​Hi there, my name is Abby Dilk and I’m a dietetic intern in region 8. I’m completing the final few days of my clinical rotation just north of Indianapolis, IN. I'm originally from Indiana, but I'm looking forward to returning home to Colorado this week. During the four months I’ve been here, I have completed nutrition assessments and follow-ups for over 400 unique patient cases, including many tube feedings and TPNs. I must admit I was surprised by just how rewarding and exciting it is to be a clinical dietitian. From one day having a patient intubated on a mechanical vent and needing tube feeding, to days later returning to their baseline status and knowing I played a part in that. I have also witnessed patients with head and neck cancer need tube feeding due to dysphagia and then be able to transition back to successful PO intake after some time. I initially saw myself working in an outpatient setting as a dietitian, but now I'm considering the hospital setting. I would advise everyone to keep an open mind for your future plans, as hands-on experience can be a game-changer. 
 
I was definitely nervous heading into my clinical rotation, but my preceptors have done a wonderful job of challenging me just enough. It has been a nice balance of using my knowledge while also learning through experience. I currently have 10+ patients and am representing dietetics in ICU rounds daily. This level of responsibility would have seemed impossible when I first started here. If that rings true for you, I suggest allowing yourself to patiently grow your caseload and be surprised at how well you'll be able to manage it all. Additionally, don't be afraid to ask questions and ask them up-front. Knowing the proper protocols and procedures from the start is going to set you up for success later on. The clinical assignments were also quite demanding, but the advice of "do something every day" that was given during orientation was immensely helpful. I did a couple case study questions each night, and it made it much less daunting than sitting down and completing it all at once. 
 
For anyone else that has matched with a rotation away from home, I hope you are also able to find gratitude in the process like I did. It allowed me to really focus on myself and my studies. It has been so difficult not seeing my family, friends, and partner as often, but I have had a chance to reconnect with my relatives and friends who live in Indy. I've made countless memories that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I am so excited to return home, but I'm also very grateful this placement was in my path. 

​Hello everyone, my name is Kiley Therrien and I am a Sodexo dietetic intern in region 2, specifically located in Fall River, MA and Providence, RI. My time within my dietetic internship has allowed me to gain valuable insight into the myriad of ways dietitians are able to make a positive impact on their communities, whether that is through educating and treating patients in a clinical setting or developing nutrient dense recipes in a community setting. This particular lesson was highlighted during my time in my foodservice rotation where I had the chance to develop a new recipe to be served in a hospital cafeteria to celebrate National Nutrition Month’s theme of “Celebrate a World of Flavors.” To accompany the recipe I developed, Baja fish tacos with mango salsa, I also created educational handouts in hopes to teach customers easy ways to appreciate and incorporate recipes from various cultures. With the help of my preceptor, kitchen staff, and other dietitians working within the hospital, I am happy to say that the recipe and event was a success as shown through increased sales and excitement shown through talking with customers. Since finishing my foodservice rotation, I have had the opportunity to intern for an outpatient dietetics office focusing on intuitive eating and serving those with disordered eating habits—two  interests of mine. Overall, I have had a wonderful time making connections with each of my preceptors and educating patients. I greatly look forward to what my community and leadership rotations have in hold for me!
 
To ensure success within a dietetic internship, advice I would relay to incoming interns is to stay curious, practice open communication with your preceptors, and have compassion for yourself throughout the process. While most of us may come into this internship with a specific area of interest, staying curious and open will allow you to relish the time spent in each rotation. With this, open communication with your preceptor will be vital to ensure you are learning all you can from each experience and may even open up new opportunities for yourself that may surprise you. Finally, regularly practicing a bit of compassion for yourself can help to manage stress levels and reach your highest potential. 

