Hola! My name is Mayra Estevez and I am a region 12 dietetic intern in Riverside California. I have recently completed my clinical rotation and I’m in my last week of my food service management rotation at Riverside Community Hospital.
Amidst this pandemic, I have been able to witness the ever-changing standards to keep this facility running smoothly. The group of managers that I have been shadowing have taught me that for every problem there are many solutions; however, only through trial and error we learn to develop the most effective systems approach. Being an employee of my interning facility has helped me appreciate my coworkers and their dedication that much more. As an employee, I have learned to complete my tasks precisely and in a timely manner. As an intern, I have been able to observe how all parts of the kitchen interrelate one way or another. It almost reminds me of a clock, all parts must be in sync to function; although each nut and washer has its own task, all are connected and dependent of all parts.    

During my food service rotation, my preceptor asked if I would like to be part of the new diet manual rollout project. I was more than ecstatic! I reviewed the nutrient analysis report for fourteen diets. My clinical nutrition manager created new menus for each diet, phasing out some items and including some new ones. My objective was to create an excel spread sheet cross referencing the new and old diets. I compared the recipe number, item name, and portion size for each.  The chef then used this list to aid in ordering and identifying the new recipes to train staff on how to prepare foods for tray line.  It took two weeks to complete, however it felt very rewarding to be part of this important project.
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Next week I will begin my community rotation with WIC. It is bittersweet because I feel like I have gotten so familiar with Riverside Community Hospital. It has been an eye-opening experience to observe all the components it takes to keep a hospital food service facility up and running. I have assured my managers I see them all in a different light.  My preceptors have been more than welcoming and supportive in this learning journey.

Hello everyone!  My name is Midori Young.  I am from region 12 and reside in Honolulu, HI.  It has been a wonderful journey in the Sodexo Dietetic Internship.  I started the dietetic internship in the clinical rotation at Straub Medical Center.  I enjoyed nutrition educations the most in my clinical rotation.  I was able to enhance skills in nutrition education for various chronic disease states, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease and also burn patients. During my time at Straub Medical Center, I completed the Retail Marketing and Wellness Project with emphasis on alternative plant-based protein sources.  As a dietetic intern, I've found it important to emphasize variety in a healthy diet.  I was able to use Sodexo's Mindful Recipes to create a Cuban Black Bean dish.  Due to the pandemic, I learned to be creative and enhance my food service management skills in order to market and generate sales.  At the time, the hospital cafeteria only allowed employees from the hospital.  This created a barrier to generating sales.  Through virtual advertising via email and a fun incentive, I was able to generate sales.  I set up a game where customers could guess how many beans were in the jar to win a prize.  The game drew customers and generated sales and I was able to disseminate information on the nutritional value of beans as an alternative protein source in a healthy diet.

Hi everyone.  My name is Lauren and I’m an intern in region 3.  The internship experience so far has definitely been an interesting one.  I’m learning a lot, not only about what it’s like to be a dietitian working in different fields, but also about myself as a person. 
I was a ball of both nerves and excitement going into the start of the internship this past September, as I had heard from friends who had interned in multiple different programs how intense it would be.  Thankfully, even though Sodexo is a distance program, my advisor and the other region 3 interns have always been reachable when needed and have been a good source of support. 

My first rotation was food service at Societe Generale, one of the Sodexo corporate accounts.  The site is located in a high rise building in Manhattan.  Under normal circumstances, this site has kitchens on multiple floors with adjacent cafes containing stations for hot food, salads, smoothies, etc. However, because of Covid-19, the site was functioning at a fraction of the capacity.  They had moved to one floor with a “direct to desk” system for food delivery.  Although this made it difficult in some respects to complete certain assignments, it also presented a unique opportunity.  I, along with another intern also assigned to the site, was able to have more one-on-one time with the staff.  They were able to sit down with us and we were able to get information from, as well as develop relationships with, them that we might not have been able to otherwise.  Because of the Covid restrictions, we could not do our retail marketing assignment as planned. However, we were able to adapt it into “selling a meal” to the staff by using the relationship we built with them.  We used the personal knowledge we had gained to build a healthy lunch that was culturally relevant and appealing. 

