Hi there! I am Kim Ferrara, a Sodexo dietetic intern from region 4 (New Jersey). My internship journey has been a unique one, beginning with a little taste of everything. In my very first week, I was introduced to diet office operations, kitchen duties and inventory, and clinical nutrition in a long-term care setting. So, my first piece of advice for starting out as a dietetic intern is to be flexible! Use your schedule as a guide to keep you on track while being open to the changing needs of your precepting facilities. Real-world things (retirements, maternity leaves, resignations, etc…) happen, so always be open minded to helping your preceptors and clinical nutrition managers when you can. As much as we might hate to admit, we all learn the most outside of our comfort zones.
Before starting as a dietetic intern, I had been working in the supermarket industry for nearly 8 years. As my food and nutrition knowledge grew, I began working as a food safety specialist to ensure my stores were providing safe, healthy food, while also being able to collaborate with the in-store registered dietitians on a regular basis. When it came time to start my rotations, I was a food safety expert who was very familiar with retail nutrition but had zero clinical nutrition experience (scary…right?). Making sure my preceptors for both foodservice and clinical rotations knew my background has made all the difference in my learning experience. We all have different levels of experience and background understanding, but this is exactly what makes the field of nutrition so diverse! So, don’t be afraid to use your nutrition strengths and interests to optimize what you take away from these special practice hours. This is your one and only journey to becoming an RD!
Clinical rotations may be the most daunting of them all, but I can assure you that this is where your nutrition knowledge will blossom into a strong foundation you will take with you to whatever area of dietetics you desire. My most recent clinical preceptor offered me an essential reminder: “Every dietitian may have their own way of doing things, but don’t get caught up in the differences. If you take one single method or idea that you like from each preceptor, you can start building the dietitian you will one day be.” So, take it one day, one preceptor, and one topic at a time.
And most importantly, as students of nutrition know best, it can be tempting to fill up your plate. Rotations can be exhausting (in the best way), so be sure to leave room for relaxation and of course snacks. The time goes fast, and the only way to make the most of it is to stay fueled! You’ve got this!
Before starting as a dietetic intern, I had been working in the supermarket industry for nearly 8 years. As my food and nutrition knowledge grew, I began working as a food safety specialist to ensure my stores were providing safe, healthy food, while also being able to collaborate with the in-store registered dietitians on a regular basis. When it came time to start my rotations, I was a food safety expert who was very familiar with retail nutrition but had zero clinical nutrition experience (scary…right?). Making sure my preceptors for both foodservice and clinical rotations knew my background has made all the difference in my learning experience. We all have different levels of experience and background understanding, but this is exactly what makes the field of nutrition so diverse! So, don’t be afraid to use your nutrition strengths and interests to optimize what you take away from these special practice hours. This is your one and only journey to becoming an RD!
Clinical rotations may be the most daunting of them all, but I can assure you that this is where your nutrition knowledge will blossom into a strong foundation you will take with you to whatever area of dietetics you desire. My most recent clinical preceptor offered me an essential reminder: “Every dietitian may have their own way of doing things, but don’t get caught up in the differences. If you take one single method or idea that you like from each preceptor, you can start building the dietitian you will one day be.” So, take it one day, one preceptor, and one topic at a time.
And most importantly, as students of nutrition know best, it can be tempting to fill up your plate. Rotations can be exhausting (in the best way), so be sure to leave room for relaxation and of course snacks. The time goes fast, and the only way to make the most of it is to stay fueled! You’ve got this!
