Dietetics & Nutritional Sciences Student Placements
Testimonials
As my placement at Mildmay comes to an end, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude and share my thoughts on this incredible experience.
My name is William Stivaletta, and I am a second-year Dietetics Student. Over the past three weeks, I had the privilege of working alongside a fellow student during our Public Health Placement at Mildmay.
During my time at Mildmay, I had the opportunity to delve into the intricate workings of the Hospital. Interacting with the various teams, I gained invaluable insights into the comprehensive care provided at Mildmay. Witnessing the dedication and excellence of your team left me truly impressed and inspired.
I consider myself immensely fortunate to have been granted this opportunity. The importance of teamwork became evident as we strived to achieve the best possible outcomes for the patients.
Exploring different pathways, including HIV, Detox, and Homeless care, opened my eyes to the diverse challenges faced by healthcare providers.
The main focus of my project was to assess the protein content of the in-house and external catering for the texture modified diet and align the menu with the new Nutrition and Hydration Digest guidelines. The experience has been both enlightening and transformative. The main objectives included evaluating food provision based on IDDSI levels, creating an accessible report outlining meal options and fortification guidance, and expanding food choices through collaboration with external catering providers. The project aimed to bridge dietary gaps, particularly for vegetarian patients, emphasizing a food-first approach to care and offering practical strategies for enriching meals. The comprehensive report provides menu ideas, stock management solutions, and a roadmap for improved patient nutrition and well-being at Mildmay Hospital
To the entire Mildmay team, I extend my heartfelt appreciation. From the warm welcome to the friendly smiles, you made me feel like an integral part of the team. The knowledge and support you generously shared with me have been invaluable. It has truly been a pleasure collaborating with each and every one of you.
Once again, thank you, Mildmay, for the support, guidance, and inspiration you provided during my placement. I will always cherish this experience and the memories I've gained.
William Stivaletta
Second-year Dietetics Student
London Metropolitan University
Kings College London
As part of our Dietetics MSc course at King’s College London, we had the opportunity to complete a three-week public health placement at the Mildmay Hospital. During this time, our main project focused on creating a recipe cookbook that addressed the specific needs of the hospital’s patients. The aim was to provide recipes that were not only nutritious but also budget-friendly, convenient and written in a clear, easy-to-understand format.
Aside from our project, we have really enjoyed getting to know the hospital, all the members of staff and all the patients. We enjoyed taking part in the life skill sessions, the debate groups and the MDT meetings.
The lightbulb moment for us was truly understanding and connecting with people we might not normally encounter. We spent time speaking with patients who had experienced substance misuse and homelessness, learning about their lives and developing a much deeper sense of empathy for individuals facing those challenges.
We’d love to say a huge thank you to everyone at Mildmay Hospital, and especially to our supervisor Kattya for making us feel so welcome and for generously sharing their knowledge with us.
Charlotte Fuller
Finn Cotterill
Final Year MSc Dietetics Students at King’s College London)
Hello, my name is Tioluwa, and I am a final-year dietetics student who has had the amazing opportunity to undertake my public health placement at Mildmay Mission Hospital.
With Mildmay being (to the best of my knowledge) the first hospital (serving the NHS) to adopt a whole-menu approach to sustainability, it has been so rewarding to work alongside a fellow student from the university (Lara), Specialist Dietitian Kattya Mayre-Chilton and the wider multidisciplinary and catering team to evaluate how the new low carbon emission winter menu meets both nutritional targets and patient expectations.
It has been heart-warming to see how patients’ thoughts, values and experiences are valued at Mildmay and actively elicited to help support service improvement. Kattya's ongoing work with students who have come before us has really inspired me to see how dietitians/nutritionists can take the lead in developing a greener food and catering service within the NHS. I look forward to continuing this in my professional career and personal life.
Lastly, I want to say a massive thank you to Kattya and everyone at Mildmay, who are all so knowledgeable, warm, and supportive. You have all made these past three weeks such a rewarding and unforgettable time.
Tioluwa Ajao
Final-Year Dietetics
Kings College London
This is my final public health placement as part of the Masters in Dietetics at Kings College London. It has been a privilege to be working on such an innovative and impactful initiative. It has been a pleasure to be given the responsibility to help develop the new low-carbon menu at Mildmay and to be working alongside the NHS England chefs and dietitians to help collaboratively work toward reducing carbon emissions of the NHS within their food and catering industries.
I look forward to seeing the new winter menu roll out this Winter - a massive thank you to Kattya for overseeing this project and giving us this great opportunity.
Charlotte Turner
Registered Nutritionist and Student Dietitian
My name is Layana, and I'm a fourth-year Dietetics Student. I worked with a fellow student on our Public Health Placement at Mildmay. We were asked to create a resource that would benefit patients regarding healthy nutritional advice and guidance.
We explored the way Mildmay works and got the chance to work with all the lovely teams there! We learned a lot about practising a patient-care approach and observed the Multidisciplinary Team work together to reach the best outcomes for their patients.
It was very interesting working with patients on all pathways (HIV, Detox and Homeless) as it was eye-opening to listen to their stories. I observed the challenges that may occur daily and how these barriers are overcome. The impact the staff had on all the patients, and the amazing input of the dietitian there, have inspired me to work hard to give back to the world as a dietitian.
Thank you, Mildmay, for supporting me through this placement. Your warm welcome and friendly smiles have made me feel a sense of belonging within your team. Thank you for all the knowledge and support you gave me; it has been such a pleasure working with you all!
Hi my name is Mahmoud, a final-year dietetics student. I and a fellow dietetics student conducted our public health placement at Mildmay, and it was absolutely amazing.
The team here are brilliant, and I really felt at home the moment I walked through the doors. The atmosphere and energy of the team are like no other. From the patient-centred care to inclusive, multidisciplinary meetings, Mildmay is a wonderful place to work.
As part of our placement, we developed various resources for the team. These included: 13 budget-friendly recipes, a shopping list, an information sheet on BDA recommendations and detox nutrition information, 7-day menus (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and a report on patient satisfaction.
I want to say a massive thank you to the team at Mildmay and especially to Kattya, our inspiring supervisor. I hope to work with you all again!
Mildmay Hospital provided the opportunity for me to learn about several different areas of dietetics and their application to the specific service users at the site. I developed an understanding of how a multidisciplinary team of professionals work together to support patients on structured pathways and the important considerations of care planning.
The aim of my placement was ‘to contribute towards improvements in nutritional care for Mildmay service users – both whilst resident and post-discharge.' This aim, along with the work I produced, heightened my awareness of a dietitian’s role in public health and how valuable our contribution can be.
I believe the experience and knowledge from this placement will be extremely valuable as I progress in my career, and I am very grateful for the opportunity and support during my time at the hospital.
Isabella S
Find out more about student placements:
In the first instance, please contact Mildmay's Registered Manager, Teri Milewska: teri.milewska@nhs.net