Hello everyone, my name is Jennifer Contreras and I am a region 12 Sodexo intern. I am also a part of the GP program at the University of Rhode Island. I currently live in Southern California in a city just a few miles from Disneyland. I am in the beginning of my internship, but I would love to share with you all what I have experienced thus far.
 
I just finished my food service rotation and am currently finishing up my patient services rotation. At orientation I felt a little overwhelmed with all of the assignments that were due for the internship portion on top of the assignments due for the graduate program. I must admit that it is a lot of work, but if you can keep yourself well organized and on a good schedule, it is definitely manageable.
 
On the first day of my food service rotation, I was very nervous. I left my house an extra hour early and was able to familiarize myself with the layout of the hospital. When I walked into the nutrition management office, I was greeted by all of the dietitian staff. They were very friendly and welcoming. This made a lot of my nerves go away. There were also two other interns at the hospital doing their food service rotations. I met them on the first day and they helped explain all of my duties and responsibilities. The food service manager was very organized and had all of our projects and assignments planned out ahead of time. I learned a lot from this rotation, and I am very happy with the hospital that I was placed at.
 
On top of my foodservice projects, I was also able to help out with community outreach events. One event I went to was the Carson’s Women’s Health Event. I went with other dietitians from the hospital, and we had a booth with informational pamphlets about nutrition for cancer, portion sizes, and everyday nutrition. We also gave out plant-based recipe cards that were made by each of the dietitians from the hospital. It was an amazing event, and it was very neat to see the dietitians at work making a difference within the community. The women who attended the event loved our table.
 
Overall, I am enjoying the internship experience. It definitely is a lot of work, but you are learning so much. I absolutely love the hospital I was placed at, and the manager of food and nutrition services is a great mentor with a lot of knowledge. 

​Hi everyone! My name is Lauren Charlton. I am a dietetic intern based in St Augustine, Florida, but originally from England. I started my internship in the Fall of 2024 and started with my clinical rotation in the hospital.
 
I don’t have one specific event to write about; because the entirety of the experience is what has been positive for me. Going into my clinical rotations, I wasn’t too optimistic as I have always found the acute care work daunting since the patients are often quite sick. However, within the first couple of weeks, I was feeling much more confident than I thought I would be by the end of the entire rotation. The preceptors were excellent in guiding me through the process and allowing me to slowly build up my skills. Ultimately, I came to realize, that it is “just” nutrition at the end of the day, and whether the patient has got multiple chronic conditions, or acute onset disease; the same principles apply. Building confidence in myself allowed the patients to trust me more and open up in our discussions. Over multiple consultations, I found an almost methodical pattern to my work which allowed me to actively listen to the patient rather than worrying about my next step. Over time, I have become familiar with different medications that may have interactions with nutrition, or certain diagnostic procedures that require NPO or certain diets. The most important thing to remember is that behind all the lab results and medical history, all the patients are real people, with real feelings, and listening to their concerns, and adjusting my advice to their preferences is the best way to ensure longer term adherence to interventions and ultimately better outcomes.
 
I still have my remaining rotations to complete in FSM, community and specialty. However, I have already gained so much knowledge in the weeks I have completed. Learning about a health system in a new country, whilst consolidating my MNT skills has definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone on a daily basis, but it has helped improve my confidence and problem solving skills. I am really looking forward to my specialty rotation, as it is an area in which I am extremely passionate about; but I think the basic clinical skills have given me a strong foundation. I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to complete my internship with Sodexo and the support provided from both the preceptors and Sodexo DI team online.

​Hi everyone! My name is Katie Whitmore, I am a region 1 intern from Westford, Massachusetts. I just started my internship in September 2024 and started with my clinical rotations in New Hampshire. Before starting the internship, I was nervous due to it being fast paced and I had not had much hospital experience before. However, even though I am only just entering my fourth week now, I feel much more confident and comfortable working alongside the dietitians with great support. Not only are the preceptors at my site very helpful, but the support system amongst the Sodexo community is also great as well, creating a supportive community.
 
