Hi, my name is Marlena Castro and I am an intern located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. I will be relocating to Yuma, AZ halfway through my internship with my husband who is in the military. Being that we have a sort of unpredictable lifestyle, matching with an internship that offered flexibility was a huge deal to me. Not only is Sodexo Dietetic Internships flexible, but it has an amazing network of supportive directors who want to see you succeed and will do everything they can for you!
I attended orientation in Maryland this past September. If orientation seems scary to you, don’t sweat it! I loved getting to meet my fellow interns and having some hands-on learning experiences. I got to put my NFPE skills to work and refresh on malnutrition guidelines. It was a great week, and it really helped organize my thoughts before going into supervised practice. Plus, I got this awesome certificate, t-shirt, and my name tag!
I attended orientation in Maryland this past September. If orientation seems scary to you, don’t sweat it! I loved getting to meet my fellow interns and having some hands-on learning experiences. I got to put my NFPE skills to work and refresh on malnutrition guidelines. It was a great week, and it really helped organize my thoughts before going into supervised practice. Plus, I got this awesome certificate, t-shirt, and my name tag!
I am currently in my food service management rotation, as you can see from my very fashionable headpiece – joking! I am completing my food service at Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern NC, a 350-bed facility. I am learning a lot about what it takes to be a good leader and manager. I’m also learning about the process of opening a food service operation. The hospital is currently building a new cancer center that will house a smoothie bar. The other day I got to visit the construction site and future home of the smoothie bar and learn all about the importance of layouts. For example, it is important to know where in the vicinity trash, janitorial, chemical storage, water lines, drainage, and other things will be located. We are also working on a menu for the smoothie bar, it is awesome knowing I will be a part of creating something that will come to life in a few months.
I also completed my patient services rotations at this facility. Before going into an internship, I worked for a year in the dietary department of another hospital as a diet tech. I knew a lot about patient services going into the rotation because of my experience, but it was really nice to see how things operate in a different and larger facility. One of the best parts of that rotation was meal rounding because it gave me the opportunity to interact with patients and make their day a little better. I’m looking forward to interacting with patients more during my clinical rotations, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can sit in on a few procedures!
I also completed my patient services rotations at this facility. Before going into an internship, I worked for a year in the dietary department of another hospital as a diet tech. I knew a lot about patient services going into the rotation because of my experience, but it was really nice to see how things operate in a different and larger facility. One of the best parts of that rotation was meal rounding because it gave me the opportunity to interact with patients and make their day a little better. I’m looking forward to interacting with patients more during my clinical rotations, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can sit in on a few procedures!
