Hi, my name is Renee Walker and I am an intern from region 11. As I approach the end of my dietetic internship and look back on my journey these past several months, I am so thankful for all the amazing experiences I’ve had. One of the best things about the Sodexo internship has been the wide variety of opportunities I have had and all the great people I have met and worked with along the way. I started my internship in food service management and helped provide meals for over 1,200 pre-K through 12th grade students each day at Colorado Academy. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to teach nutrition education for all the 1st and 3rd grade classes during my time there.
           
My community nutrition rotations became some of my most valuable and memorable experiences. I provided nutrition counseling to adults and children with eating disorders and mental illness, provided outpatient diabetes education, and helped with nutrition counseling for oncology patients at two outpatient clinics. My most rewarding experience was helping with nutrition assessment and counseling for kidney and liver transplant candidates and recipients.
 
I’m currently approaching the end of my clinical rotation and critical care concentration. I’ve been very fortunate to be at St. Anthony Hospital, one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in Colorado and where the Flight-for-Life program began. With over 70 ICU beds and a high acuity patient population, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in ICU rounds daily and have learned more than I could have imagined in a very short amount of time. My preceptors have been so helpful and supportive in my journey. In early March, I was able to provide healthy snacks and nutrition education for staff and visitors for National Nutrition Month.
 
Due to COVID-19, like myself, most students and interns have not been able to participate onsite for rotations the past few months. Thankfully, Sodexo has provided a wealth of alternate learning experiences, opportunities, and projects to help ensure that we don’t miss a beat in our learning and competencies. We’ve all had to make some adjustments and be flexible in this crazy time. Some of us who are parents are also adjusting to our children learning from home, as well as our spouses working from home. There have been some great benefits from learning from home. It has given me the chance to learn about other areas I’m interested in, like pediatric nutrition. I’ve been able to work on projects remotely with other hospitals, like a volume based enteral feeding protocol and tracking program, and customer service training for food service staff. I also can’t complain that I get the chance to learn outside on my patio on beautiful sunny days! The last few months have been a good reminder for all of us that unexpected things can and will happen in life. You may have to adjust your course a bit, but with hard work and determination, you will succeed! Best wishes to all you future RDs out there!

​My name is Brookel White, and I am in dietetic intern residing in San Diego in region 12. I started my internship in October and I am approaching the end of my internship with most of the lengthier rotations behind me!
 
I have a family, so Sodexo seemed like the perfect internship with the option to intern part time if need be. I’m so glad I did. It has been such a great experience throughout with amazing opportunities and plenty of support.
 
I have truly enjoyed every rotation thus far. My favorites have been food service and clinical. Many of my preceptors have become mentors and individuals whom I feel comfortable seeking advice about in my career. In my food service rotation, my preceptor was a professional chef who had worked at many restaurants in San Diego. He showed me the ins and outs of being a food service manager and took extra time to teach me aspects about food service I was interested in.
 
My clinical rotation was my absolute favorite. My husband, son, and I made the move to Yucaipa to move in with family while I completed my rotation at my nearby clinical site, Riverside Community Hospital. During my time at RCH I interned with a small team of dietitians where I got ample time with each of them and their specific patient populations. Some of my favorite experiences were witnessing a PEG placement and a tracheal extubation, going to ICU rounds, seeing a barium swallow test, and teaching a bariatric nutrition class. There were endless opportunities to learn during this rotation. I saw patients with various types of enteral and parenteral tube feeds, calculated and provided my EN and PN recommendations, and practiced many NFPEs. And even though my clinical rotation was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to see most all major nutrition related disease states and by the end I felt comfortable with the basics of practicing clinical nutrition!
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was unable to complete my LTC rotation in person. Though, I recently reached out to the dietitian who was my planned preceptor for help on an assignment. I’m glad I did, because this too was a phenomenal experience. Over several hour-long phone conversations, she detailed what working as a LTC RD consultant or traditional employee was like. She was an absolute wealth of knowledge. I now feel I know what is needed to work in this position and it has made me consider the benefits of becoming a LTC consultant RD.
 
This has been such an exciting and challenging journey. The transition to learning online has had its obstacles with completing webinars and case studies in place of hands on learning. Though, this time has given me a chance explore the areas I am most interested in within each rotation. This has been an unexpected bonus in quarantine.
 
My experience as a whole as a dietetic intern has taught me that no matter the learning medium you can have amazing and worthwhile experiences and that you get out of it what you put in! 

