To highlight our clinical nutrition concentration, dietetic interns (DIs) will spend three weeks each with a medicine, surgery and oncology dietitian learning the basics of the specified population. The DI will also spend one week with the renal dietitian and three weeks in an intensive care unit (ICU) with one of the nutrition Team Leaders. The nutrition care process will be utilized in all populations with emphasis on nutrition assessment, reassessment, enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition and diet education. Working within a team in the nutrition department, as well as with various disciplines within the hospital setting, is an integral part of the clinical experience.
All of the clinical rotations are sequential, building upon the knowledge and experience from the previous rotation. During the ICU rotation, the DI will present a medically and nutritionally compromised patient they followed to the inpatient clinical staff and our physician colleagues at Metabolic Support Service rounds. Finally, the DI will function as an entry-level clinical dietitian during four weeks of staff experience, managing their own patient load. During staff experience, the DI will be scheduled to work one weekend.
This rotation is a combination of research and clinical nutrition. With the guidance of the Director of Nutrition and support from one of the staff dietitians, the DI will investigate a nutrition topic by researching the most current articles and evidence-based practices. The DI will synthesize the data, draw conclusions and summarize the findings in a research paper, as well as a present these findings at Metabolic Support Service rounds to the nutrition staff and our attending physicians.
Motivational interviewing and other counseling techniques are merged with evidence-based nutrition recommendations to provide the DI with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for the outpatient nutrition setting. Here is an overview of the diverse opportunities provided during the internship:
This four week rotation provides experience with the creation, development, production and marketing of a nutritious food item(s) that meet established nutrition parameters in a hospital setting. Management, human resources exposure, safety and sanitation in relation to food service are also part of this experience.
This one week experience allows interns to gain exposure to dietitians in the research setting.
Two weeks are spent at Boston Children’s Hospital in either the inpatient or outpatient setting to provide the DI with a glimpse of the functions of a pediatric dietitian.
Two weeks out of the 11-month internship the DI has the opportunity to arrange an experience of their choice. With the assistance of the Associate Director, the DI will establish their own goals and objectives. Examples of current special areas of interest established are NICU, eating disorders, private practice/entrepreneur, culinary arts, pediatrics, community, and gastrointestinal disorders.
DIs are split into groups of three to develop and present a business idea or concept during a one week rotation. Examples of past business plans are a roof top garden, meal delivery service, community focused weight management clinic, a cancer focused cookbook and developing a cooking class series.
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