​ Hello, my name is Joanne Dorgilus, a region 2 Intern based in Boston, Massachusetts. Currently, I am completing my community rotation at different sites in my community. Before community, I was finishing up my clinical rotation. It was bittersweet to be done with my clinical rotation because it was extremely challenging for me. However, it was rewarding. I struggled a lot; I even wanted to quit multiple times because I felt like I was not getting the material. Even though the assignment is there to help us with the clinical rotation, I realize we need to know how to apply what we learned. What I learned during my clinical rotation is that even though your knowledge of the material is essential, you have to do what is best for the patient. You will counsel many patients from different backgrounds, disease states, and socioeconomic situations. As a dietitian, you will have to use your clinical judgment to be able to help the patient.  With that being said, when interviewing a patient, I got to know them a little bit so that they could be comfortable with me; this allowed them to listen to my recommendation and a willingness to learn more about nutrition.
 
When I started my clinical rotation, I was only able to see 3-4 patients at a time, and it also took me forever to write my notes. As time went on, I was able to see 8-10 patients a day; I say all this to say it might be hard in the beginning, but as time goes on, you start to find your own pace when seeing patients. I enjoyed ICU because I worked closely with the interdisciplinary team, did a lot of TPN, and with ICU, it’s a lot of critical thinking. For example, in ICU, you have to pay attention to everything in the patient records to see the leading cause of the patient being in ICU.
 
Before starting the Internship, I ran my own business called Mother Nutritive. As a doula, I supported women during and before pregnancy while also counseling them in nutrition. I must say completing my clinical nutrition, my knowledge of nutrition has increased. We learn a lot in school but being in the hospital is a different learning curve. I learned many things that I didn’t learn in school during my clinical rotation. However, everything I learned gave me the confidence to counsel my clients in my business and be a well-rounded future RDN.
 
The advice I would leave you with is STUDY STUDY STUDY before each rotation, complete your assignments ahead of time, and do not wait last min. Trust me, I waited last min, and it hurt me in the end. Also, take lots of notes during the rotation, because you could also go back to them when writing your notes. Our advisors are there to help us, so don’t be afraid to meet with them when you are overwhelmed, I schedule meetings with my advisor frequently, which was beneficial.   Lastly, always ask questions; our preceptors are there to help us be good RDNs. Finally, remember to rest, do not overwork yourself, and stay confident throughout the internship; it might get hard, but you GOT THIS!

Hello everyone! I’m Gemady Langfelder. I’m an intern in region 12. I completed my clinical rotation in Honolulu, HI. In my post, I’ll talk about how my experience taught me why cultural humility is essential in delivering individualized nutrition care to patients.
 
When most people hear Hawaii, they probably think of sandy beaches, aloha shirts and pineapple. They’re not wrong – those things are common in the Hawaiian Islands. But Hawaii is special in many other ways! Elements of the local food culture hail from an array of cultural cuisines thanks to the influence of immigrants that came to the islands decades ago.
 
In my clinical rotation, I learned that our unique patient population can pose challenges in the delivery of nutrition education for several reasons. One obvious reason is the language barrier. Even though our facility has a medical interpreter available, nutrition education materials in a foreign language were not readily available. Additionally, most US guidelines such asMyPlate often did not reflect the food cultures of our patient population. Hawaii has the largest Asian population in the US. In many Asian cultures, several plates and bowls may be used during meals. Although key components of MyPlate such as having a serving of vegetables at meals can be present in these cuisines, it can be confusing to patients. In my experience, patients were often appreciative and receptive when I explained MyPlate recommendations using foods they are familiar with.
 
Other nutrition guidelines often exclude cultural foods of the Pacific. In Hawaii and other Pacific Islands like Samoa, staple carbohydrates include taro, poi (fermented taro paste) and breadfruit. I had several instances where patients asked me about these food items, but they were not in the handout that I had printed for them. Therefore, it became important that I knew the nutrition of these foods when providing nutrition education.
 
Throughout my clinical rotation, I realized that practicing cultural humility also involves utilizing and providing nutrition education materials in the patient’s preferred language. The education materials ideally should reflect the foods and dietary practices of that culture. During my clinical management rotation, I spearheaded the creation of a database of nutrition education materials in multiple languages.
 
