Teaching dietetic interns to write for lay and professional audiences

Abstract

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Dietetic Internship Program has developed a series of workshops and assignments to enhance the writing skills of interns. Three workshops cover basic writing skills, development of materials for the lay public, and basic elements of journalistic writing for professional audiences. The interns received a variety of assignments throughout the year to build competencies learned in these workshops. Evaluation forms have been developed to make assessing the assignments easier for the instructors and to give feedback to the interns. Evaluation reports from interns and graduates indicate that the program is effective and appreciated.