BENEFITS OF TRAINING DIETETICS STUDENTS IN PREPROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PROGRAMS - A COMPARISON WITH DIETETIC INTERNSHIPS

Objective To conduct a nationwide study on the opinions of dietitian p receptors regarding the intangible benefits to hospitals and medical c enters of training dietetics students in approved preprofessional prac tice programs (AP4s) and to compare the findings with a similar survey of dietetic internships. Design A questionnaire was adapted from a 19 90 study of preceptors in dietetic internships to investigate the bene fits of training dietetics students in AP4s. Sample Program directors and dietitians who supervise and teach students in the 117 preprofessi onal programs approved by The American Dietetic Association were sent pretested questionnaires. Responses to the survey were received from 3 12 dietitians who supervise students in 74 practice programs. Statisti cal analysis Descriptive statistics were used to calculate frequency o f response, t Tests were used to compare mean differences between the opinions of preceptors in AP4s and internships. Analysis of variance a nd Scheffe post-hoc test were used to determine the demographic charac teristics related to the dietitians' opinions of benefits. Results Str ongest agreement (agree to strongly agree) was found for three items: sense of satisfaction from seeing students develop as professionals (4 .34); belief that teaching students makes the job more interesting (4. 17); and real sense of achievement in working with students (4.05). Si gnificant differences were found between the groups on sis items and, in all but one instance, the internship preceptors were more in agreem ent with the statements on intangible benefits than the AP4 preceptors . Applications/conclusions The preceptors generally agreed that intang ible benefits exist for departments that are AP4 sites and the profess ionals that work in them. As programs develop from AP4s into accredite d internships, examination of intangible and monetary benefits may aff ect tile continuation of dietetics training programs.