I learned how to review patient charts, use an EHR software, calculated EN and PN formulas among others. However, one of the most valuable experiences I had was being able to deliver individualized care to my patients by making recommendations relatable and realistic.
 
Interested in learning about a food culture you’re unfamiliar with?
EthnoMed is a website that provides information on culture, food, dietary practices, and health beliefs.
 
Here are websites where you can find nutrition education materials in multiple languages:
USDA National Agricultural Library, Non-English Language Materials
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Food and Nutrition Handouts in Multiple Languages
Health Translations
Health Information Translations

Hello fellow interns, my name is Marisa Sloterdijk, and I am a region 10 intern in Houston, Texas. My internship experience has been nothing short of amazing and has really confirmed my passion for the field of dietetics. I am currently in my last 2 weeks of the internship and so excited to start my career as a Registered Dietitian.
 
Although I have completed many memorable experiences during my internship, my favorite and most challenging rotation yet has been my NICU/Leadership concentration. During my NICU rotations, I had the most incredible opportunity to be an intern for one of the largest NICUs in the Houston, Texas Medical Center with 2 amazing Advanced Neonatal Registered Dietitians as my preceptors. During my time in my NICU concentration, I learned the ins and outs of being a RD in the NICU. From daily rounding with the neonatologists to calculating and ordering TPN after TPN, I left this rotation feeling more prepared to become a NICU dietitian. My preceptors provided me with all the necessary resources to successfully navigate the NICU. I was challenged daily to use my critical thinking skills to determine the best nutrition plan for premature patients in the NICU.
 
My goal after completing the internship was to become an entry level NICU dietitian, and to my surprise I was offered a position as the NICU and rehabilitation dietitian at the hospital I completed my clinical and food service rotations at. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have a job lined up once I complete the internship, doing exactly what I wanted to do as an entry level RD. Sodexo’s internship has exceeded my expectations in preparing me to be the best RD I can be, and I hope every future intern has the same experience!

Hi! My name is Krystiana and I am a region 3 intern based out of Long Island, New York. I am currently in my LTC rotation and have so far completed my clinical, clinical nutrition management, and FSM rotations. I have learned a lot throughout my internship experience thus far. My favorite rotation has been clinical, as I feel I have learned the most and have improved my skills. When I first started my clinical rotation, I felt intimidated and like I knew nothing, but the dietitians precepting me told me not to worry because everyone feels like that in the beginning. They were right; by the end of the rotation I was confident in myself and my assessments. My clinical skills improved as I gained knowledge each day and saw new patients with varying disease states and needs. Clinical practice was always interesting and challenging, as you never know what the next day will bring, which I enjoyed because it kept me guessing and not knowing what to expect.
 
By the end of the rotation, I was more comfortable providing patient education, calculating tube feedings, and speaking up during interdisciplinary team rounds. I enjoy knowing that I am bettering a person's life and health status through diet intervention.
 
Some tips I would recommend are:

1. Stay on top of your assignments, as it helps you learn and is good practice.
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions and stop your preceptor if you are unsure of something. Our preceptors know we are learning and are there to help.
3. Be open to new things. You never know what might interest you.
4. Take on challenging patients for learning benefits and to improve your skills.
5. Enjoy the internship and give it your all because what you put in is what you will get out of. 

​Hello! My name is Sydney Campman, a Sodexo dietetic intern from region 10 in Dallas, Texas. At the beginning of my internship, I really didn’t know what to expect and, of course, that causes some anxiety. Fortunately, my first rotation was in food service at the hospital so I spent the majority of my time being able to question, observe, and learn from the professionals in the kitchen and cafeteria. I met so many incredible people, and I am so thankful that Sodexo allowed me to complete my patient services, clinical rotations, staff relief, and clinical nutrition management at the same site. I spent approximately 6 months at my clinical site, and it was truly the greatest dietetic internship experience, mainly due to the support and on-the-job training I received from my amazing and talented preceptors. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t always easy, but I grew more than I thought I could due to their guidance and encouragement. 
 