At my clinical site, I have been able to learn a lot already in just this short time I have been there. I am able to work alongside other dietitians to practice MNT and work directly with patients and other health care professionals as well. Real life practice and creating connections in the workplace is so important and I have loved learning this so far and being a part of the team of dietitians. My preceptors have been helpful with answering questions I have and helping me with navigating through the first few weeks. Additionally, I have gained new insights into working with all different types of patients of different conditions. It has also been very rewarding so far, and it has felt good to know how much of an impact we are making with the patient directly, and with the team of providers as a whole and to the hospital. The patients are very appreciative and are happy for what we do, which feels very rewarding each day! This has allowed me to understand the importance of nutrition in a hospital setting and how important it is for their recovery. 
 
The next rotation I will have is my specialty rotation, where we get to choose which specialty we do our rotation in. There are so many opportunities to choose from, or we even have the option to get creative and create our own. This is great to see what area we are interested in, and to gain a deeper insight on what that area entails. 
 
I am grateful for my experiences so far and after already learning so much, I am so excited to continue to see what the rest of the rotations have to offer!

​Hi everyone! My name is Shannon Librizzi and I am a region 11 Sodexo intern in the tail end of my dietetic internship! I started my rotations in the Denver Metro Area in February and am on track to finish in November. Since starting, I have completed my food service rotation at a university, my clinical, patient services, and CNM rotations at a level 1 trauma center, my LTC rotation at a local assisted living/SNF facility, and split my community nutrition hours between WIC, a kidney and liver transplant clinic, and Sodexo’s Nutrition and Wellness Center. I have chosen outpatient oncology nutrition for my specialty rotation and am excited to complete that over these last 5 weeks. 
 
I really appreciate the variety of settings I have been exposed to throughout this internship. After having a lot of hospital food service experience through my part-time job while in grad school, I liked being able to see how food service and the RD role differed in a university setting. And through my Retail Marketing Project I even made the business case for them to implement protein smoothies as a reoccurring menu item to increase sales and student satisfaction!
 
I also surprisingly enjoyed my LTC rotation (I wasn’t sure if I would) because it had similar aspects to outpatient, which I am drawn to because I like being able to follow up with the same patients overtime and establish rapport with them. Similarly, I really loved my time at WIC and it has made me highly consider pursuing a career working with this population. However, it was the extensive clinical rotation experience prior to these two experiences that truly made me comfortable interacting with patients at bedside, conducting nutrition focused physical exams, and calculating tube feeding and TPN recommendations. I also had the opportunity to attend daily cardiac, neuro, and trauma ICU rounds on a rotating basis which was really interesting and emphasized the integral role that RD’s play as part of the overall patient care team.
 
I am grateful for all of my preceptors thus far and my internship directors for their support and guidance throughout this process and can confidently say that all of these experiences have made me feel super prepared for the RD exam as I begin to shift my focus more towards studying for the exam! Wish me luck!

Hello everyone!
 
My name is Laura, and I am a dietetic intern with Sodexo from Region 3. I am originally from California, and I am now studying clinical nutrition in New York. As my internship is coming to an end, I am excited to share some highlights from this incredible journey.
 
My clinical rotation began at a Level 1 trauma hospital in Queens, New York, which was a very rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to learn and experience the impact of nutrition work in oncology, diabetes, nephrology, and gastric bypass surgery, as well as to develop nutrition care plans and provide education on specific diets. It was a very intense period, but it was worth it, and I really enjoyed working in a clinical setting, especially in the ICU. I think I would be willing to work in a hospital in the future.
 
After completing my clinical rotation, I moved on to food service management and community rotations at the same location. My experience was great; all the managers were friendly, and it was a novel experience for me to check meal trays and assist with the daily openings, including communicating with the entire hospital staff. It involved more interpersonal communication and coordination.
 
Currently, I am focused on pediatrics and NICU, an interest that was initially sparked during my clinical rotation. This interest guided me to focus on these areas during my special community rotation. Additionally, I had the opportunity to shadow an outpatient registered dietitian, gaining valuable insights into pediatric and adult nutrition.
 
