Objectives: Understand how a no-cost student mentorship program met an unmet need for professional development and personal connection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Mentorship programs promote professional development through personal connection and expansion of skills and knowledge. However, many mentorship programs for dietetics students are accessible only through paid membership in the sponsoring organization. This leads to lower mentoring participation among students with financial constraints as compared to those without. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of students experiencing financial strain and decreased the number of opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the field. A needs assessment at this time demonstrated that students were eager to connect with dietetics professionals to better understand the array of job opportunities available in their future profession. The purpose of this program was to recruit registered dietitians and dietetics students to create a network for virtual connections at no cost to the participants. A total of over 50 registered dietitians and 400 students enrolled in the first 6-week cohort which included weekly speaker panels, leadership training, and mentoring partnerships.
Results: Students reported that the program increased their knowledge about dietetics job opportunities, expanded their professional network, and provided valuable personal connections they felt they were lacking during the pandemic.
Conclusions: Students reported that the no-cost program afforded opportunities they would not have had if an enrollment fee were required and dietitians reported that they wish they were given this opportunity during their dietetic journey. The creation of free resources through mentorship in an already expensive field can provide students clarity as to what their future career choices are and how they can achieve said goals.
Funding Sources: No funding sources were used for the research.