Following that experience, I had heard that “clinicals” is the one rotation that scares interns the most, so  I was nervous. However, by the end of my intermediate clinical rotation, I ended up loving it more than I ever imagined. During my basic clinical rotation, I started out seeing two patients on my first day, then moved up to ten patients by the end of advanced clinical. Typically, I would plan to see five ICU patients in the morning, then the rest of my patients after lunch. As I soon learned, it’s good to plan, but the ICU floor is a busy one, so best laid plans didn’t always work out. I learned that flexibility is the name of the game in a hospital. In the beginning, counseling ten patients seemed impossible. However, I eventually got the swing of things, and then it became part of a natural routine. I really started to look forward to working with the patients and helping them understand their nutritional plans. 
 
For the last four weeks, I have gotten the opportunity to intern with sports dietitians to complete my leadership concentration. Obviously, there are numerous systems and diverse needs that are ever-changing with nutrition in the athletic world. I was amazed to observe that the sports dietitians work night and day to provide the athletes with the appropriate plans and counseling required, which seemed totally exhausting. Nonetheless, I learned that it is an extremely rewarding career as you build relationships and watch the growth of each of the athletes. It was inspiring to see the athletes that appreciated and listened to/followed the sports RD’s recommendations. As a result of my experience at this rotation, I was able to create multiple educational handouts that were beneficial to the athletes, witness DXA scans, be a part of interdepartmental meetings, made more smoothies than I can count, and listen in on consultations with numerous athletes in different sports.
 
Sodexo has provided me with the greatest practical learning experience in my educational career. I have one piece of advice for any intern and that is to take everything in, take it one step and one day at a time, and let yourself enjoy this experience. It seems overwhelming in the beginning but, by the end of your internship, you will wonder why you were ever sweating it! You’ll be amazed at how much you have learned. Best of luck!

Hi everyone! My name is Megan Hendricks and I am a region 6 dietetic intern based out of North Carolina. As my internship journey comes to a close, and I am reflecting on the past 9 months, I have grown so much personally and professionally. Prior to starting as a dietetic intern, I was a food service manager with zero clinical experience. I was also 4 years removed from my undergraduate nutrition courses, so as you can imagine, my MNT was a little rusty.
 
Sodexo does an amazing job providing tools and materials prior to the clinical rotation. However, I was still nervous and not fully confident in my knowledge and skills. Luckily, I was placed at a site with the most supportive preceptor and team of dietitians who understood my background and level of clinical experience. Throughout the 3 months of my clinical rotation, I asked questions, shadowed dietitians for all units, and spoke up when I did not know something.  By the time I got to the staff relief rotation of clinicals I was seeing 8-10 patients a day and they even gave me the ICU as one of my staff relief floors! If you would have asked me before starting the internship what I would want to do with an RD credential, I would’ve said I was going back into food service, but here I am applying to clinical dietitian jobs!
 
Aside from my clinical rotation, I enjoyed my management concentration which is new to Sodexo’s extensive concentration opportunities. During this rotation, I was able to gain valuable experiences shadowing the clinical nutrition manager. I was given the opportunity to observe an interdisciplinary call regarding policy and procedure changes that advocated for the dietitians. I also assisted and prepared the food and nutrition department for the annual healthcare accreditation visit. This rotation helped build upon my managerial skills in the clinical setting and exposed me to important roles a CNM has. 
 
My best advice to you is to be a sponge, absorb what each dietitian is teaching you, and take every opportunity that comes your way. Keep an open mind the whole time because you may end up enjoying a rotation you never thought you would! Some days are going to feel exhausting and mentally draining, but other days you are going to say “I got this!” Remember, you are learning! The dietitians you are shadowing may have been in the profession for years. No question is a bad question. While it felt overwhelming at times during the internship, the Sodexo Dietetic Internship directors were always supportive and available! 
​

​Hello everyone! My name is Gianina Padula, and I am a region 1 intern based in Boston, MA. I am currently in my community rotation, where I am completing hours between two organizations: Fresh Truck and Daily Table. I additionally devote time each week to prepping hot meals and distributing them to populations experiencing homelessness, as well as doing community fridge drops. I am in the process of earning my master’s in dietetics through the URI program that Sodexo offers. My internship has been flying by so far, and I have continuously felt supported by the entire Sodexo community.  
 
