Emmaline Peterson

Alumni Office, Nutritional Sciences

College taught Peterson how to analyze research and apply it to her role in a clinical setting

Major/year graduated

Dietetics and Culinary Science, 2021

Current occupation/location

MICU Clinical RD at Grady in Atlanta

What do you love about your current role?

I value my independence and take pride in my contributions during medical team rounds, particularly by bringing attention to nutrition which can often be overlooked in critical trauma settings

How did your time at FACS help prepare you for your life or career?:

FACS helped me feel confident in my professional interactions and also strengthened my ability to critically analyze research and apply it to nutrition therapy for my patients

What advice would you give current students who aspire to a similar career?

If clinical is the route you’d like to go as an RD, I would recommend asking for more time in the ICU/hospital rotations during your internship, especially if that is not a big focus of your program. It’s so worth it later on, as it took me a while to really feel like I understood everything and could apply it confidently. Knowing what to do is good, but knowing why must come first.

How do you stay connected to UGA or the FACS community?

I stay connected by still following all of the UGA FACs and SDA instagrams! It’s so fun to see the new committees as well as everyone passing their RD exams! Also love to know where everyone is going too, there are so many niche and interesting jobs out there.