Hey everyone! My name is Mark Hanna, I am a region 4 intern based out of New Jersey. I am currently 2 months into my internship. I have completed my foodservice management rotation at Bristol Myers Squibb in Lawrenceville, NJ and it was an eye-opening experience. I had prior experience with foodservice in the hospital setting, so it was interesting to see how vastly different foodservice in the corporate setting was. The corporate setting has a lot more freedom when it comes to food and can quickly implement change requested by the cliental on site. Corporate foodservice’s main purpose is to enhance the experience of the cliental on site and add value to the facility. I attained so much hands-on experiences in a short amount of time at BMS. During my rotation they opened micro-markets across the facility to offer lunch items closer to the employees’ workstations and I was able to assist in the process of set-up as well as observe the health inspection process. I had an amazing time building rapport and working with the foodservice staff/managers. It was hard transitioning to a new rotation after the fact because it felt as though I was a part of the “family” at BMS, but I still stay in contact with the staff, updating them on my progress.
I am now in my long-term care rotation at NJ Eastern Star Nursing Home in Bridgewater, NJ. This is my first clinical experience in the internship and so far, I have completed two weeks at the facility. It is very interesting to see how nutrition concerns and recommendations differ for the geriatric population. I work closely with the dietitian at the facility to ensure residents are stable and/or improving and make recommendations accordingly for residents who are either showing a decline in health status or a risk for malnutrition.
From my experiences at both locations, I have learned how to function independently and gained confidence in being a nutrition expert. I am excited to see what future rotations have in store for me and to see what I can offer to those facilities.
My advice for prospective interns is to go into each rotation with an open mind. Explore every aspect you can at each facility both within the nutrition department and outside of it. Try to establish connections with everyone you encounter, you never know where you may end up in the future or what connections might assist you in landing a job. One tip I learned from one of my preceptors is to work smarter not harder throughout this internship and make sure to ask questions whenever you’re unsure. Remember this internship is a learning experience to not only to prepare you for the RD exam, but to also give you the confidence to be a nutrition expert in whatever field you choose.
From my experiences at both locations, I have learned how to function independently and gained confidence in being a nutrition expert. I am excited to see what future rotations have in store for me and to see what I can offer to those facilities.
My advice for prospective interns is to go into each rotation with an open mind. Explore every aspect you can at each facility both within the nutrition department and outside of it. Try to establish connections with everyone you encounter, you never know where you may end up in the future or what connections might assist you in landing a job. One tip I learned from one of my preceptors is to work smarter not harder throughout this internship and make sure to ask questions whenever you’re unsure. Remember this internship is a learning experience to not only to prepare you for the RD exam, but to also give you the confidence to be a nutrition expert in whatever field you choose.