My first two rotations were food service management and my wellness concentration. My favorite parts were interacting with the students and organizing events that get them thinking about nutrition’s role in areas they may not have associated it with before, such as mental health, body image, and more.
 
Some specific events that I organized during these two rotations were the following:
I hosted a live cooking demo featuring a dish that highlighted nutrients to help mental health. The dish incorporated zinc, folate, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. It was also plant-based and free of top allergens so that it was safe for as many students as possible.

I assembled an interactive bulletin board display for November with the theme of Intuitive Eating. Students were asked to write down how they will practice Intuitive Eating that month. The board also included the principles of Intuitive Eating, suggestions on how to revamp their Instagram feed to gear it more toward a healthy mindset around eating, and holiday recipe ideas including education about the nutritional benefits of featured ingredients.

In November, I created a “Sticker for a Sticker” tabling event focusing on Body Positivity where students received a sticker in exchange for writing something they love about themselves on a sticky note. I was blown away by how excited students got over this activity, and it warmed my heart seeing them reflect on what they love about themselves amidst the heavy pushing of diet culture and Westernized beauty standards in today’s society.
 
Lastly, I organized a Paint and Sip event where mocktails were served and students learned about the benefits of limiting their alcohol consumption. This was quite a popular event, with over 100 students signed up. The mocktails chosen were a mojito and a rosé, and they were a huge hit! This event felt the most impactful to me, because I know how prevalent binge drinking can be on college campuses. It was so awesome to see the students get excited about mocktails and be open to learning about the benefits of limiting alcohol.
 
If I could offer advice to future interns, it would be to always remember that you have a support system. The internship can feel overwhelming and extremely tiring at times; but as long as you are working a little toward your larger goals each day, it will go by smoothly. 

​Hi there! My name is Nichole, and I am a Sodexo dietetic intern based in New Jersey. As I am nearing the end of my dietetic internship, I cannot believe it went by so fast! I have experienced so many new and fascinating events these past few months, and I am forever grateful for all that I’ve learned. I began this internship with my clinical rotation where I was exposed to various medical situations that I have only read about in textbooks before. While I was very intimidated and overwhelmed by the hospital setting at first, I quickly adapted and felt like a true professional by the time I was completing my staff relief rotation. After clinical, I moved onto food service management with my local school district. Here, I was able to present nutrition education lessons to students, design a new lunch menu item that the students loved, and inform parents all about the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs during National Nutrition Month. From here, I began my community and wellness concentration rotations. I had the opportunity to intern with private practice RDs and learn all about starting a business, managing clients, creating social media content, and engaging with other professionals as well as promoting a service/business. I was also able to attend group RD counseling sessions, volunteer at my local food banks/food pantries, and work with the community at my local WIC center. I love the diversity of experiences I was able to be a part of during my various rotations – it allowed me to recognize which areas of dietetics suit me best!
    
One of my favorite experiences from the dietetic internship was having the chance to intern with a regenerative organic farm. I was able to work hands-on with the farmers, prepare foods in the café where nearly everything is organic, farm-fresh, and locally grown – and, I even got to present on regenerative organic farming at this site with a fellow intern. This was a very eye-opening experience for me, as I had never really been educated on regenerative organic farming before; now, I have been influenced to advocate for these practices to not only maintain the integrity of this earth, but to heal it as well. These farming practices are important in the world of nutrition because they maintain soil health. The healthier our soil, the more nutrient dense our foods will be!
 
My advice to new interns is this: Do not be afraid to research and reach out for unique experiences during the dietetic internship. These experiences could end up being some of the most memorable and enriching moments of your life!