Curricular internship in food sciences: training strategy in the undergraduate Nutrition course of two federal institutions in Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract

Academic programs in Nutrition aim to produce general practitioners with both humanistic and critical vision, trained to work in all areas of the food and nutrition fields, which are fundamental to human health. This study details the experience of participating in the undergraduate Mandatory Curricular Internship in Food Sciences at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition (Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição − FACFAN) of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul − UFMS) and at the School of Health Sciences (Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde − FCS) of the Federal University of Grande Dourados (Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados − UFGD), MS, Brazil. This is a descriptive study, in the form of experience report. This experience report covers the organization, program description, and evaluation system of the internship at both academic institutions, followed by a reflection on the knowledge and expertise of the professors and supervisors who oversaw the interns. The objective of this internship is to provide students with a realistic experience of nutritionists’ work in the area of ​​Food Sciences. Considering the current roles of nutritionists and the future areas of action predicted by the Federal Council of Nutritionists (Conselho Federal de Nutricionistas − CFN), the inclusion of this internship as a mandatory component of the Pedagogical Projects of Nutrition courses in the area of Food Sciences will certainly have a favorable and innovative impact on the training of undergraduate students, and contribute positively to their professional careers.