​Hi all! My name is Christine and I am a region 12 intern based out of San Diego, California. I started my internship in February 2020, and I am also on the MS track with the University of Rhode Island. I am beyond grateful to be a part of the Sodexo Dietetic Internship. This past January I had the pleasure of attending orientation in Orlando where I got to know the fellow interns in my cohort as well as the team of internship directors, and I returned home feeling much more prepared to start my internship.  
 
My first rotation was in Long-Term Care at a 208-bed skilled nursing facility, which I absolutely loved. I attended daily stand-up meetings as well as weight and wound team meetings, took part in the RD’s daily rounds visiting residents, and participated in care conferences together with various interdisciplinary team members to provide nutrition-related updates to residents and their family. I conducted nutrition assessments, planned interventions, monitored the effectiveness of interventions, and got a lot of practice charting in the EMR. I also familiarized myself with the Minimum Data Set (MDS) which is a health screening and assessment tool used for all LTC residents and needed in order for the facility to get Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement. This rotation completely exceeded my expectations. My preceptor was phenomenal, she taught me so much and allowed me to experience first-hand how the RD plays a vital leadership role in enhancing the quality of life of residents in long-term care.
 
I then started my community rotation at the San Diego Food Bank. However, this rotation ended early due to COVID-19. At this time, I also received news that other rotations have been postponed as well. Fortunately, Sodexo has provided us interns with ongoing support and an abundance of innovative alternate practice experiences during this extraordinary time so we can continue to move forward in our internships.
 
I have the unique opportunity to tailor a part of my internship to my future goals and the area of dietetics I am deeply passionate about. The leadership concentration has allowed me to design a rotation with a focus on the RD’s role in eating disorder treatment and explore my own leadership potential along the way. With my work over the years as a diet tech in the eating disorder treatment setting, I discovered my true passion to help those with eating disorders heal their relationship with food and their bodies, and I plan to specialize in eating disorders as an RD. I am so thankful to be able to personalize this piece of my internship to align with my career path.
 
One tip for future interns: get comfortable with being uncomfortable. More likely than not you are bound to encounter a lot of situations out of your comfort zone. Instead of avoiding it, embrace it because this is where you can experience tremendous personal and professional growth. Enjoy the process and get everything you can out of it!

Many interns were asked to leave their current rotation sites as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Sodexo internship directors worked hard to set up online learning options for interns to use to ensure everyone continued to progress in the internship. Online modules and case studies have been provided online. Adapting to difficult and changing circumstances is necessary, and Sodexo has stepped up to the plate.
 
We interns have been working together to provide each other with resources to use at home as they discover new ways to learn remotely. We are hopeful to return to their sites soon, but for now we are learning new ways to work remotely. This is an opportunity for us to learn how to use new online resources and showcase our ability to use technology as a means to spread nutrition related knowledge. Many of us are creating online nutrition content for parents and teachers to use with their kids while they school at home. This is a difficult time for many, but Sodexo and their dietetic interns are stepping up to the plate to make the best of an unprecedented situation!

​Hi! My name is Alicia Woll and I am a region 11 Sodexo dietetic intern located in Colorado. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had a fun mix of experiences both virtually and on site. Before the pandemic hit, I was able to complete my food service rotation and a small portion of my clinical hours at Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton, Colorado. My experience at Platte Valley was amazing; I was welcomed with open arms by the entire team. I was encouraged to work as if I was a member of the management team, and all of my preceptors made me feel like a valued, permanent teammate. 

​During my foodservice rotation, I was given the opportunity to work on a few different projects with the team. One of my favorite experiences was being able to work with the oncology dietitian to make high-protein and high-calorie snacks for patients undergoing chemotherapy. We made some tasty oat ball snacks and were able to hand them out to the patients during treatments. It was so much fun getting to offer the patients little tasty treats that not only were good for them but also brightened their days.
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Due to the pandemic, I did have to leave the hospital early just after starting my clinical rotations. Once I started transitioning to working from home, I was so pleased to have the entire Sodexo internship team supporting me. They provided us with great alternatives to complete our rotations and gain the experiences we needed virtually. I have been able to complete most of my community hours and some of my leadership concentration hours at home.

