Hello everyone! My name is Meagan Coon and I am a Sodexo dietetic intern with the New Bedford campus and I am also completing the URI online master’s program. I am currently completing my advanced clinical hours at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, MA. When I was in orientation, a previous intern told me “get comfortable with being a little uncomfortable.” As crazy as this saying sounds, I realized how much this helped me throughout the internship. Rotations are constantly changing, some months I would be at a different location with a new preceptor every week. I quickly tried to adjust to new people and new environments while always trying to be the best version of myself, but it was not always easy. This atmosphere of constant change truly prepared me for whatever is next to come. I have had experience with a wide variety of people and work environments and my confidence has grown. I now feel much more comfortable when going to a new rotation. I think the point of “being a little uncomfortable” is stepping out of your comfort zone and not being afraid to try something new.
Over the last few weeks I had the opportunity to spend time at an American Renal Associates dialysis center. Nutrition plays a large role in the lives of dialysis patients. The RD who works there is not only involved in the patients’ nutrition, but in their lives, families and overall well-being. My preceptor knows everyone by name and takes the extra time to get to know her patients as people. Her mentoring has taught me so much about nutrition’s impact on quality of life for dialysis patients. I learned so much about renal nutrition that I can now apply to other areas of my internship experience. Originally, I did not think I would love spending time in a dialysis center, but it has been one of my favorite rotations so far! This goes to show the importance of gaining experience in a wide variety of nutrition fields and the Sodexo internship has given me the opportunity to do so!
Over the last few weeks I had the opportunity to spend time at an American Renal Associates dialysis center. Nutrition plays a large role in the lives of dialysis patients. The RD who works there is not only involved in the patients’ nutrition, but in their lives, families and overall well-being. My preceptor knows everyone by name and takes the extra time to get to know her patients as people. Her mentoring has taught me so much about nutrition’s impact on quality of life for dialysis patients. I learned so much about renal nutrition that I can now apply to other areas of my internship experience. Originally, I did not think I would love spending time in a dialysis center, but it has been one of my favorite rotations so far! This goes to show the importance of gaining experience in a wide variety of nutrition fields and the Sodexo internship has given me the opportunity to do so!
