Claudia Hoffmann - Region 3

Hi there! My name is Claudia, and I am currently in my Sodexo Dietetic Internship. So far, I have completed all my clinical rotations as well as my specialty rotation at my clinical site. My experience in this dietetic internship has been a ride to say the least. I remember when I was a baby intern, at the Sodexo Dietetic Internship orientation last fall in Maryland. I was nervous and suffering from a bit of imposter syndrome at the time. Do I deserve to be here? Am I smart or good enough? These were all questions I asked myself as I began my journey.
 
It wasn’t until a few weeks into my internship that I felt the worries dissipate. The Sodexo internship gave me an organized list of expectations and competencies I had to meet during my rotations. It was easy to work with my preceptors to address these areas and I felt prepared by the pre rotation assignments. Additionally, as a student of the combined master’s program, I felt that the subject matter I was learning in my internship was translated into my master’s coursework. I felt confident and prepared, and no subject matter looked foreign to me. The weeks flew by and each of my clinical rotations exposed me to new areas. I learned how to conduct nutrition assessments, provide nutrition diagnoses, as well as develop interventions.  
 
Fast forward to January 2025, I was just starting my critical care specialty rotation. Again, I was feeling nervous and not confident in myself as I took on a challenging area for development. The fear didn’t last long, and after a week, I felt back on my A game. The critical care rotation taught me a wealth of information and I appreciated the difference we as dietitians could make on a critical level to promote healing and recovery. Nutrition may not always be the most pertinent concern in the ICU; however I learned to communicate with the team effectively to ensure patients were receiving tube feeds as well as the correct rates and formulas. Since I was in the ICU for an extended period (5 weeks) I saw a lot of the same patients. I felt that my interventions made a difference as I watched these patients recover, become extubated, and return to a by mouth diet. Watching the difference I could make was rewarding. I would revisit some of these patients post extubation and collect subjective histories. I felt that at this time I got to know the patient even though I had seen them for several re assessments while they were intubated and sedated.
 
This Sodexo internship allowed me to learn what it takes to be a clinical dietitian, especially one interested in working in the ICU. As I move into my next rotations, I welcome the variety of the dietitian profession. This internship has given me a hands-on experience with seeing the endless possibilities. It feels as if there is a specialty for everyone and in the internship, my exposure to multiple areas gives me flexibility as well as more opportunity while transitioning through my professional career. 

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