​Hello! My name is Mallie Stewart, and I am a Sodexo dietetic intern for region 6 in Lexington, Kentucky (which so happens to be my hometown). I am currently two months away from completing my internship, which is so crazy to think about. But I could not be more excited to enter the ‘real world’ and start applying for jobs. It has been a wonderful journey completing my clinical and food service rotations at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital here in Lexington. I completed my clinical rotations in early June, and it was a wonderful experience. When I first began my clinical rotations, it was a rather easy transition because I had previously shadowed the dietitians at Cardinal Hill many times before. I jumped right into my clinicals with ease and learned so much from all the dietitians at Cardinal Hill. I have developed close relationships with all my preceptors and the entire dietary department.. I consider them family and Cardinal Hill has become my home away from home!

​My favorite part about completing my clinicals at a rehabilitation hospital is having had the opportunity to be a part of many patients’ road to recovery. The best part is at the end of their stay at Cardinal Hill, the entire clinical staff will line the halls and cheer and clap for the patient and congratulate them on their recovery. This experience often solidifies why I chose this profession, and why I want to continue make an impact on people’s lives within my community.
 
I have also been fortunate enough to complete my internship alongside a former classmate and fellow Sodexo dietetic intern, Olivia. A fun memory that has happened during the internship, is that we were able to walk-in graduation this past May. We both graduated from the University of Kentucky in December 2020 and were unfortunately unable to have a proper graduation due to COVID-19. It was a joyful memory, and I am so glad we were finally able to attend our graduation ceremony in-person.

Hi everyone! My name is Sandy Habib, and I am from region 4. I am in process of finishing my food service rotation at Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City. I have enjoyed my experience at the medical center where I have completed my clinical, CNM and foodservice rotation. I have learned so much from all my amazing preceptors! It is weird to know that I am more than halfway through my internship! It just feels like I have just started!

As reflect on my DI, I have started with my clinical rotation, CNM, then my foodservice rotation. I was nervous going to my first day in the clinical rotation without previous experience and how I will take the responsibility of diagnosing a patient, and many other thoughts! However, wearing the white coat and scrub on my first day of the rotation created a totally different character of me who can take a lead of their patients and change their world! Also, having the support of my amazing preceptors and Sodexo internship director helped me to feel more comfortable and to become a professional future dietitian. I have built a new me during the clinical rotation with new skills, experiences and being professional!

Hello everyone, my name is Ella Gilboa, and I am a region 3, NYC-based intern. I am currently doing my clinical rotations at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, a 627-bed public hospital with a level 1 trauma center. I feel immense gratitude for the amazing and supportive team of registered dietitians at King’s County Hospital. The dietitians at Kings County are diligent in providing me with the skills and knowledge required to become a successful dietitian in an acute inpatient setting.

I value the opportunity to interact and treat a diverse group of patients with complex conditions and multiple co-morbidities such as diabetes, renal disease, cancer, heart failure, psychiatric illnesses, as well as ICU patients with a variety of life-threatening conditions (e.g., post surgeries, motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds).

​During my rotations, I am learning the significant differences between “textbook” knowledge of dietary guidelines and real-life clinical judgment and how to focus my skills on targeting a nutrition problem and its possible interventions. I have become extremely fascinated by our role in diagnosing and treating malnutrition. I perform a nutrition-focused physical exam on most patients I see. In addition, I have become aware of how challenging it is to build rapport with patients in an acute setting. Working with a team of eight different preceptors allows me to experience different ways of engaging and connecting with patients.

My training in a hospital setting has ignited some thoughts about the complexity of the health care system; for example, how much time is allocated between patient care and medical note-taking, how medical charts can be highly biased towards weight status, gender, and social-emotional aspects of a patient, and how dietitians are perceived by the health care team (e.g., doctors, nurses). 
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I look forward to continuing my rotations at Kings County Hospital, where I will also be doing my pediatric concentration in the NICU and PICU, and my community rotations at the hospitals’ outpatient clinics.

My name is Paula Lucero Medina Ochoa and I am in region 12. I finished my B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics in Zamora Michoacán, Mexico in 2011. In 2013, I became a Licensed Nutritionist in Mexico and I decided to move to Los Angeles, California because I wanted to expand my knowledge related to food and culture. My journey to become a dietetic intern and future RD has been long. I validated my education in the USA and I started to work and study at the same time.

I really wanted to work at the hospital, so I started to work as housekeeper. I was in charge of keeping the patient's rooms clean of the PCU (Progressive Care Unit) area in 2015. I wanted to work at the diet office, so I continued working and three months later I was transferred to food and nutrition services. I worked as a food service worker, nutrition assistant and now as a diet technician.

Why did I share all my past with you? Because it was amazing for me to start my first day as intern in the clinical rotation in PCU! The same floor, in the same hospital where I started as a housekeeper in 2015, but now in 2020 I was there as a dietetic intern. Challenges like language, shock culture, frustration, and homesickness were part of this adventure, but now I can say that it was worth it.

As an intern during COVID-19, I had the opportunity to give nutrition education to patients who only speak Spanish. I have been in their position, unable to communicate your feelings, your needs, and your pain to find the cure to your illness. Now in my dietetic intern notes, I can share with the multidisciplinary team information that it is important in order to bring better health care to the patients.
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I feel grateful to all the people who helped me in the process to become a dietetic intern in order to become a Registered Dietitian in the United States. THANK YOU SODEXO!

​Hey everyone! My name is Candace Samuels. I’m a region 3 intern living in Queens, NY. I started my internship in late September 2020 with my food service rotation at Société Générale. I had plenty of food service experience from a past employment and was happy to come in with a good understanding of how a food service operation works. Unfortunately, the COVID 19 pandemic brought forth limitations, but the experience was still memorable, nonetheless.  The staff at Société Générale were absolutely wonderful and supportive every step of the way. Additionally, it was also exciting to be paired with another intern, Lauren W. Together we were able to think outside the box for our Retail Marketing and Wellness project, to also express our gratitude to the staff. Thankfully, I was also able to complete my culinary concentration there as well.
 
I moved on and completed my community rotation. Again, the pandemic presented setbacks, but I was able to complete my assignments virtually with the help of family and friends, as well dedicate time at a Queens-based Food Bank, the River Fund New York. Currently, I am in my clinical rotation at St. Barnabas Hospital located in the Bronx. Truthfully, I was intimated to start, but my preceptors have been SO helpful and encouraging throughout the journey. Now, I can work independently on my own. I’m comfortable with maneuvering through EMR, speaking with the interdisciplinary team, and providing diet education to patients. The clinical setting is fast paced. Between the nutrition consults and follow-ups, it’s extremely important to be able to recognize what information is relevant and what is not. Nevertheless, that’s a skill that takes practice as you gain more real-life experiences. Every day I am learning something new, which continues to make me feel confident that I will become a great dietitian in the future.  
 
These rotations are flying by super-fast! I’m already mid-way through my clinical rotation. My advice to future interns is as they tell you during orientation: be open minded, stay organized, and especially do a little every day. It will be a lot work. It will be challenging. It will be overwhelming, but remain positive and stay focused. Also, remember you are NOT alone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and for help from your peers, your mentor, your preceptors, and directors. My directors are fantastic! All in all, don’t be hesitant in utilizing the resources and support that is provided for you. 

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!