Nutrition Resident program
  3. Two (2) signed letters of professional recommendation, which can be from clinical nutrition professionals or faculty