Advocacy Overview

• Prospective interns have the opportunity to engage in nutrition related advocacy during the legislative session in Santa Fe, NM.

Characteristics

• The trip occurs during the first year in the first few weeks of the Spring semester
• Interns will attend a workshop upon arriving at Santa Fe to prepare for legislative day
• Interns will attend a legislative day at The Capitol on the morning of the second day

2019-2021 Dietetic interns attending legislative day in Santa Fe, NM

Benefits

The trip to Santa Fe allows interns to:

• Gain knowledge about the New Mexico legislature and the legislative process
• Stay informed regarding bills of interest
• Build a relationship with legislators

Research Overview

• Prospective interns have the opportunity to engage in a classroom research project during the first year of the internship

Characteristics

• During the first semester, the dietetic intern will work with faculty members on a relevant nutrition topic for their research project (thesis or non-thesis)
• The research class taken during the first semester will guide interns on effectively preparing a research proposal
• Data collection will begin upon IRB approval, typically during the first spring semester
• The results will be presented in a poster presentation at the New Mexico Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Conference

Benefits

The classroom research project allows interns to:

• Gain experience in conducting ethical research
• Gain knowledge in the IRB process
• Put past education into practice
• Research a topic that interests the intern

Dietetic intern Alyce Matthews showcasing her research poster at FNCE 2018