Life of a Cal Poly Dietetic Intern

With just a few weeks away from graduation, I am thrilled to start my career as an RD! Throughout my dietetic internship, many have asked me, “Why did you choose to pursue a career in nutrition?” From a young age, I was always curious to learn more about the human body and how healthcare professionals help others. In my Freshman year of college, I was originally a pharmacy major with a desire to enhance my medical knowledge.On my first day of my GE nutrition course, I was in awe of how dietary and lifestyle changes can potentially reverse a condition. I quickly switched gears to nutritional science and haven’t looked back since! With 4 years of studying nutrition and almost 1200+ hours of rotation hours, I am excited to reveal my experience as a dietetic intern!

If you are a prospective dietetic intern, soon to be RD, or just reading this post for fun, I want to start by sharing this quote with you,

“Where you are now in life is the sum of decisions you've made.” -Ed Mylett, entrepreneur, global speaker

Regardless of what goals you are working towards, whether that is obtaining your degree, graduating a dietetic internship, and many more, there will be both positive experiences and challenges along the way. When you come across a challenge, I encourage you to reflect and make a decision that moves you one step closer to that goal. And don’t forget to give yourself a high five and be proud of how far along you made it!

To gain more insight on my experiences, keep on reading!

Tips for Community Rotations

Be ready to make a game plan. Providing education to a community is all about assessing the needs, gathering the materials needed, and creating a plan to implement the new program or project addition. Keeping this process in mind will help you to stay on track with your projects and goals you have for the organization. My best advice is to use an organizational tool that works best for you! A google doc with bullet point notes or just pen and paper works too. Throughout my community rotations, I had the privilege to share my ideas with my preceptors while also addressing the needs of the population I was working with. One of my most memorable experiences was hosting a wellness booth for high school students. I shared stress relief tips, healthy snack ideas, and even got to lead a game with fun prizes! Reflecting back on this experience reminds me how dietitians can make a big impact through each stage of life. Always keep this in mind and continue to utilize your creativity to create and educate! Oh and one last thing! Find a program or tool that you can use to create flyers, brochures, and any material you plan to create for the organization. I personally loved using Canva!

My preceptor, Jenna Miller and I hosting the booth on Club Day at a high school.

Tips for Foodservice Rotations

Be ready for anything. On my very first day, I asked my preceptor what he enjoys about being a food service director at a hospital. He replied, “Everyday is different! I can create a plan the day before, come in the next day and my plan can change. You never know when you will need to look for an alternative resource and change your plan to meet the needs of the patients.” I remembered what he said and got to experience the dynamic environment of a foodservice management rotation for myself! I gained experience with trayline, resolving patient complaints and requests, and taking orders as a diet aide. For management, I learned how to come up with strategies to support the staff when a challenge came up. During my rotation, my preceptor was also in the process of hiring new staff. I learned how to ask thoughtful and concise questions that would help us to assess what the individual can contribute to the department. Wearing all of these different hats can get challenging! Always remember to remain positive and remind yourself that the management and communication skills you learn will benefit you in any future position you may have.

Recipe creation of overnight oats during my foodservice rotation at French Hospital Medical Center.

Tips for Clinical Rotations

Be adaptable. It’s time to put that critical thinking hat on! The clinical rotation truly encompasses the medical nutrition therapy we have learned in undergrad. Before my first day, I came up with some strategies to help me review the material I had learned. I created charts of important equations, lab values, and various disease states that I could easily print out and add to a folder. Having my major resources and information in one place helped me to stay organized and feel more equipped when learning new skills. I learned to apply all of these concepts to the hospital’s standards and adapt to the systems used. After my first week of navigating through the system and asking my preceptors many questions, I started seeing patients! For anyone reading this that is considering doing a dietetic internship, remember this: You have the ability to potentially help a patient improve their dietary habits for life! My preceptor shared with me that sometimes, patients are hearing about nutrition education for the very first time from a clinical RD. This supported my ability to focus on the big picture when counseling patients and I hope it will for you too!

With all of this in mind, I want to encourage you to set your best foot forward and be an amazing intern that gives 110%! Showing that you are ready to learn and be open minded demonstrates a hard-working mindset. Your preceptors will guide you and teach you about the fascinating world of dietetics they work in. Be ready to take notes and learn lots of new concepts and skills daily!