​Hello. I am Pia Rahman, a native New Yorker in Region 3 (New York City). Sodexo has given me the opportunity to do my rotations at SUNY Downstate, located in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
 
Taking part in this program has been a greatly rewarding experience and an opportunity for personal growth. It has allowed me to be around supportive directors, dietetic interns experiencing the same learning curve as I am, and preceptors sharing their knowledge of the field.
 
What attracted me to this program was its innovative approach to learning that allows interns the flexibility to explore their interests. The flexibility of this program has allowed me to spend more time on my interests and learning needs.
 
I am fortunate enough to complete my food service and clinical rotations and concentration at SUNY Downstate. One of my areas of interest is medical nutrition therapy for transplants. During my clinical rotation, I was able to experience how nutrition plays a role in transplant patients. I was given the opportunity to participate in nutrition therapy for transplant candidate selection and post-operation surgery and see long-term transplant patients.
 
I know a lot is going on in the world right now; we are at a turning point in healthcare. This last year has made me understand the importance of public health. This internship has allowed me to serve my home, New York City, discover another part of the city and myself, and understand my purpose here. It has made me realize the importance of nutrition and the responsibilities we, as future registered dietitians, have in our community. 

​Hello! My name is Isobel Bishop and I am a region 5 Sodexo intern. I have finished my foodservice rotation and am currently completing my clinical rotation at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital in Clinton, Maryland. I am enjoying my experience at the hospital and have learned so much from my amazing preceptors!
 
I was nervous going into my first day of my clinical rotation, as I had no prior experience working in a hospital. I quickly realized that there was no need to be nervous. My preceptors and Sodexo internship director helped me to feel comfortable in the transition into my role as a dietetic intern in the clinical setting. I am now more than halfway done with my clinical rotation and have been loving every minute of it! I have enjoyed spending my time working with an excellent inter-disciplinary team, assessing patients for malnutrition, giving diet education, and giving recommendations for nutrition support. One of my favorite experiences so far was when I had the opportunity to watch a modified barium swallow screen, where I saw one of the ways that the speech language pathologists assess patients for dysphagia. I was able to see how a patient with silent aspiration swallows, which was very interesting and helped me to better understand why therapeutic diets are so important.
 
I am confident that I am gaining the knowledge I need to succeed in my future career as a Registered Dietitian and am so thankful for the experiences the Sodexo Dietetic Internship has given me. I am looking forward to the rest of my journey as a dietetic intern and soon-to-be Registered Dietitian!

​Hi Everyone! My name is Ashley Eastland. I am currently interning at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital where I am finishing up my clinical/MNT concentration rotations. My journey began back in September when I first started clinical. My first day I was anxious and excited to begin my clinical rotation. I remember feeling like I was going into my first day of high school, not knowing what to expect, but finally being able to say I was in high school.
 
Now to get into more interesting parts of my internship experience.  I’ll never forget my first time practicing a nutrition focused physical exam on a patient. I felt so nervous like I was going into my biochemistry final. My preceptor was very encouraging and the first couple of times actually did the assessment before me and then I would perform the assessment and after leaving the patient’s room we would go over what we thought from the assessment if the patient was mild, moderate, severe malnourished or was properly nourished. This helped me gain confidence in my physical assessment skills and now, when able, I feel confident performing nutrition focused physical exams.
 
Another part of my internship I found to be interesting was the TPN team. At my site, there is a dietitian that is assigned to the total parenteral nutrition (TPN) team daily to see the patients who require TPN. The dietitian puts in order recommendations for dextrose, amino acids, lipids, and micronutrients like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus which then gets looked over by a PA and the pharmacist. I was overwhelmed with all the components that go into assessing a patient on TPN. My preceptor helped demonstrate what to look for and showed me videos and PowerPoint presentations on TPN basics for me to feel more comfortable. Now, coming to the end of my rotation I am more comfortable and confident in my critical thinking skills about the labs and knowing when and why to increase or decrease the macronutrients or micronutrients in the TPN bag.
 
