Hello Everyone! I am Sridevi (Sri) Padmanabhan, a Fall 2020 Region 3 Sodexo dietetic intern at Lenox Hill Hospital(LHH) in New York City. The Sodexo dietetic internship (DI) has been one of the best educational experiences I've been grateful for this year.
When I first applied for dietetic internships in February 2020, I could not have anticipated any of the tumultuous changes to our world. COVID-19 had already displaced so many aspects of our daily lives. I was genuinely concerned about the likelihood of an in-person dietetic internship in any city in the US, let alone NYC. However, as summer melded into fall, I was hopeful and profoundly grateful when the in-person dietetic internship became a reality. The endless medical tests and the claustrophobic mask fit test did not deter my enthusiasm.
My initial enthusiasm gave way to apprehension about managing the demands of a DI. However, I had the support and guidance of the knowledgeable team of Registered Dietitian (RD) preceptors at LHH. They helped me learn and practice all the nuances of medical nutrition therapy across various patient populations. They were patient and took time to explain multiple disease states and associated nutrition therapy protocols. With their thoughtful investments in my learning, I completed clinical rotations in the ICUs, NICU, and the critical care concentration rotation.
The NICU rotation was by far my favorite! The process of calculating enteral and parenteral feeds for pre-term and newborn infants was made simple due to exceptional coaching from my preceptor and the resources she provided. This experience made me realize that my future success as an RD is made possible in part by the remarkable mentoring provided by the DI preceptors at LHH. It also reinforced the importance of mentoring/preceptorship from future RDs to ensure the RD profession's continued growth.
With the clinical rotations done, I am eagerly awaiting the food service rotation at LHH. I have had the opportunity to interact with several food service team members, and I look forward to learning from them in the days ahead.
For future/prospective dietetic interns, I would recommend approaching the DI with integrity, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and a professional work ethic. Internship directors and preceptors genuinely attempt to provide the most appropriate learning environments and experiences. It is up to us interns to learn as much as possible and acquire the knowledge, skills, and contacts to ensure future success.
Good Luck to All!
When I first applied for dietetic internships in February 2020, I could not have anticipated any of the tumultuous changes to our world. COVID-19 had already displaced so many aspects of our daily lives. I was genuinely concerned about the likelihood of an in-person dietetic internship in any city in the US, let alone NYC. However, as summer melded into fall, I was hopeful and profoundly grateful when the in-person dietetic internship became a reality. The endless medical tests and the claustrophobic mask fit test did not deter my enthusiasm.
My initial enthusiasm gave way to apprehension about managing the demands of a DI. However, I had the support and guidance of the knowledgeable team of Registered Dietitian (RD) preceptors at LHH. They helped me learn and practice all the nuances of medical nutrition therapy across various patient populations. They were patient and took time to explain multiple disease states and associated nutrition therapy protocols. With their thoughtful investments in my learning, I completed clinical rotations in the ICUs, NICU, and the critical care concentration rotation.
The NICU rotation was by far my favorite! The process of calculating enteral and parenteral feeds for pre-term and newborn infants was made simple due to exceptional coaching from my preceptor and the resources she provided. This experience made me realize that my future success as an RD is made possible in part by the remarkable mentoring provided by the DI preceptors at LHH. It also reinforced the importance of mentoring/preceptorship from future RDs to ensure the RD profession's continued growth.
With the clinical rotations done, I am eagerly awaiting the food service rotation at LHH. I have had the opportunity to interact with several food service team members, and I look forward to learning from them in the days ahead.
For future/prospective dietetic interns, I would recommend approaching the DI with integrity, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and a professional work ethic. Internship directors and preceptors genuinely attempt to provide the most appropriate learning environments and experiences. It is up to us interns to learn as much as possible and acquire the knowledge, skills, and contacts to ensure future success.
Good Luck to All!
