Testimonial
Throughout my traineeship, I experienced several opportunities that involved community engagement. My opportunity with the MCH program allowed me to work with additional trainees from other similar programs across the country. I also had the opportunity to engage and collaborate with trainees from other disciplines. I had the privilege of attending the LEND leadership training workshop, Making Lifelong Connections Conference (MLC) in San Diego, California, the PPC Annual School Healthcare Training Event, and the border tour in Nogales, Mexico. The border tour, with a focus on border health, was a particularly memorable and incredible experience. I was proud and grateful for the opportunity to present my Capstone project at the poster session at the MLC conference. This was another valuable experience that encouraged networking with current and former trainees.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, my clinic attendance was virtual most of the time; however, when appropriate I did participate in clinic visits at the Center. I enjoyed shadowing the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis dietitian and gained valuable knowledge. During these clinic visits, I became more and more comfortable with communicating with patients and with the interdisciplinary team. I have always enjoyed attending the Pediatric CF clinic while also gaining more disease-specific nutritional knowledge. These clinic visits provided further enrichment by experiencing the social, mental, and emotional aspects of managing the chronic illness of CF.