The flexibility of the leadership concentration has been something I have enjoyed greatly. It has allowed me to explore my leadership skills and knowledge while developing a nutrition education program from the ground up. I am fortunate to be a board member of a 501c3 organization called Cap For Kids. We focus on financially supporting families who have a child undergoing treatments for cancer. We also work to give our sponsored kids hope and cheer by visiting them dressed as their favorite superheroes, princesses, and pop culture characters. The leadership concentration has empowered me to develop unique ways to aid our sponsored families and spread nutrition knowledge to the world. Learning how to effectively teach people about nutrition has been challenging, and I am looking forward to continuing to learn more about becoming a nutrition leader of the future.
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I am eager to start back in the hospital for clinical rotations in mid-May. However, until then, I am grateful for all of the guidance and support the internship directors at Sodexo and my preceptors have provided. Thank you all for being a constant encouraging presence and being so invested in the success of your interns. Your leadership in times of uncertainty is an inspiration to me and something I hope to model in my own leadership style. 

​Region 1 intern, Alicia Bell, signing on!
 
I am originally from Arizona, but moved to Massachusetts to complete my internship. The moment I found out I had been accepted into my internship I was extremely happy and excited to begin this journey I had worked so hard for. However, it meant I was leaving all of my family, friends, and the place I had called home for 23 years of my life. I am a big family person and have always been 10 minutes to 2 hours away from my family and now I was going to be a 6-hour plane ride away. This was scary to me and so crazy to think about!
 
My first couple weeks working at the hospital in Massachusetts were exhilarating but also very different. I was totally out of my element and was finding it hard to adjust. However, the team of dietitians at the hospital were absolutely wonderful in helping me find my place there. I remember a day during my bone marrow transplant week where I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious. I was unsure how I was going to get through the day. I know everyone reading this post can relate to these feelings! However, my preceptor took the time to take me for a walk and just talk it out. We went on a long walk around the hospital, got tea from the cafeteria, and did not stop until I felt better. I was so amazed that she would take the time out of her busy schedule to help me out, and I am so grateful for the advice she gave to me.  
 
While I am currently working from home, I can honestly say I miss the dietitians I was with every day and the support they gave me. However, now I am happy to give them support as they work tirelessly to help treat COVID-19 patients. They are doing a fantastic job! 

Hello all! My name is Ariana White and I am a region 2 intern based in the RI/MA area.  As I approach the last few weeks of my dietetic internship, I have so much to reflect on and so many positive experiences to carry with me.
 
My concentration is critical care MNT and the clinical rotations are what I have enjoyed the most during this internship.  I came into the internship really excited for clinical, knowing I wanted to be a clinical RD.  It is crazy to think back to the first few weeks of clinical and how they were tough for me.  I doubted myself, and I was hesitant and uncomfortable talking to patients (something I didn’t expect to happen).  Then to think about where I am now and how confident and comfortable I feel in the clinical world is just as crazy to me! 
 
I have had a variety of great clinical experiences within the ICU, NICU, and with hemodialysis patients.  I have had the opportunity to see multiple procedures as well as gastric sleeve and bowel resection surgeries.  The past two months working at the hospital in my critical care rotation during the COVID19 pandemic have been a huge learning curve.  I have had experiences I never imagined I would as an intern.  I have primarily been working with the ICU patients with COVID19 on nutrition support.  I am learning something new every day, and I feel fortunate to work alongside amazing health care professionals from whom I have learned so much over the past seven months I have spent at this hospital.  All of these experiences have helped me grow as a person and a soon to be dietitian.  If I could give advice to incoming interns, I would say now is the time to try everything; watch procedures in clinical, be creative in community and foodservice.  This is your opportunity to find what you really love, kind of like, and dislike!

Hi everyone! My name is Alyssa Houghton and I am an intern in region 1 and completing my master’s degree through the University of Rhode Island. I began my internship in September of 2019 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Utica, New York. At first, clinical was the rotation I was least looking forward to because of how intimidating it seemed. However, I quickly came to realize that was not the case. I truly enjoyed every minute of my 5 months spent learning basic, intermediate and advanced dietetics hands on.
 
After I finished my clinical rotation, I went right into my long-term care rotation. Although this rotation was short and sweet, I enjoyed the slower pace of long-term care. It was nice that I could sit and build relationships with residents even in that short amount of time.
 
Next came my foodservice rotation, which I was fortunate enough to complete before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the globe. I completed this rotation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. This was by far my favorite rotation, and I am not sure if it’s because I was unable to complete my community and concentration rotations in a more traditional way.
I enjoyed working with the students and putting on different events while being able to show my creative side. I quickly came to learn that a campus dietitian wears many different hats, which I think is great. It allows a lot of diversity within the field and definitely keeps them on their toes.
 
Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, I am not able to complete my community rotation traditionally. I, like many of my fellow interns, am working diligently on webinars and different assignments to complete my community rotation. I am beyond grateful for the outpouring of support from not only my preceptors, but also all of the directors of the many regions of this internship. Without their continued guidance, this would not be going as smoothly as it is.
 
