Attachment learning: a humanistic educational experience. Final practicum in a coordinated undergraduate program.

Throughout the five stages, the student has ample opportunity for expression and self-evaluation in the counseling sessions that accompany each stage. The student experiences progress with increasing responsibility to the ultimate functioning as an administrative dietitian under supervision. It is believed that the experiences of attachment learning will enable the student, on graduation, to enter professional practice with confidence and a strong likelihood of success. Thus far, experiences with attachment learning at the University of Missouri-Columbia have demonstrated superiority over methods used previously. It is believed that this method can be readily adapted to other learning situations in dietetics, such as traineeships and internships. In fact, our enthusiasm for the method prompts the suggestion that it might well be considered for the final stage of education for any profession in which entry-level competencies can be established.