Hello! My name is Komal Shah and I am a dietetic intern from region 5. Currently, I am finishing up my intermediate clinical rotation at George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) in Washington, DC – a level one trauma center. It is fascinating how far I have come in my clinical rotation by pushing my abilities and discovering my strengths. I can say this because of the best preceptors/dietitians at GWUH who guided me in developing confidence in talking to patients, making right clinical judgement and flourish in the setting.
Just like others, I was terrified going into my clinical rotation. However, the preceptors put me at ease. Being in a big trauma hospital of the region means working with intense and critically ill patients, which requires showing empathy for the family and good team spirt by working with the interdisciplinary team. One of the challenges I came across during my basic clinical rotation was assessing the patients. It is important to have a conversation with your patients and not an interview. However, my focus as soon as I entered the patient’s room at that time was to get all my questions answered from my “checklist” with no follow-up questions or answer the patient’s questions. Once I have received all my answers, I used to get out of the patient’s room without giving any explanation for their nutrition plan of care during the hospital course.
This experience was harming my growth, which my preceptor noticed. She offered to practice the interview session on her before I visit the patient. She also recommended to practice with my friends, family and even myself by looking in the mirror (which helped a lot!). After much practice and feedback, I am now finally able to have a conversation with the patients without any checklist in my hand. This experience helped me gain more morale to talk to not only patients but also the interdisciplinary team. This training has helped me in providing best care for the patient by making right clinical judgement.
In my clinical rotation so far, I have learned and observed a lot. At GWUH, a teaching hospital, I was able to observe many procedures and education sessions such as: modified barium swallow test, FEES (fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing), tracheostomy performed at bedside in ICU, G-tube procedure in IR and tube feeding education from home-infusing company -Coram. It was a one-time opportunity to witness these procedures and education sessions. I am very thankful to my preceptor for arranging it.
My preceptors have always forced my abilities to work outside my comfort zone because they believed in my capabilities. They always say, “You know more than you think you do.” This is true! This saying helped me to be bold and give my best shot- which I would recommend all the present/future interns to remember while going into any rotations.
The clinical rotation is intense, but having guidance from knowledgeable preceptors and support from your incredible internship director makes it calmer. It is a lesson learning experience every day to prepare you in becoming a registered dietitian. Now, I am confident of my future goal to become a clinical registered dietitian.
Just like others, I was terrified going into my clinical rotation. However, the preceptors put me at ease. Being in a big trauma hospital of the region means working with intense and critically ill patients, which requires showing empathy for the family and good team spirt by working with the interdisciplinary team. One of the challenges I came across during my basic clinical rotation was assessing the patients. It is important to have a conversation with your patients and not an interview. However, my focus as soon as I entered the patient’s room at that time was to get all my questions answered from my “checklist” with no follow-up questions or answer the patient’s questions. Once I have received all my answers, I used to get out of the patient’s room without giving any explanation for their nutrition plan of care during the hospital course.
This experience was harming my growth, which my preceptor noticed. She offered to practice the interview session on her before I visit the patient. She also recommended to practice with my friends, family and even myself by looking in the mirror (which helped a lot!). After much practice and feedback, I am now finally able to have a conversation with the patients without any checklist in my hand. This experience helped me gain more morale to talk to not only patients but also the interdisciplinary team. This training has helped me in providing best care for the patient by making right clinical judgement.
In my clinical rotation so far, I have learned and observed a lot. At GWUH, a teaching hospital, I was able to observe many procedures and education sessions such as: modified barium swallow test, FEES (fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing), tracheostomy performed at bedside in ICU, G-tube procedure in IR and tube feeding education from home-infusing company -Coram. It was a one-time opportunity to witness these procedures and education sessions. I am very thankful to my preceptor for arranging it.
My preceptors have always forced my abilities to work outside my comfort zone because they believed in my capabilities. They always say, “You know more than you think you do.” This is true! This saying helped me to be bold and give my best shot- which I would recommend all the present/future interns to remember while going into any rotations.
The clinical rotation is intense, but having guidance from knowledgeable preceptors and support from your incredible internship director makes it calmer. It is a lesson learning experience every day to prepare you in becoming a registered dietitian. Now, I am confident of my future goal to become a clinical registered dietitian.
