Medical Nutrition added to RHOP

CHADRON – In early September, Medical Nutrition was added as the 12th option in Chadron State College’s Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Students who earn a Medical Nutrition degree will be qualified to become a Registered Dietitian (RD).
CSC Associate Professor Dr. Erin Norman said a Registered Dietitian plays a crucial role in preventive care and overall health by employing evidence-based nutrition strategies to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and promote long-term wellness.
“An RD assesses individual nutritional needs, develops personalized meal plans, and provides education to support healthy lifestyle choices. They help prevent conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension by guiding clients to make sustainable dietary changes. They also work in community health, schools, workplaces, and healthcare settings to create programs encouraging balanced eating habits,” Norman said.
While at Chadron State, RHOP participant students in Medical Nutrition will have a designated advisor, plus the support of other faculty. Focused leadership development will be available for these students, including specialized training in quarterly video conference sessions with faculty from UNMC and leadership experiences. These students also receive an RHOP tuition waiver to support their success at CSC, according to Dr. Joyce Hardy, Professor of Biological Sciences.
Students who are selected will take the same courses as Nutrition and Dietetics majors and earn a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, according to Norman. They will participate in additional activities such as RHOP meetings with peers and faculty, Health Professions Club activities, mentoring by faculty and upper-division students, and professional development meetings on the UNMC campus, according to Hardy.
RHOP alternate students are highly competitive for other scholarships from CSC and receive the same professional development and academic support as the RHOP participant students.
Students selected through the competitive process may choose to attend UNMC in Omaha or Kearney, where they will continue in-classroom learning and hands-on practice at clinical, community, and private practices. Students will also have the option to gain specialty experience based on their personal interests, not limited to but possibly including oncology, renal care/support, sports, or pediatrics.
“Chadron State College students have been phenomenally successful in the RHOP program and subsequent professional program, with most of them returning to rural Nebraska or surrounding states, meeting the medical needs of our region,” Hardy said.
According to Norman, RDs can work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities, providing medical nutrition therapy to patients with chronic or acute conditions. In public health, RDs develop community nutrition programs and promote wellness through government agencies or nonprofits. They also work in schools and universities, managing nutrition services or teaching. In corporate wellness, RDs guide employee health programs and offer nutrition counseling. The food industry employs RDs in product development, food safety, and labeling.
Some RDs become entrepreneurs, owning and operating private practices or consulting businesses for sports performance or other specialties. Others pursue careers in research or policy advocacy, contributing to public health improvements.
“This wide range of opportunities makes dietetics a flexible and impactful career path,” Norman said.
Applications are available online and due Dec. 1. Representatives from CSC and the applicable UNMC Program will interview applicants in January. The UNMC RHOP-Pathway program requires all mathematics and science required coursework be completed at Chadron State College; faculty will work with students to identify the best academic enrollments for each RHOP pathway program.
RHOP began as a collaborative agreement between CSC and UNMC in 1989, with the purpose of recruiting and educating individuals from rural areas of Nebraska who intend to return to practice in underserved rural areas. Students selected into the RHOP program at CSC, Wayne State College, or Peru State College are provided provisional admittance to the professional program upon completion of the required undergraduate preparation.
Students who apply for RHOP must graduate from a Nebraska high school or be from rural Nebraska which UNMC defines as all cities excluding the following: Omaha, Ralston, Boys Town, Elkhorn, Lincoln, Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Chalco, and Offutt Air Force Base.