Jenny Westerkamp is the co-founder of All Access Internships, a website dedicated to filling the needs of the dietetics student community. She recently graduated from her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. In July 2009, she was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association Nutrition Entrepreneurs Professional Development Dietetic Student Award. She has an interest in sports nutrition, nutrition communications, writing, and social media. In October, she and her business partner, Katie Hamm, will be offering webinars and coaching services to dietetics students applying for dietetic internships. Jenny enjoys writing on her blog “Trendy Nutrition”, which can be found at jennywesterkamp.com.

 Q: What lead you to a career in dietetics?
A: I really loved science and started college as a biology major, but switched to dietetics because I wanted a way to apply the science. Furthermore, poor nutrition is an enormous problem in our nation, so I wanted to be a part of the solution. Also, I think this is a growing field with a lot of potential to make a difference.

Q:  What do you plan to do when you have your RD?
A:  I’d like to continue to expand All Access Internships, practice sports nutrition, write a book, and be on Oprah someday!
 
Q:  What lead you to launching All Access Internships?
A: Katie and I became friends through the ADA Student Community of Interest. We had very similar interests and kept in touch via e-mail, sharing advice about being a dietetics student. Then, she came to me in April 2008 with an idea to start a website on dietetic internships. We agreed that this was a need that had to be filled. The match rate was so low (It is even lower now, at 50% this past computer matching round.), and students were not prepared for the application process. Plus, the internship experience itself was a huge question mark. We wanted to change all of that, so we offered a ton of tips and resources, along with testimonials from past interns, about what life is like as a dietetic intern–all for free. Now, we are taking that a step further this year by offering a premium membership to users who want to gain a competitive edge in the application process and also one-on-one advising/coaching with Katie and me.