Hello! My name is Krystsina Marhunova and I am a Region 3 intern based in Westchester County, NY. I began my internship journey late September 2020 and am currently about two and a half months into my journey of being a dietetic intern. The experience so far has been wonderful as I have been exposed to different parts of dietetics such as foodservice management and community. The rotations I have completed so far have provided me with a lot of hands-on learning experiences that have been eye opening in terms of potential career opportunities. Although I still have more rotations to complete, I have found myself enjoying each one as I have been able to go at my own pace. The majority of my foodservice hours were done on-site, but I struggled with finding community preceptors. During this time, my internship director was very supportive, and the flexibility of the internship allowed me to complete my community hours virtually through simulations and working with an RD online.
My first rotation was foodservice management at New York Presbyterian- Lawrence Hospital. I had previous experience in foodservice and marketing throughout my undergraduate studies, and I was excited to start off the internship with something familiar! During my time at NYP, I was able to take part in different projects as well as learn the responsibilities held by the managers, supervisors and employees. Due to COVID-19, the cafeteria was strictly open to employees only, but I was still able to learn both front and back of house operations. The projects throughout the rotation exposed me to different parts and provided learning experiences such interviewing patients, conducting audits with managers, working in a team to develop menus and participate in ordering while also working independently. This helped in building my confidence and skills as a potential foodservice manager. While completing this rotation, I was also able to apply my nutrition knowledge as I worked on a project to implement nutrition fact labeling on to go items in the cafeteria. Lastly, one of my favorite parts of the rotation was organizing a wellness event where I was responsible for the development of the menu, ordering, supervision of food prepping and handling while also completing the marketing.
Prior to starting your rotation, you are assigned a mentor to help guide you through your internship journey. I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor who was open to answering any questions or concerns as she was once in my shoes too. Connecting with my mentor also helped me in networking, collaborating with others and learning about potential career opportunities I didn’t even know were a possibility! Although I still have more rotations to complete, I look forward to all the new experiences I will have in the future as I continue to explore career opportunities and finding a specialty that fits me!
My first rotation was foodservice management at New York Presbyterian- Lawrence Hospital. I had previous experience in foodservice and marketing throughout my undergraduate studies, and I was excited to start off the internship with something familiar! During my time at NYP, I was able to take part in different projects as well as learn the responsibilities held by the managers, supervisors and employees. Due to COVID-19, the cafeteria was strictly open to employees only, but I was still able to learn both front and back of house operations. The projects throughout the rotation exposed me to different parts and provided learning experiences such interviewing patients, conducting audits with managers, working in a team to develop menus and participate in ordering while also working independently. This helped in building my confidence and skills as a potential foodservice manager. While completing this rotation, I was also able to apply my nutrition knowledge as I worked on a project to implement nutrition fact labeling on to go items in the cafeteria. Lastly, one of my favorite parts of the rotation was organizing a wellness event where I was responsible for the development of the menu, ordering, supervision of food prepping and handling while also completing the marketing.
Prior to starting your rotation, you are assigned a mentor to help guide you through your internship journey. I was fortunate to have an amazing mentor who was open to answering any questions or concerns as she was once in my shoes too. Connecting with my mentor also helped me in networking, collaborating with others and learning about potential career opportunities I didn’t even know were a possibility! Although I still have more rotations to complete, I look forward to all the new experiences I will have in the future as I continue to explore career opportunities and finding a specialty that fits me!