Since completing my food service rotation, I have had to do my community, concentration (wellness), and LTC rotations from home.  During my community and wellness rotations, I worked with two different RDs on many social media projects like blogs, Instagram posts, email blasts, media quotes for e-magazines like “Eat This Not That,” “Women’s Health,” and “Food Network.” During this time, I learned how important it is to have a social media presence as a dietitian, particularly if you plan on going into private practice. 
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Throughout this process, I’ve learned so much about myself as well.  The internship has taught me that I am brave, adaptable, smart, and someone who needs structure and won't back down from a challenge.  To incoming interns, if I could give you any advice, it would be to just roll with the punches.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially now.  Know that you made it this far, so you are smart and capable.  Be flexible and try to make the most of this experience.  It will be over before you know it!

​Hello, my name is Nolan Ackerman and I am a Sodexo dietetic intern in region 11. Currently I am in my basic clinical rotation in Brighton, CO. So far I have completed my food service management rotation as well as most of my management concentration. This concentration is just now being offered and I am lucky enough to be one of the first people to be a part of it.
 
For the management concentration, I stayed with my preceptor for food service management and was able to observe and absorb a lot of different management skills and styles. During this rotation I was lucky enough to observe some interesting and unique management experiences. First was a Joint Commission survey where several people came in and inspected the entire hospital, kitchen included, with a fine-tooth comb. It’s something that every hospital must go through every 3 years, so the experience was incredibly valuable for an intern. Secondly, I got to help implement extreme weather protocol in a snowstorm that was supposed to bring Denver 3 feet of snow. We worked with other departments in the hospital to secure food and water stores for employees and patients and find rooms in the hospital for employees who wished to stay to work through the weekend. It was a very interesting experience and one that will be useful in any hospital management position.
 
Right now, I’m in my first round of clinical rotations. All my preceptors have been incredible in their encouragement and support. There have been a lot of very interesting patients as well as some very challenging ones. Recently I learned quite a bit from a patient about their autologous islet cell transplantation, something that I had no idea about until recently. Essentially their pancreas was removed and the islet cells were implanted into their liver to help produce pancreatic enzymes in its absence. The patient was very excited to talk about their procedure with us, which led to a great learning experience.
 
Overall, the internship so far has been a fantastic experience for multitudes of reasons, only made better by the guidance of my directors and the support of my preceptors. I look forward to my last few rotations and the bright horizon afterward.

​Hello dietetic interns!  My name is Samantha Snyder Walters.  I’m an intern based out of Baltimore, Maryland in region 5.  I began my internship with my food service management and patient services rotation at a 340 bed hospital near Baltimore.  Food service management pleasantly surprised me, especially the retail portion.  The Food and Nutrition Services staff and management were all so welcoming and supportive during my rotations.  I began my clinical rotation in November with a brief hiatus in December at which time I was able to complete my long-term care rotation.  As I move out of clinical and into my concentration, I am looking forward to continuing to form strong connections and developing even more new skills.
 
Dietetics is a second career for me.  As a more mature intern with many years of experience in the healthcare field, I assumed clinical nutrition would be something I grasped quickly; I was mistaken.  As I progressed through clinical, I extended both my intermediate and advanced rotations.  My preceptors and I felt that I needed additional time and practice with more advanced patients and their various disease states.  I am sharing this experience with you because it is very common for interns to need more time in their clinical rotations.  Needing more time throughout your clinical rotations should not be feared but embraced as an opportunity to perfect your clinical skills.  Just remember, you have the support of your director, fellow interns, mentor, and preceptors. Everything will work out.  With that said, I have some tips for you to take with you into your internship.
 
Be Flexible.  These days, most of us do not have the choice to be inflexible and have learned to adapt to new ways of learning, socializing, and working.  As my basic clinical rotation ended, my hospital site was hit with a ransomware attack.  I had to take a sabbatical for over a month while we waited for everything to be restored.  I was able to quickly take action and complete my long-term care rotation during that time along with working ahead on my assignments.  
 
