"Building nutrition capacity in First Nations and northern communities”

Unique Internship Program

The uniqueness of the Yukon First Nations Dietetic Internship program lies in the ability and willingness of the organization, stakeholders and providers to combine Aboriginal people's history, culture and health perspectives with professional training. This is the only dietetic internship in Canada with a focus on Aboriginal and Northern Communities.

The program was created to address the need for Registered Dietitians to provide nutrition expertise in northern Aboriginal communities. The program is delivered in partnership with the Yukon Hospital Corporation, Yukon Government and an affiliate teaching hospital. The program started in 1997 as a pilot project and received full accreditation status from Dietitians of Canada in 1999 and again in 2008.

In 2010, alumni from this program made up 10 of the 18 practicing Aboriginal Dietitians in Canada. Six graduates have chosen to call Yukon home and many other graduates work in Aboriginal or northern settings.

Dietetic Internship brochure (PDF 130KB)

Program Goals

• To conduct and evaluate a high quality accredited dietetic internship program.
• To provide a rich learning environment where interns acquire the skill and knowledge necessary to become a Registered Dietitian.
• To build nutrition capacity in and northern communities.