How to Prepare for your Dietetic Rotations
Your dietetic internship is approaching and there’s definitely a lot to look forward to. You are probably wondering exactly how to prepare for your dietetic rotations so that you can have the best experience possible.
You may be feeling overwhelmed and excited- which is pretty normal.
Follow our tips and pointers below so that you know exactly what to expect on your internship journey. Now you can let go of some of your uncertainty and focus on the excitement ahead!
Preparing for your dietetic internship & rotations
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, lunch, and any resources or pocket guides you have. You may need to follow a 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 a typical dietetic rotation
Your distance internship will be a hands-on learning experience where you will focus on dietetics in clinical, food service, and community settings. In the KBDI there will be a large entrepreneurial and business 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.
How to Prepare for your Clinical Rotation
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. You will break for lunch. Then you will continue seeing patients and charting.
Check out recent KBDI intern Becca’s take on how to prepare for clinical. Her tips can provide helpful guidance on how to prepare for all of your dietetic rotations.
How to Prepare for your Business Rotation
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.
A past dietetic intern shared her experience in a corporate wellness setting at B.Komplete. “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.
Preparing to work with other professionals
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.
What to expect with the daily flow
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
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.
“For me personally, I kept a running document of notes about policies, terminology, etc.. that I learned every day and continued to edit that document after each workday. I printed the document every other day so I would always have a reference to refer to when something came up that I did/t know or couldn’t remember.” -Sean
When should you ask questions during your dietetic rotations?
You may have many questions throughout the day, especially early on in your rotation. Record any questions you think of. Ask questions when appropriate and try to determine which questions you can research on your down time and which would be better answered by your preceptor.
As you go through your rotations you may think of projects or tasks that you would like to gain experience doing. Ask to take part in opportunities. This will only benefit you in the long-run.
Throughout each rotation, you may be given resources or handouts to help you. Save and organize your resources. These will be helpful for reference in the future.
At the end of your rotations and after completing a big project, ask for feedback from your preceptor. Constructive criticism is a great way to learn and improve your skill set. Your preceptor may be able to help you identify areas for improvement- as well as your strengths- so you can adjust moving forward. If you gave a presentation, completed a counseling session or completed a project, your preceptor can give you tips or suggestions that will only help you improve moving forward.
How to Prepare for your Dietetic Rotations
Good luck!
For any additional questions about your dietetic internship, contact us at beryl@bkomplete.com.