Be Organized.  This should not come as a surprise to you as you exit your undergraduate program, but be sure to stay focused and organized.  Keep track of your due dates for your assignments, your class days, and any other important dates.  Work ahead as much as you can and utilize all the resources provided by Sodexo.
 
Be Confident.  My director told me during our first meeting that she picked me for a reason.  Sodexo selects each intern for their own strengths and skills.  There may be moments where your confidence waivers. Just remind yourself every day, “I was matched to this internship for a reason.” 
 
Although my time has been challenging at times, I’ve learned invaluable skills and knowledge from each rotation that I will take with me into my future career as a registered dietitian.  Be sure to look for opportunities in unconventional places, and say yes to everything!

​Hello! My name is Reem Bou-Nacklie and I graduated from the University of Vermont and am now interning with Sodexo in Massachusetts! I have learned so much from the first-hand experiences this internship has offered me. One of the things that has surprised me the most is how much I truly enjoyed my foodservice management rotation, which I completed at Curry College, in Milton, MA. My preceptor taught me so much not only about the role of a foodservice manager but also as a chef (which came in handy for my culinary concentration as well). I was able to have freedom and autonomy in the projects I chose and the foods I cooked for my rotations. Soon after my rotation ended, my preceptor hired me back for a paid parttime position at the college, working as a “Culinary Supervisor,” while also completing my internship. I was able to form connections with the students and gather their feedback and reviews on their dining experiences and improve upon them as well.
 
My clinical rotation has proven to be fascinating as well! Before this rotation, I was very intimidated of hospitals and of the clinical field of dietetics. MNT was not my most favorite class and I somewhat struggled with the material. If you find yourself in this position, all hope is not lost! This week, I am completing my staff relief rotation at UMASS Health Alliance in Leominster, MA, and I am so proud of the progress I have made during this rotation. My preceptors patiently worked with me and made sure I was confident in the material. In the beginning, they would accompany me to patient’s rooms and help me figure out accurate calculations for basic patients, and then, as I advanced through my rotations and eventually made it to the CCU, I was all on my own. It was nerve-racking at first. However, with patience and practice, my clinical rotation proved to be exciting and fun! Though COVID limited some of my learning experiences, it also was fascinating to assess and learn more about from a clinical nutrition point of view. I am so thankful for the education all of my preceptors have provided me with so far. Every day provides new moments for learning and investigating and I could not be happier with my decision to intern with Sodexo. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Hello! My name is Sonal Patel and I am a dietetic intern in region 7 in Tallahassee, Florida at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH). I am also in the  master’s program at University of Rhode Island. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my start date was pushed back from September to December. Originally, I was so disappointed I didn’t get to start with the rest of my cohort. My Sodexo director advised me to take advantage of the time I have and work on the clinical packets.  I took her advice and finished all of the packets before starting rotations and know this will prepare me for my clinical rotations later. She also told me not to worry about not starting on time because she knew I would have a great experience at my site, and she has been right!

I started my internship with my management rotations clinical nutrition management, patient services, and foodservice management. My CNM on site has been amazing. She knew I was not from the area and she made me feel at home. I have been lucky that she has shared her knowledge and experiences with me. I have also completed half of my community rotation. I was fortunate enough not to have to find my own community sites. One of the unique aspects of my internship is that I will complete all of my supervised hours at one site.
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I have gotten to be a part of projects from start to finish which would not have happened if I was only there for a few weeks. One experience I enjoyed was during the holiday season. The TMH  Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, which is a Feeding America partner, and Sodexo teamed up to host a food insecurity drive for colleagues. I was able to participate in all aspects of the event from the planning and execution of the four distribution days we had. I was able to be a part of a team that adapted to circumstances and changed events for the next time.  This entire process was done over 6 weeks. I would not have been able to do that if I wasn’t at one site.
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One of the most important things I have learned so far is to be adaptable. The internship, like life, isn’t always going to follow a straight path but the more flexible you are, the more you will learn from your experiences. I am lucky enough to have preceptors who have shared their knowledge, experience, and passion for dietetics. I feel lucky to have such a positive internship experience thus far and am excited to see what the future holds! 

