Clinical Experience
The experience that has prepared me the most for my future career as a dietitian is the 2+ years I spent as a dietetic technician at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL. I answered patient phone calls, assisted patients with placing their order, and ensured that they followed the guidelines set by their prescribed diet. As a result of this experience, I am now very familiar with all of the prescribed diets, the restrictions for each of these diets, as well as how to use Computrition software including Hospitality Suite and Epic. This experience has provided me with a great foundation for clinical dietetics.
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Community Experience
For two summers, I volunteered at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, helping run the Summer Foods program. This program allows low-income kids ages 1-18 access to free, healthy meals in the summer that would normally be provided for them while they are in school. Working with this diverse population has opened my eyes to the need for these types of programs and has been a very rewarding experience.
Food Service Experience
While most of the time at Carle I was in the diet office answering patient phone calls, I have also been trained and have helped on the tray line in the kitchen. I have helped assemble trays in the kitchen, organize trays onto their respective carts, and have delivered trays to patients as well.