One message I would like to share with all of you:  challenge yourself.  Ask yourself the critical thinking questions, try something that might be outside of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you aren’t sure about something. This internship experience has been nothing like I have ever done before or ever could’ve imagined. All of my preceptors have been extraordinary teachers to me. 

​My name is Lauren Perrone and I am from Region 3 (New York City). At this point in time I have completed my patient service management, food service management, community, and CNM rotations. I’m currently in basic clinical at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, located in Brooklyn, NY. Approaching my fourth week at Downstate, I can say I’ve had a very positive experience thus far. It is still early in my clinical rotation, but I have already been exposed to the Med/Surg, NICU, pediatric, and dialysis units. Pediatrics has never been an area of interest for me, but I’ve really enjoyed interacting with the younger population and visiting the babies in the NICU. I’ve also had a significant amount of exposure to diabetic patients, which has been helping me develop my motivational interviewing and educating skills. It has been a gratifying experience being able to educate patients on their ability to use food as a way manage their current disease states. When patients gain that understanding, it is the most rewarding feeling.
 
One challenge that I have faced is this rotation is the COVID numbers rising. I started basic clinical on the Med/Surg floor and it is currently changing into a complete COVID unit. It has been a little scary to be surrounded by the rising number of cases, but my preceptors have done a great job at making sure I am still getting all of the education I need to become a successful RD.
 
As I continue on with my clinical rotation, I am looking forward to the endless learning that is ahead. Each week I feel I am progressing and getting the most out of this experience. The Sodexo DI has really allowed me to individualize my experience and direct my own learning. I am so glad I was matched to this program and can’t wait for the new experiences ahead!

​Hi! My name is Grace Cucco from region 5 in Rockville, MD. I have finished my food service rotation and am currently in the advanced rotation of my internship. Prior to starting my internship, I had never worked in a clinical setting—I had barely stepped foot in a hospital. I’ll admit I was nervous about working in such an unfamiliar environment. Fortunately, when I met my amazing preceptor and all the other wonderful dietitians at my hospital, I was put at ease because I knew I was going to have intelligent and experienced teachers.
 
Although it took me a few patients to shake off the jitters and feel confident in my knowledge, I’ve learned I love the fast-paced setting of working in clinical nutrition. I have learned about different conditions, procedures, and interacting with different professionals in the medical field. I have also sharpened my judgement and critical thinking skills. Before going into my internship, I didn’t know what specific aspects of dietetics I did and did not enjoy. I was most surprised that I love calculating tube feeding, something I did not enjoy in undergrad. I think it is important to stay open-minded in a new environment because you never know what will pique your interest.

Working with hospital patients can be really daunting, but my preceptor helped to ease my concern by breaking things into bite-size pieces and leading by example. It helped a lot to see how the other dietitians interacted with patients and the other workers in the hospital. I look forward to going to the hospital because I can count on my preceptor to guide me and answer any questions I had clearly and patiently. I would encourage interns to not hesitate to ask questions and be inquisitive. I would also encourage interns to cherish every moment, even the sticky ones where you feel uncomfortable and unsure.
 
I am so grateful that Sodexo gives interns the opportunity to dive in-depth to specific interests. I am looking forward to my leadership concentration where I can delve further into learning about negotiation, strategic planning, and acquire the qualities of a leader. 

​Hello everyone! My name is Lily Vinocoor. I am a region 1 dietetic intern living south of Boston, MA. In September, as I began my clinical rotations at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital in Brockton, MA, I was anxious to face new challenges and come out of my comfort zone. When I arrived at the hospital, my fears went away when I met my kind and welcoming preceptors who were enthusiastic about helping me succeed. In the final days of staff relief, I am amazed at how time flew by, and the amount of knowledge and confidence I gained as I prepare to be an entry level dietitian. I would love to share my experience and helpful tips I have learned along the way.
 
Conducting patient interviews and providing diet education was intimidating at first. As students, we study nutrition for 4-5 years and have a clear understanding of the relationship between diets and diseases, but I found it difficult at first to explain diets in an easy and simple way to patients who lacked previous nutritional knowledge. I took home the most used diet education handouts at the hospital, practiced speaking them out loud, and made note cards with key points I wanted to make when educating patients. I found these note cards to be extremely helpful to take with me into the patient’s rooms.

