My name is Lily Feldman and I am a region 4 intern based in New Jersey. I started my rotations in the clinical setting in February. In clinical, I was able to learn through immersion, think quickly on my feet, and trust my dietetic knowledge with the help of my preceptors. I am extremely lucky to be placed in a trauma hospital. I get to assess and monitor patients with complex diagnoses while being involved in a rapid-paced interdisciplinary team. Unfortunately, the coronavirus put a hold on all internship experiences at my hospital in mid-March. Fortunately, within days of the stay at home order, Sodexo formulated a plethora of assignments, case studies, and webinars so I could stay on track!
Working from home has allowed me to complete my community, long term care, and some concentration hours virtually. I was able to think outside the box to get impactful experiences by blending the internship needs as well as the needs of my community. I first reached out to friends and family that work within the education system to see if I could weave nutrition into their curriculum. From the comfort of my makeshift “office,” I created a nutrition experiment video for grades 3-5. These videos made their way to three different elementary schools’ remote learning websites. From doing this video, I received a great following and was asked to do more! Currently, over Zoom, I discuss nutrition by doing experiments and cooking demonstrations to an intellectual disabled fifth grade class. Both experiences I would have never received if it wasn’t for the pandemic. Even though this time has not been ideal it has tested my adaptability and opened different doors that led to amazing opportunities; however, I truly miss the hustle-and-bustle of the hospital setting and cannot wait to get back!
Working from home has allowed me to complete my community, long term care, and some concentration hours virtually. I was able to think outside the box to get impactful experiences by blending the internship needs as well as the needs of my community. I first reached out to friends and family that work within the education system to see if I could weave nutrition into their curriculum. From the comfort of my makeshift “office,” I created a nutrition experiment video for grades 3-5. These videos made their way to three different elementary schools’ remote learning websites. From doing this video, I received a great following and was asked to do more! Currently, over Zoom, I discuss nutrition by doing experiments and cooking demonstrations to an intellectual disabled fifth grade class. Both experiences I would have never received if it wasn’t for the pandemic. Even though this time has not been ideal it has tested my adaptability and opened different doors that led to amazing opportunities; however, I truly miss the hustle-and-bustle of the hospital setting and cannot wait to get back!
