Role of a Mentoring Program on Students’ Understanding and Involvement in the Field

ASHLEY BARRUECO, NICOLE CASTRO, JOANNA WYTWER, and ALLISON CHARNY

DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY, NUTRITION AND EXERCISE SCIENCES, QUEENS COLLEGE, CUNY, FLUSHING, NY 11367

INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY DISCUSSION

Mentor-mentee relationships are important in obtaining knowledge Ten DPD mentees responded to the post-tests after the mentoring
and skills that can be used to build confidence, an understanding of the Pair program. Results showed an increase in volunteering, familiarity with
Develop Conduct DICAS, decision to apply to internship, and willingness to mentor in the
profession and drive career improvement. Our study will be Presentation Mentees & Interns Conduct
and future. There was no difference noted in the number of mentees that
implementing the recommendations based off DeLuca et al, to begin a Pre-Test on Mentors Mentor Post-Test
Explain
for Professional with Undergrad. to Gather sought out professional development opportunities nor in the amount of
mentoring program earlier utilizing e-mentoring. Early mentoring Mentoring
Mentees Involvement Common Students Feedback mentees networking with non-professor RDs. Involvement in nutrition
promotes students to expand on leadership, teamwork and professional Guidelines
Interests related activities dropped likely due to the winter break and clubs not
skills through the participation in dietetic professional organizations
and collaboration with mentors who actively engage in the dietetic actively in session at the moment the survey was taken. Half of the
An outcome evaluation design was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of a mentoring intervention. participants met 1 or more times with their mentors, while the other half
field
DPD students from Family Nutrition and Exercise Science (FNES) 263: Nutrition I class; 10 individuals did not meet at all. Half of the mentees felt that the mentorship experience
(n=10), 9 female and 1 male students from Queens College, NY volunteered for the mentoring program and was helpful and six mentees felt that the presentation on professional
BACKGROUND were paired with 1 mentor from the Dietetic Internship (DI) 2018 class. A pre-test was administered before development was helpful.
The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics presenting a PowerPoint with resources and ways to gain more knowledge and involvement in the field. A
(ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has Mentoring Guidebook was provided to both mentees and mentors outlining the program, roles and expectations. RECOMMENDATIONS
recognized the need for mentoring within the dietetics profession with The post-test was given during the Spring to the FNES 264: Nutrition II class to collect feedback on the effects
of the mentoring experience.  Implement the mentoring program near the start of the Fall
inclusion of both a knowledge and practice requirement within the semester with dietetic interns mentoring DPD seniors as this
ACEND 2017 Accreditation Standards. Through a mentoring program:
RESULTS resulted in greater participation of DPD students likely due to a
greater need and interest to have a mentor at that point in their
 DPD students will demonstrate an understanding of the undergraduate career.
Pre and Post-test Feedback from Mentees
 Continue to use the PowerPoint presentation as a reference guide
importance and expectations in mentoring and precepting others
12 for DPD students in their junior year and as a means to introduce
(KRDN 2.8). the mentoring program and increase volunteering.
10
Number of Participants

 Initiate a QC Dietetics Club Facebook page to open up a platform

 DPD students will demonstrate identification with the nutrition 8
for networking/mentoring amongst DPD students with supervision
dietetics profession through activities such as participation in 6 from DPD professors, internship director, and club board members.
4
professional organizations and defending a position on issues References
2 1. DeLuca S, Wu M, Neuhauser R, Charny A. Development and
impacting the nutrition and dietetics profession (KRDN 2.7).
0 Evaluation of a Mentoring Program Within a Dietetic Internship and
 DI interns will practice mentoring and precepting others (CRDN Involved in Currently Attending Networking with Familiar with Planning to Apply Willing to Mentor Didactic Program in Dietetics. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition
Nutrition Related Volunteering Professional Non-Professor DICAS to Dietetic in the Future
Activities Development RDs Internship and Dietetics. 2018;118(10). doi:10.1016/j.jand.2018.08.017
2.15). Opportunities 2. Besnilian A, Goldenberg A, Plunkett SW. Promoting Diversity within
the Dietetics Profession through a Peer Mentorship Program. Journal
OBJECTIVE Pre-test Post-test
Feedback on PowerPoint Mentoring Program's of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(2):198-202.
Number of Mentor-Mentee
The purpose of the mentoring program was to determine if DPD Contact Times Overview Helpfulness doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.07.018
students' participation in a mentoring program contributed to increased 3. Straus SE, Johnson MO, Marquez C, Feldman MD. Characteristics of
10%
understanding of the profession and involvement in field experiences, Successful and Failed Mentoring Relationships. Academic Medicine.
50% 40% 50% 50%
prior to application to the dietetic internship. An outcome evaluation 40% 60% 2013;88(1):82 doi:10.1097/acm.0b013e31827647a0
design was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the program For additional information, please contact:
and students’ willingness to mentor in the future. 0 times 1-2 times 3-4 times
Beneficial Not Beneficial Helpful Not Helpful Allison Charny, MS, RD Allison.charny@qc.cuny.edu