Hi! My name is Brandi Sze, and I am a region 3 (NYC) Sodexo Intern and on the MS Track with URI. Quick backstory: before I was accepted to Sodexo’s dietetic internship, I completed my undergraduate from Rutgers University in May of 2018 and worked as a diet clerk in NYU Winthrop hospital for more than a year. I highly recommend gaining some clinical experience because it prepares you for the hospital setting-- intense and fast-paced.
I was in the middle of my advanced clinical rotation at Flushing Hospital Medical Center when COVID hit and definitely miss it! All my preceptors are extremely knowledgeable in their specialty and are constantly teaching me new materials. I saw various procedures and surgeries because of them. I also did my food service rotation at the same site, which allowed me to form a relationship with the food service employees, understand how their operation works, and form relationships with the dietitians and CNM. When it was time for me to come back to the same site for clinical, it was a smooth transition. Currently, I am finishing up my community rotation online with All Access Dietetics learning about social media and blogging. Other sites that I have been in for my community rotation are food banks, soup kitchens, schools, and community centers. Getting exposure to various community settings is a great way to learn how to tailor each nutrition education as each group of individuals have their own set of problems and needs!
My favorite rotation I did thus far was my wellness rotation, in which I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Orlando, Florida to be with Sodexo Magic - Disney World! I had originally chosen MNT as my concentration but when the opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to take it. My biggest advice is to be open-minded. I thought I wanted to be a clinical RD long-term but after my experience working with the wellness dietitian, I’m not sure anymore. At Disney, I loved how I was able to show my creative side, go on site visits, do a smoothie bike event, and expand my network. I didn’t understand the benefits of corporate wellness until now. What makes Sodexo’s internship great are the countless opportunities you will receive and how the directors are always seeking for more. Because of Sodexo, I was able to intern with one of the most well-known corporations, gain a ton of clinical experience, work to obtain my Master’s degree, and tailor my internship to suit my interests.
