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Technical Standards

See the technical standards for the Doctor of Clinical Nutrition at University of Kansas School of Health Professions.

Reasonable accommodation will be considered and may be made available to qualified students who disclose a disability, so long as such accommodation does not significantly alter the essential requirements of the curriculum and the training program, or significantly affect the safety of patient care.

Students who disclose a disability are considered for the program if otherwise qualified. Qualified students with a disability who wish to request accommodations should provide appropriate documentation of disability and submit a request for accommodation to the following office:

Office for Academic Accommodations
Cyn Ukoko, Senior Coordinator of Academic Accommodations
Dykes Library room 1040
913-945-7035 (711 TTY) cukoko@kumc.edu

The Department of Dietetics and Nutrition and the University of Kansas Medical Center have a commitment to nondiscrimination, access, and reasonable accommodation of students with disabilities.

Therefore, all students admitted to the doctorate program in clinical nutrition must be able to meet the following requirements and expectations with or without accommodation.

This program prepares students to practice dietetics and nutrition and to interpret and participate in research in nutrition within academic and health care organizations. Graduates need knowledge and skills to function in diverse practice and research settings.

All students who are admitted into the program must be able to do the following:

Observe: Students must be able to observe lectures, demonstrations, research, and practice situations in the practice and research of health sciences. Observation is necessary to perform competent health assessments and interventions.

Students must be able to observe, learn from, and analyze health record content, including discernment and use of clinical and administrative data displayed within the health record. Students must be able to observe, learn from, and analyze statistical, financial, and reimbursement data, including utilizing spreadsheets, software, databases, and performing mathematical calculations.

Communicate: Students must have the ability to use multiple communication techniques (oral, written, nonverbal, group process information technology, and esthetic endeavors) that enable them to communicate with clients, teachers, health providers, and faculty.

Students must be able to report to members of the team, express accurate information to clients, and teach, explain, direct, and counsel people. Students with hearing impairments may give and receive information through sign language or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services.

Ethical Standards: Students must demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors and must perform in an ethical manner in dealing with others. Personal integrity is required and the adherence to standards that reflect the values and functions of the profession. Students are required to abide by the professional code of ethics for the profession and student honor codes.

Psychomotor: Students must have sufficient motor capacities and motilities to execute various tasks and physical maneuvers including the following: use an electronic keyboard to generate, calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit information; prepare assignments, both written and on-line; 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, skin fold thickness, blood pressure, and placing feeding tubes; working in institutional and food demonstration kitchens to prepare foods and direct employees involved in food services; and conducting patient visits individually and with health care team members to provide nutrition care.

Students must be able to travel to sites involved in residency.

Intellectual and Cognitive Abilities: Students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate, and remember to apply information. Creative problem solving and clinical reasoning requires all of these intellectual abilities. Student must be able to participate in patient-oriented research activities.

Professional and Social Attributes: Students must exercise good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities required of the program. They must develop mature, sensitive, and effective professional relationships with others.

Students must be able to critically evaluate one’s own performance, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve. They must be able to tolerate taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and situations and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of injury to self and nearby individuals.

In addition, students 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 this program.

School of Health Professions

Dietetics and Nutrition
KU Medical Center
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Mailstop 4013
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-5355 • 711 TTY