Spotlight on Dietetic Practicum Program Alumni
DPP Preceptor Sara Duchene-Milne Leading Change in Indigenous Health
Sara Duchene-Milne has spent more than two decades advancing Indigenous health through care, education, and advocacy. When she became a Registered Dietitian (RD) in 2003, she was among fewer than ten Indigenous RDs in Canada. A valued and long-term preceptor for the NOSM University’s Dietetic Practicum Program (DPP), Duchene-Milne recently took on two leadership roles, one nationally and one in her home community on Manitoulin Island. At Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, she has taken on a manager role as Team Lead of Diabetes Wellness and Nutrition Programs, while nationally, Duchene-Milne brings the unique needs and perspectives of Nor...
Read more about Sara Duchene-Milne.
Lela Laberge (Hopper)
Born and raised in Sudbury, Ont., Lela Laberge’s path to becoming a dietitian began early. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 7 and celiac disease at age 10, she spent much of her childhood learning firsthand how nutrition impacts health. Those experiences inspired her to turn her challenges into a passion for helping others navigate their own health journeys through food. Lela pursued an honours specialization in nutrition and dietetics at Western University, graduating in 2020, and completed the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program—now the Dietetic Practicum Program (DPP)—in 2021. Since then, she has built her career ...
Hear more from Lela Laberge (Hopper).
Sarah Wyder
Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ont., Sarah Wyder graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition, with an honours specialization in nutrition and dietetics, from Western University in 2020. She was grateful to return home in 2021 to complete the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program—now the Dietetic Practicum Program (DPP). Sarah began her career working part time with the Mental Health Rehabilitation Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital while also covering a maternity leave at the Maternity Centre at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Since 2023, she has been working full time at the NorWest Community Healt...
Meet Sarah Wyder.