Advocacy and Research

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
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 showcasing research poster at FNCE
Dietetic intern Alyce Matthews showcasing her research poster at FNCE 2018