Hi, my name is Tamara Alleyne, and I am a region 3 intern located in Queens, NY. So far, I have completed my food service rotation at Société Générale in Manhattan, NY, and I am waiting to complete my last few weeks of clinical due to COVID-19. Dealing with COVID-19 has been both challenging and a learning experience. It has taught me to be patient and never give up. With my clinical site still closed to interns, I felt frustrated and defeated in the beginning, but always remember, when one door closes another opens.

During my food service rotation, I really enjoyed preparing and presenting a Valentine’s Day Heart Health theme meal for the employees. I am proud to say, the heart health information and meal prepared was well received. I made grilled chicken and shrimp tacos, black bean mango salad, Mexican slaw, pico de gallo, Mexican crema and a fun healthy twist on the traditional tres leches. Sodexo Group is launching a global corporate responsibility performance measurement and site improvement tool in April 2021. One of the six topic areas is Nutrition, Health & Wellness. I had the awesome opportunity of working with the team to develop best practices for general managers to use in order to make changes and improve their performance within their facility.

​Hello! My name is Arielle Faria and I am a region 4 intern in Northern New Jersey. I am currently in my clinical rotation at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Prior to starting rotations, I had always pictured myself in an outpatient setting and never as a clinical dietitian. However, working in this fast-paced environment has truly opened my eyes to the endless knowledge there is to learn within the clinical field of dietetics.
 
Working with different dietitians every two weeks, I quickly came to realize that almost every dietitian has a slightly different approach, and that nutrition in the clinical setting is greatly individualized. I really had to transition from a textbook learner to a realistic and individualized approach, where recommendations and nutrition needs are specific to each patient. I have been able to work with and acquire knowledge in a wide variety of areas including renal transplant, cardiac, oncology, diabetes, pediatrics, and bariatrics. In addition, working in critical care with mostly ventilated patients on tube feedings or TPN allowed me to explore a more complex yet intriguing part of the field.
 
One of my most memorable weeks thus far in my internship has been working in the burn ICU. Nutrition and feeding in the burn ICU are taken as a top priority which isn’t always the case in the clinical setting. The critical role that calories and protein play in the wound healing process of patients with third degree burns has really opened my eyes to a new interest within this population. I was able to work with the burn technicians and nurses and observe their daily process of cleaning and addressing the patient’s wounds and burns, ultimately leaving me with the message to never take my skin or body, for granted!
 
Working in the clinical setting has forced me to exit my comfort zone and push myself toward the growth and success I have always strived for. My piece of advice is to ask as many questions as you can, and to go into each day with a positive outlook and willingness to learn. I am so very grateful for the support of my preceptors and internship directors as I continue on my journey to becoming a dietitian in the midst of a pandemic! 

​Hello! My name is Karina Rico and I am a region 12 intern at Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, California. I am currently in my first week of my advanced clinical rotation. It has been an experience I will never forget because being an intern during the COVID-19 pandemic has been overwhelming, but it has also taught me that staying positive and being flexible is key to being successful. Everyone at the hospital has a lot going on, but the dietitians have stayed calm and supportive towards me, despite all the work they have. At this point, I have worked with all the dietitians on staff and I have learned so much from each one. I am grateful that I can complete my clinical rotation in person and get the experience I need to meet all the required competencies. 
 
In the beginning, I was intimidated by other members of the healthcare team because I was not sure how to effectively communicate with them. I have slowly gained my confidence in communicating and I am able to obtain pertinent information regarding patients. I am also more comfortable making recommendations and communicating them with the nurses. I look forward to having more interaction with the doctors in my upcoming critical care MNT rotation.
 
One of my favorite things to do as an intern is diet education for Spanish speakers. I provide them with nutrition education based on their newly diagnosed disease or one that they have had for years. The most common so far have been diabetic and heart healthy diets. I know it can be intimidating when they have language as a barrier so I find it fulfilling to be the one that can communicate with them and answer any questions that they have.
 
I have so much more to look forward to in the advanced clinical rotation and I’m excited to work with the ICU dietitians during critical care MNT.