Hi everyone! My name is Kerry and I am nearing the end of my first rotation, Food Service Management (FSM). I have been doing my FSM hours at ADP Corporate Headquarters in Roseland, NJ. ADP is an international company that provides payroll services to businesses. More interesting is that ADP works on a corporate wellness model; they believe in providing wellness services to their employees within the context of their corporate campus. For example, they provide on-site medical services, a fitness room, and even a mobile dentist! More relevant to my specific experience is their cafeteria. ADP utilizes many of the Mindful by Sodexo recipes. In addition, the ADP employees are offered foods at a cheaper cost. This encourages ADP employees to dine in the campus cafeteria, where they can choose from a variety of fresh foods, including many nutritious options. Overall, an awesome arrangement and something I am very happy to be a part of!
So far, I have learned something new every day during my FSM rotation, from knife techniques to using different kitchen equipment, with other lessons in between. All of this has been rewarding, but I will say that the most fulfilling experience I have had so far was my Retail Marketing and Wellness Project. For this, I distributed samples of an autumn quinoa salad alongside nutrition education that illustrated the nutritional properties of quinoa. With the popularity of vegetarianism and veganism, I promoted quinoa as a complete plant-based protein source. Overall, this was a great experience! I was able to improve upon and demonstrate my decision making, planning, time-management, and organization skills—traits that are essential to becoming both an effective manager and/or RDN. The best part about the project, though, was being able to talk to and build rapport with customers and hear them say, “I didn’t realize healthy could taste so good.”
If I were to use my experience in FSM so far to give advice to interns, I would say two things. First, keep an open mind. To be honest, I was the least excited for my FSM rotation; it’s not that I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I was just so eager to jump into clinical. However, my experience in FSM has been enjoyable and valuable. Second, as cliché as it sounds, take it day by day, experience by experience. Time truly flies by, and you don’t want to miss out on current learning opportunities or experiences because you are waiting for the next opportunity or experience. In sum, if I kept counting down the days until clinical, I would have missed out on the lessons, fun, and people that my FSM rotation gave me!
If I were to use my experience in FSM so far to give advice to interns, I would say two things. First, keep an open mind. To be honest, I was the least excited for my FSM rotation; it’s not that I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I was just so eager to jump into clinical. However, my experience in FSM has been enjoyable and valuable. Second, as cliché as it sounds, take it day by day, experience by experience. Time truly flies by, and you don’t want to miss out on current learning opportunities or experiences because you are waiting for the next opportunity or experience. In sum, if I kept counting down the days until clinical, I would have missed out on the lessons, fun, and people that my FSM rotation gave me!