I am now preparing for my upcoming long-term care rotation in Long Island and wrapping up my special rotation with a wellness track in Manhattan, which I am very excited about. This internship has been an amazing journey, providing me with diverse learning opportunities and professional growth. I am extremely grateful for the knowledge I have gained and the wonderful people I have met along the way.

​Hello everyone,
 
My name is Erblina Mustafai. I am a dietetic intern from New Jersey, currently residing in Jersey City. I began my dietetic internship in February 2024 and am completing my master's degree in clinical nutrition and dietetics at New York University.
 
For my first rotation, I started with clinical nutrition. Initially, I was nervous, as this rotation can be intimidating, but I felt at home from day one. I was warmly welcomed by a team of passionate dietitians and educators who showed patience, kindness, and a genuine enjoyment in teaching me everything necessary to succeed. My preceptors provided me with the tools to overcome my anxieties and succeed. The structured approach of the clinical rotation—basic, intermediate, and advanced—ensured that I could focus on different disease states with a clear understanding of MNT and interventions without feeling overwhelmed. Every day was a new learning experience, allowing me to process and apply much information. I had the opportunity to handle highly complicated and diverse cases, which enhanced my clinical judgment and knowledge of medical nutrition therapy. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying clinical’s much more than I anticipated. I honestly cant wait to go back into a clinical setting!
 
After completing my clinical rotation, I moved on to a long-term care rotation, which lasted one week. In this short time, I experienced the role of a dietitian beyond the hospital setting, which I truly appreciated. The dietitians at the long-term care facility were well-respected and integral to the care team, some having worked with residents longer than I have been alive. This rotation highlighted the importance of dietitians in long-term care settings.
 
I am currently in my food service rotation, at Societe Generale (a corporate and investment bank) and it has been fascinating to see the business side of dietetics in action. I am already learning so much and finding a new love for food service. This internship has been going by very quickly, and I am both excited and sad to see it come to an end. I am very grateful for the experiences I’ve gained.
 
Overall, my experiences as a Sodexo dietetic intern have been very fulfilling. I am grateful to the Sodexo team and all my preceptors for their support and patience in helping me acquire the necessary skills for an entry-level dietitian. I am very excited to begin my career.

Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Gubicza, and I am a region 12 Sodexo dietetic intern from Los Angeles, CA. I started my internship in February 2024 doing my clinical rotation in Simi Valley, CA.
 
Prior to starting the internship, I was overwhelmed with nerves about beginning my clinical rotation due to it being complex and fast-paced. However, after working countless hours (449 to be exact) alongside great role models of dietitians, I can confidently say I have gained the knowledge needed to provide MNT to patients with an array of conditions.
 
As mentioned above, I completed my clinical rotation at a hospital in Simi Valley, CA. At that site, I was able to participate in nutrition educations to patients, ICU rounds with other medical professionals, tube feeding formulations, and so much more. Immediately following my clinical rotation, I began food service. Luckily, I was able to continue this rotation at the same site I did my clinical for. This allowed me to better understand both settings of nutrition in a hospital environment.
 
The next rotation I will soon have completed is my community rotation. As someone who completed their bachelor’s degree in Community Health, I understand and value this rotation. Firstly, I loved that we were able to choose from a variety of sites for this rotation. It allows for the intern to get creative in what site they’d like to work with. Secondly, the assignments in this rotation helped solidify the knowledge I knew about community nutrition. From understanding the issue of food insecurity to providing nutrition education to diverse populations, I have gained so much knowledge. For this rotation, I interned with a baby food company. In doing so I have been able to keep up to date on evidence-based research on the pediatric population, along with many other aspects.
 
In having such a great experience with the site for my community rotation, I have chosen to continue with my last rotation, my specialty, with this site. During these last few weeks, I will continue to learn about pediatric nutrition as well as how to run a successful private practice.
      
