Join Nutrition Mentoring PODS for virtual mentorship, connecting undergraduate students with RDN mentors for guidance on graduate school and professional networking. This program fosters belonging and supports students from diverse backgrounds aspiring to enter the dietetics field.
In the Nutrition Mentoring PODS program, students attend monthly scheduled online meetings and receive guidance on how to explore and set goals to advance in the dietetics profession.
As an undergraduate student you will grow your professional network, make a plan to get into graduate school and earn your RDN credential, and gain valuable insights from current graduate students along the way.
What to expect as a mentee
As a student mentee in the Nutrition Mentoring PODS program, you will grow your network in dietetics and participate in activities to support you as you prepare to apply to graduate school and pursue careers in nutrition and dietetics professions. All students majoring in degrees in the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness are welcome to participate in Mentoring PODS meetings anytime they are offered.
If you would like to receive formal recognition for your participation in the Mentoring PODS program, please complete the following activities at your own convenience:
- Attend 1 virtual mentor meeting on Zoom each month, during the academic year. Can't make all of them? No problem! At these virtual meetings on Zoom, you will be matched into a small group of fellow undergraduate and graduate nutrition students and an academic advisor or faculty member. You will spend about one hour discussing various topics and questions related to graduate school and careers in nutrition and dietetics.
- Participate in a graduate school exploration class taught by an academic advisor and registered dietitian, and prepare an individualized action plan for applying to graduate programs (NSC 395B: Earning the RDN Credential). This class is offered online each fall and spring. Note: If cost of enrolling in NSC 395B is a barrier, please contact program coordinator, Cindy Kaiser, to discuss an alternative option.
- After you have completed NSC 395B: Earning the RDN Credential (1 unit) AND attended at least 3 Mentoring PODS meetings, please email cindyk@arizona.edu the following items: (1) Attached worksheets for each Mentoring PODS meeting you attended, and (2) Proof of completion of NSC 395B. After completing these activities, you will receive a certificate of completion via email, formally recognizing your commitment to planning and preparing for graduate school.
As a participant in the Nutrition Mentoring PODS Program, you will:
- Participate in a graduate school / dietetic internship exploration class taught by an academic advisor and registered dietitian, and prepare an individualized action plan for applying to graduate programs.
- Attend 1 mentor meeting or program per month. At the start of the program, you will be matched into a small group of fellow undergraduate dietetics students, graduate dietetics students, and dietetics professionals. In these groups, you will discuss many topics related to graduate school and careers in dietetics. By the end of the year, your small mentoring group will become a part of your growing network of current and future dietetics professionals.
Program outcomes
- Increase your knowledge and understanding of how to apply for and be accepted into graduate school and dietetics pathways.
- Increase the size of your network in dietetics.
- Improve your preparedness and competitiveness to apply for dietetics graduate programs and jobs in dietetics.
Questions?
Contact Ashlee Linares-Gaffer, MS, RDN (alinares@arizona.edu).