With the aim of evaluating the results obtained in a new experiment in Internato Rural (rural internship) during its first three years of existence, 22 reports, which had been submitted by 46 student-trainees who participated in this program, were analyzed. Internato Rural involves the transfer of the student from the college campus to a rural community where he stays for a certain period of time. This Internato Rural course program differs from the structure proposed by other universities mainly in that it aims at stimulating the community to identify its problems and to organize itself to solve them. It was observed, at the end of the above mentioned period, that the objectives proposed had not been satisfactorily met. The difficulty in stimulating the community members to identify their own problems and to take the necessary steps to try to solve them was the fundamental obstacle faced. Additional problems were posed by lack of resources to keep the students in the field and program discontinuity, basically due to school vacations and to the limited number of students enrolled in the Internato Rural program, which is elective. It has been realized, however, that as a form of professional practice in the field of Public Health and as an opportunity of experiencing everyday life in a rural community Internato Rural is of fundamental importance for the students. It was concluded that this constitutes a worthwhile experience in accordance with the new proposal which will have to be an improvement so as to meet the initial objectives, and which may also contribute to other graduate programs in nutrition in the country.
Nutrition, education; Internship and residency