A Day in the Life of a Dietetic Intern

Your dietetic internship is approaching and there’s definitely a lot to look forward to. You may be feeling overwhelmed and excited- which is pretty normal. But don’t worry! Because below are tips and advice from past dietetic interns to prepare you for what to expect on your distance internship journey. Now you can let go of some of your uncertainty and focus on the excitement ahead!

Preparing for Internship

Successfully preparing for your internship rotations is a must-do and will help you feel more comfortable going into your first day at your rotation site. But how do you prepare well?  Our favorite tips to get you ready for day one of your rotation are…

  • Review topics. Brush up on terms and concepts related to the rotation you will be at. Jot down a list of questions to ask your preceptor on any terms and concepts that you are unsure about – and make sure to ask for resources that you can review to learn more on your own.  
  • Research the site in advance. What is their mission and what population do they serve?  What information do they have on their website?  Do they have a social media presence (Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, FaceBook, YouTube) – and if they do follow them.  Do they have video’s online that you can watch?  Do they have any reviews that you can read?  

 

  • Contact your preceptor in advance. Reach out 1-2 weeks in advance to confirm work hours, dress code, parking, items to bring, and access to the building/site.  And research your preceptor.  Connect with him/her on LinkedIn.  If they have a professional website, review it carefully.  Do they have any videos online or a blog that you can read?  Get to know as much about them before meeting as possible.  Jot down a list of questions that you can ask your preceptor on the first day to get to know them professionally.

  • Know what to bring/wear. This may change from site to site, but you should consider packing a notebook, pen, laptop, form of ID,  luch, and any resources or pocket guides you have. You may need to follow a particular dress code depending on the site such as a lab coat or non-slip shoes. Make sure to confirm this with your preceptor in advance.

What to Expect in Your Day

Your distance internship will be a hands-on learning experience where you will focus on dietetics in clinical, foodservice, and community settings. In the KBDI, there will be a large entrepreneurial focus in areas such as private practice, corporate wellness and the food and nutrition industry.

Depending on the setting and rotation, there are several tasks that you will complete throughout the day and each day might look a little, or a lot, different. All tasks will help you to gain experiences that meet the ACEND required competencies. At some of the sites you can dive into anything from reading materials and familiarizing yourself with that area of dietetics, working independently on projects, shadowing/observing preceptors, preparing and presenting nutrition education, conducting nutrition assessments and implementing interventions, writing patient notes, attending meetings, and other opportunities that your preceptor may see as a learning experience. 

In a clinical setting

You can expect to begin your day by screening the census for patients to see. Your RD preceptor or another RD on the team will give you a list of patients to see. Then you can begin to research the patient’s medical history, visit the patient, and get their social/nutritional history. You can provide nutrition education, recommend diet modification, and chart in their Electronic Medical Record (EMR). You will break for lunch. Then you will continue seeing patients and charting. This Overview was provided by Sean O’Brien who was an Aramark Dietetic Intern in the class of 2020.

In an entrepreneurial setting

You will get to focus on several strategies. This includes writing business plans and learning how to start a business. You will learn business considerations such as legal, accounting, and managing personnel and resources and gain practice in these areas. 

In a corporate wellness setting

 “Some of the things I took part in day to day would include creating social media content, writing and formatting client newsletters, recipe development, organizing corporate wellness events, writing blog posts and observing RD counseling sessions. It was up to us  to use time management skills to prioritize projects to meet deadlines.” This overview was provided by Casey Pietroforte who was an Aramark Dietetic Intern in the class of 2019.   

Overall…

You will meet many different professionals and members of staff at your sites and may be interacting with these team members daily. Depending on the site you are at, you may interact with nurses, doctors, social workers, therapists, chefs, food service staff, directors, and other office staff. This is your opportunity to understand the value of other roles in an interdisciplinary team. Be respectful of all staff at the site and be prepared to collaborate with them when needed.

You may find there is some downtime throughout your day. If this is the case, take the opportunity to take initiative and ask what can be done, research any questions you have had throughout the day, or review topics. Look up terminology you may not have been familiar with. This is especially helpful with medical terminology.  “The medical terminology language is heavy in the hospital and there will be a lot of words that you don’t know and will have to look up.” Sean O’Brien, Aramark Dietetic Intern 2020

Throughout the day you will have a lot of information coming your way. Take notes and journal what you have worked on each day. This will help you keep track of your experiences and new information.


“Your internship will largely be what you make of it. Your directors and preceptors are there to map out your experiences and guide you into learning new things, but you need to show up. Be willing to try new things and are out of your comfort zone. This is how you will learn the most. Be up to new challenges and interested in learning about anything you’re unfamiliar with.”
Casey PietroforteAramark Dietetic Intern Class of 2019

For any additional questions about your dietetic internship, contact info@bkomplete.com.

Written by Heather Schissler, B.Komplete Office Assistant