Hi! My name is Juliana Tamayo, and I’m a dietetic intern for region 5 in Washington, DC. I’m currently in my community rotation, and I'm very excited to get to work with a variety of clients. So far, I have been able to work with a private practice in DC that serves Wards 7 and 8 in the city. This has been very enlightening to me. I love getting to know the Black and Latinx communities of my city. I have also had the opportunity to work with a non-profit organization called SOME (So Others Might Eat) and provide nutrition education to their seniors every week. I love doing this because the seniors are very excited and interested every time and I get to present on topics I love and help them understand the importance of nutrition. Finally, I have been working with another non-profit called El Cuenco, which provides nutrition education and health services to families in El Salvador. Since my first language is Spanish, I have been able to help create nutrition education materials and other documents while also helping with patient-related services.
Previously, I was in my food service management and patient services rotation at Howard University Hospital. One of my favorite things I did was the Retail and Marketing Event. In this case, I decided to go with a concept that reflected my Colombian culture. The event was called Arepas! and it consisted of serving arepas, which are fluffy cornmeal pancakes with different toppings and proteins, including Carne desmechada (shredded beef), chicken, beans, coconut rice, sweet plantains, creamy lime coleslaw, and guacamole.
Previously, I was in my food service management and patient services rotation at Howard University Hospital. One of my favorite things I did was the Retail and Marketing Event. In this case, I decided to go with a concept that reflected my Colombian culture. The event was called Arepas! and it consisted of serving arepas, which are fluffy cornmeal pancakes with different toppings and proteins, including Carne desmechada (shredded beef), chicken, beans, coconut rice, sweet plantains, creamy lime coleslaw, and guacamole.
 |  |
Before the event, I worked together with the retail staff and the chef. I loved working with retail because I learned all the ins and outs of creating an event, ordering food, creating marketing materials, and costing food. I also liked working with the chef and the food production staff because they gave me a lot of freedom to be creative. On the day of the event, I got there very early to help prep and cook. At 11 am, I went upstairs to set up my Arepas! station and my flyers and brochures. I served the food throughout the lunch service and educated customers as they ordered. It was a very fun day, and I have a new appreciation for all food service and retail staff. Without them, my event would not have been as successful, particularly because we significantly increased sales that day. I also received great feedback and congratulations afterward, with many customers saying they wanted more of these concepts more often.
So far, I love being a Sodexo dietetic intern! I look forward to starting my long-term community rotation in December and my clinical rotations at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center in January!
So far, I love being a Sodexo dietetic intern! I look forward to starting my long-term community rotation in December and my clinical rotations at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center in January!