In conclusion, my experiences as a Sodexo dietetic intern have been rewarding. Firstly, I am grateful to have been able to explore a variety of settings that dietitians can work in. This was one of the concepts I appreciated most about Sodexo. In doing this, it allowed me to get a feel for what job options are out there and which I enjoy most when it comes to applying to them. Secondly, this internship gifted me so many opportunities to network since the rotations were at different sites. Overall, I am very grateful for all my preceptors and the Sodexo team in all the help and support they have shown me throughout the internship. With this internship coming to an end, I can confidently say I have gained the necessary skills and knowledge for an entry-level dietitian. 

Hi everyone! My name is Julia Pittman. I am a dietetic intern from Athens, Georgia. I started my internship in February 2024. I began my internship with food service in Milledgeville, Georgia and am finishing my clinical rotation in Augusta, Georgia.
 
As I said, my first rotation was in food service. I completed this rotation at a small college. This college only had one dining hall, which was very different from the college where I went to school. Working in food service was not something I was looking forward to doing. However, I enjoyed my time in my food service rotation. Talking to the chefs and seeing their expertise at work was fun. I really enjoyed the time I spent with the catering and marketing teams because of the creativity that is part of their jobs.
 
My next rotation, which I am just about finished with, is my clinical rotation. This rotation has been an amazing experience. I am at a large hospital in Augusta, Georgia, that has a large burn center. Not only does this hospital treat burn patients, but wound care is a big part of that center. Getting to see how nutrition plays a role in wound healing has been an experience I was not expecting to get before doing this rotation. I was initially nervous talking to patients and having input into their care, but I became more comfortable with it and have come to enjoy talking to them. I gained exposure to a variety of medical conditions and every day spoke to someone new. Nutrition education was my favorite thing to do, and I also enjoyed the math of enteral nutrition. Sometimes, a patient just needed someone to talk to, and I was able to be that person for them.
 
While I still have a few more rotations, I have already learned so much. I have stepped out of my comfort zone many times and have grown as a person from my experiences. My next rotation is my specialty rotation, which I am looking forward to as it is in an area I am incredibly passionate about. I hope to learn even more during this rotation and help make a difference. I am grateful for these learning experiences the Sodexo internship has given me, and I look forward to what is next!
​

Hello everyone! My name is Sam Sycalik and I’m a region 5 Sodexo dietetic intern and URI graduate student studying nutrition science. I live in Gaithersburg, MD and am over halfway through the Sodexo-URI Future Education Model Graduate Program. It goes by so fast! I’m excited to share some of my highlighted experiences so far during the internship with you all.  
 
I started out with food service and got a lot of experience working in a hospital kitchen and with the food service department at a local hospital in Rockville, MD. I got close with the kitchen staff and enjoyed an inside-look into how the kitchen, tray line, and management teams operate within the hospital setting. I then started my clinical rotation, which lasted approximately four months. I absolutely LOVED clinical and got exposure to a wide range of diseased states, patient demographics, and most of all got very comfortable calculating tube feedings and parenteral nutrition orders. I got to work closely with the interdisciplinary team and even got to attend oncology rounds during my staff relief rotation! My preceptors were so helpful and willing to answer all of my questions. They also provided me with lots of interesting and fun cases to work on. I got very accustomed to my clinical routine and was sad when it came to an end. I especially enjoyed the staff relief rotation as I got to work independently covering 2 units at the hospital, one being the oncology unit.
 
I have now completed my long-term care rotation, which was only one week. Although this rotation was short, it showed me care beyond the hospital setting, which I truly appreciated. I even got to do a follow up on a resident I was able to assess during my clinical rotation at the hospital! This internship is flying by, and I am both excited and sad for it to eventually come to an end in the next couple of months. I’m most excited to start my specialty rotation in pediatrics at Children’s National Hospital this coming April. I’m very grateful for the experiences I’ve gained. The biggest things this internship has taught me so far includes optimizing time management, prioritizing workload, and the importance of optimizing your learning experience and leaning into the resources you have available. Real-life practice is much different and more complex than what we learn in textbooks and from case studies, so learning to use your own clinical/professional judgment is essential in this field.