 Hello, fellow and future Sodexo interns! My name is Yolanda Meza, and I am a region 12 dietetic intern in Los Angeles, California. I am close to completing my internship with Sodexo and now hold a Master of Science in Dietetics from the University of Rhode Island! It has been an exhausting and rewarding ride. I am forever grateful for this opportunity and how much I continue to learn! I am eager and thrilled to finally graduate from the internship and begin studying for the RD exam. When my director assigned me to my first rotation in a clinical setting, I experienced a mix of nervousness and excitement. Despite hearing from previous interns about the intimidating and challenging nature of clinical work, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't that it lacked challenges; in fact, it was demanding. However, I appreciated this rotation for pushing me beyond my limits, resulting in the acquisition of valuable skills that will benefit me in my future career as a dietitian. Specifically, I learned to collaborate with different working styles, conduct independent patient assessments, accurately perform nutrition-focused physical exams, develop leadership skills during staff relief duties, and enhance my clinical judgment through critical thinking.  What I found most helpful was to go in each day with an open and optimistic mindset and accept criticism as an opportunity to grow. If I felt any confusion throughout the process, I did not hesitate to ask questions to my preceptors. Furthermore, communication is crucial among your directors and preceptors throughout the internship. After all, working in the ICU was my favorite, as it involved assessing and treating more complex patients, which required greater involvement in the interdisciplinary team. During this time, I had to consider a lot, and my preceptors provided beneficial feedback, which helped with my learning. During my food service management rotation in April, I organized a successful nutrition event for Earth Week. I created a plant-based beet recipe for our poke bowl, promoting vegan and vegetarian options. With educational materials at a pop-up table, we surpassed sales expectations by $233.52, leaving the manager and chef impressed and eager to include poke bowls regularly.  This internship has taught me how valuable dietitians are and what it takes to become one. It's a challenging pathway, but it has been well worth it.
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Overall, I have enjoyed my journey as an RD2be, and I am excited to be one step closer to finishing and becoming a dietitian! Good luck, and feel free to reach out with any questions. My handle is Ymezafuturerdn https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-meza/ Comments are closed.
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