Hello! My name is Sonal Patel and I am a dietetic intern in region 7 in Tallahassee, Florida at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH). I am also in the master’s program at University of Rhode Island. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my start date was pushed back from September to December. Originally, I was so disappointed I didn’t get to start with the rest of my cohort. My Sodexo director advised me to take advantage of the time I have and work on the clinical packets. I took her advice and finished all of the packets before starting rotations and know this will prepare me for my clinical rotations later. She also told me not to worry about not starting on time because she knew I would have a great experience at my site, and she has been right!
I started my internship with my management rotations clinical nutrition management, patient services, and foodservice management. My CNM on site has been amazing. She knew I was not from the area and she made me feel at home. I have been lucky that she has shared her knowledge and experiences with me. I have also completed half of my community rotation. I was fortunate enough not to have to find my own community sites. One of the unique aspects of my internship is that I will complete all of my supervised hours at one site.
I have gotten to be a part of projects from start to finish which would not have happened if I was only there for a few weeks. One experience I enjoyed was during the holiday season. The TMH Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, which is a Feeding America partner, and Sodexo teamed up to host a food insecurity drive for colleagues. I was able to participate in all aspects of the event from the planning and execution of the four distribution days we had. I was able to be a part of a team that adapted to circumstances and changed events for the next time. This entire process was done over 6 weeks. I would not have been able to do that if I wasn’t at one site.
One of the most important things I have learned so far is to be adaptable. The internship, like life, isn’t always going to follow a straight path but the more flexible you are, the more you will learn from your experiences. I am lucky enough to have preceptors who have shared their knowledge, experience, and passion for dietetics. I feel lucky to have such a positive internship experience thus far and am excited to see what the future holds!
I started my internship with my management rotations clinical nutrition management, patient services, and foodservice management. My CNM on site has been amazing. She knew I was not from the area and she made me feel at home. I have been lucky that she has shared her knowledge and experiences with me. I have also completed half of my community rotation. I was fortunate enough not to have to find my own community sites. One of the unique aspects of my internship is that I will complete all of my supervised hours at one site.
I have gotten to be a part of projects from start to finish which would not have happened if I was only there for a few weeks. One experience I enjoyed was during the holiday season. The TMH Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, which is a Feeding America partner, and Sodexo teamed up to host a food insecurity drive for colleagues. I was able to participate in all aspects of the event from the planning and execution of the four distribution days we had. I was able to be a part of a team that adapted to circumstances and changed events for the next time. This entire process was done over 6 weeks. I would not have been able to do that if I wasn’t at one site.
One of the most important things I have learned so far is to be adaptable. The internship, like life, isn’t always going to follow a straight path but the more flexible you are, the more you will learn from your experiences. I am lucky enough to have preceptors who have shared their knowledge, experience, and passion for dietetics. I feel lucky to have such a positive internship experience thus far and am excited to see what the future holds!