On another note, I originally was going to complete my concentration rotation with a Diabetes Outpatient Clinic that was based through Albany Medical Center. This was not able to happen because of the pandemic. However, with the help of my director, I was able to choose a new concentration that I would be able to complete on site. I began my concentration rotation of Senior Living about two weeks ago and could not happier. It was not my first choice, but I have grown to love it.
 
With that being said, my advice to future interns is to remain open-minded, you have no idea where this journey is going to take you. So, buckle up, and trust that everything is going to be just fine.

Hey everyone! My name is Alyssa Newberry. I’m a region 10 intern, located just north of Houston, Texas. I initially chose to apply for the Sodexo Dietetic Internship because of its flexibility and the option to stay close to home. I had no idea that I would actually be completing a good deal of my internship from home! With the unprecedented situation created by COVID-19, I’ve had the opportunity to see just how flexible Sodexo and I can be. Fortunately, prior to working from home, I had time to complete my food service management and wellness concentration rotations.

I completed my food service management rotation at CHI St. Luke’s Hospital in The Woodlands. The Sodexo team at CHI provided such a strong foundation for the rest of my internship. I was quickly welcomed into the management team and given all of the support I needed to learn as much as I could. Because of my accounting background, I had so much fun working with the retail and marketing manager to determine the café’s average food cost, investigate the efficiency of the register system, and help implement some changes to improve reporting. The CHI team was and continues to be incredibly enthusiastic about working with me, as I have returned a few times to work with the CNM when she has bariatric outpatient appointments.
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For my wellness concentration, I was able to work with a Sodexo Corporate account at The Friedkin Group, where they had never hosted a dietetic intern before. I helped the café meet all of the qualifications to become Silver Certified with the Mindful program and worked with the chef and general manager to provide a healthy cooking demonstration for the employees, which the client thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks to the relationships I built with the client during my wellness rotation, I was able to spend some extra time with the company providing one on one nutritional counseling to their employees. This counseling was promoted to employees as a limited time free benefit. And because I had the opportunity to see a handful of employees for initial and follow-up visits, I had the chance to see their progress and assess my own effectiveness.

At the end of January, I began my clinical rotation with HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe. I could not believe my good luck in being placed with another amazing group. They have already taught me so much and helped to build my confidence in my ability to complete nutrition assessments and give education in an inpatient setting. I can’t wait to get back to the hospital to finish out my time with them!

To all new and future interns, remember that even when there aren’t extenuating circumstances like COVID-19, it’s important to stay flexible and use your strengths to get the most out of each rotation during the internship! 

​Hi everyone! My name is Morgan, and I am a region 5 intern. I started the internship in fall 2019, and am finishing up amidst the Covid-19 crisis. I was able to complete my FSM, patient services, and clinical rotations in person. The support and encouragement us interns have been receiving from our directors during this crisis is really something to brag about! They work so hard for us to have the best experience possible. I want to start this post by shouting THANK YOU to all of them!
 
Now, I want to talk about the Professional Research Project (PRP). This is the biggest project Sodexo interns will complete during their internship. It involves writing an 8-10 page research paper, putting together a PowerPoint presentation, and presenting a 45(ish) minute presentation in front of other interns and registered dietitians. As an intern, knowing this project is on the horizon is quite intimidating. It can be overwhelming thinking about how to start and finish it. Here are 5 tips for upcoming interns on how to tackle this project:
 

1. Choose a topic that is interesting to you. If your greatest interests do not reside in clinical, that is OK! Choose an interest and I guarantee there is some connection between it and something clinical - you might have to get creative. Talk to your director; they are happy to help you solidify your topic.
2. Collect all of your research first. Read through each of your articles one by one and highlight important pieces of information within them. Trash pieces that are not offering you what you need. Quality over quantity.
3. Organize your articles by the information they offer you, and then begin writing your paper in chunks based off of each “category” you have. Chip away at this and before you know it, your paper will come together!
4. Ask professionals that are familiar with your topic to review your paper. My husband reviewed my paper and gave me great feedback in terms of grammar, but I also had two RDs who work in the field of my topic review my paper. The feedback they provided me really helped take my paper to the next level.
5. Practice, practice, practice your presentation! Practice on your own. Practice in front of roommates, friends, family. Practice! And know that it is more than OK to have notes/note cards with you during your presentation to help you to remember specific things you want to say.

 
Once you get over the hump of starting, this project can be a lot of fun! You are learning about something that is interesting to you and sharing that information with others. You got this!