Dietetic internship forum--an opportunity to inform.

Abstract

Each year in Atlantic Canada, a dietetic internship forum is held to inform potential dietetic interns of internship opportunities. This paper provides information to those planning similar events, and seeks to enhance knowledge of students' information-seeking strategies in the internship selection process. The objectives of this study were to 1. profile students who attended the 2000 forum, 2. determine their intentions, 3. determine how--and if--the forum influenced internship selection, and 4. determine overall satisfaction with the forum. A 23-item questionnaire was used to collect data from 52 forum participants (100% completion rate). Results indicated overall satisfaction with the forum. Prospective interns seek, use, and value information about potential training choices, particularly when that information concerns programs outside the Atlantic region. Participants indicated that the forum helped confirm or alter pre-forum perceptions of their first and second internship choices. The results suggest that alternative types of presentations, which would include out-of-region internship opportunities, should be explored to meet students' needs for information better.