​My name is Victoria Martin, and I am a region 11 intern in the Denver Metro area.  I have had the privilege of doing many of my community and wellness concentration hours with Sodexo’s Nutrition and Wellness Center.  This is a unique organization that provides outpatient nutrition education and counseling to people in different settings, such as behavioral health centers and doctor’s offices, with a variety of needs such as cancer, depression, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and liver transplants.  
 
At first, I was nervous to sit down with patients and put into practice my knowledge and education.  However, the more patients that I was able to see, the more my confidence grew.  I was able to practice my motivational interviewing skills and I gained experience in the nutrition care process for a variety of patients.  In addition, I did many group presentations in the behavioral health centers, where I developed appropriate content, activities, and handouts to support those presentations.  I have loved having interactive group experiences which spark conversations with my participants.   It is such a good feeling when people are receptive and genuinely interested in the topics you are presenting, and they want more information following the presentation.  My favorite project so far has been my Cooking for Wellness demonstration.  I recorded a demo on how to cook a butternut squash and couscous bowl geared toward viewers with beginner cooking skills, while sprinkling in nutrition education.  I enjoyed the collaborative experience of this project and learning about the editing and formatting process involved in producing a video for this type of presentation.  It has helped me to become more comfortable with giving cooking demonstrations and I hope to do more of them in the future.

​Hello everyone! 
 
My name is Jaidyn Zapf and I’m an intern from region 11.  I’m currently completing my pediatric concentration, which is my final rotation in the internship.  I have learned so much throughout the internship and I’m so excited to continue gaining knowledge.  Although I’m typically in Denver, Colorado, I was given the opportunity to complete my pediatric rotation at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
I have been able to work in many different areas in the hospital including general pediatrics, cardiology, hematology, oncology, NICU, PICU, and outpatient services.  I didn’t realize how different this rotation would be; I was expecting to be able to use much of my knowledge from my previous clinical experiences, but kids are definitely a new challenge!  One major difference is the rate of growth.  As adults, we tend to grow very slowly, if at all.  Kids, however, can change significantly overnight.  In some ways this makes it easier, as you can tell quickly if their feeding recommendations are allowing adequate growth or if they may need to be modified.  Growth charts and statistics about growth are major pieces of the nutrition assessment in this population.  In addition, it is vital to have good communication skills as there is quite a bit of communication with other disciplines and with patients and their parents.  I’ve enjoyed this aspect as you really get to know the patients and families.
 
My advice to future interns is to ask your preceptors lots of questions.  Even if it seems like a simple or silly question, they can give you great advice or information about the topic.  I have been able to gain so much knowledge from the people I’ve worked with by asking questions.

Hi everyone! My name is Katelyn Tarr and I am currently a region 12 intern in Los Angeles, California. I finished both my food service management and clinical rotations at Adventist Health, Simi Valley. I am also working on my master’s degree with the University of Rhode Island.

It’s surreal to know that I’m already halfway through my internship! It feels like yesterday I was participating in online orientation, nervous to go to my first site. I started in food service management, and my preceptors immediately made me feel comfortable. After surviving day one, I knew I was going to have a great experience. Each day I got to do something new, and I was able to work with a lot of different people who all helped me grow as a future RD.

After a month in the kitchen and cafeteria, I started my clinical rotation. I was really unsure about clinical at first, because it felt totally new to me and out of my comfort zone. My preceptors were amazing and let me find the learning style that worked best for me. Each day I was able to build off the things I had learned the day before, until I was working just like a full-time RD seeing 8-10 patients a day! When I first started, I was nervous to talk to anyone. By the end of my advanced clinical, I was confidently talking to doctors and nurses about tube feedings and providing diabetes diet educations. It was really rewarding to see just how much I was able to learn and grow in just a few months. 

I never anticipated working in a hospital during some of the worst days of the pandemic, but it just made me love clinical more. Getting to be a part of the ICU/COVID unit team was really rewarding, and it helped me gain confidence in my abilities to handle any situation as an RD.
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I knew Sodexo was the perfect internship for me because it allows the freedom to create your own community and concentration experiences without the pressure of finding a clinical site. Especially during this time, with so many unknowns, having supportive and experienced directors has given me the confidence to adapt to new circumstances and get the best learning experience from this year.