Preceptor Spotlight

Angela Charlton, RDN, CSO
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Community Health Educator
Carilion Clinic, Community Health and Outreach

What is your current role and what brought you to your current position?
I work at Carilion Clinic in Community Health and Outreach as a health educator, dietetic student preceptor, and coordinator for Morningside Urban Farm in Southeast Roanoke.  I began this role in January 2020 after working over two decades in clinical oncology, palliative care, and hospice.  It was a leap of faith. I still loved working in all of those areas, but I found myself increasingly gravitating toward opportunities to work on a larger scale with the general public, especially in terms of disease prevention, survivorship, and wellness. When a new position in Community Health and Outreach opened, it seemed to offer a unique fit.

What does a typical day or week look like in your current position?
Most of my time is spent planning, presenting, or assisting with programs and events that help CHO meet identified needs of the community. The more comprehensive projects often involve collaboration with community partners.  Educational events and other activities are generally held in person at Morningside Urban Farm, health fairs, clinical and community-based settings, or through virtual formats such as web-x. The pandemic has required us to use more digital platforms since we’ve been restricted in our capacity to offer indoor and some outdoor classes this year.

What types of interactions can a student expect when they work with you?
The students spend time shadowing and interacting with several CHO staff members to help them appreciate the array of different services provided through this department.  Between April and October, we can expect to spend time at Morningside farm, participating in some of the day-to-day operations, as well as hosting classes and other events.  Typically, this might include coordinating several neighborhood festivals, all of which unfortunately had to be cancelled this year.  Students have also assisted with a Farm-to Table Cookbook, developed nutrition education curricula and handouts, conducted in-person and virtual classes, created cooking videos, participated in health fairs, and the community health assessment.

What do you enjoy most about being a preceptor?
To me, the best part is being able to offer students a variety of opportunities that can hopefully tap into their own personal interests and serve as a source of inspiration moving forward.

What advice would you give to a future student or wish you would have known as a dietetics student?
Find your passion in the work that you do, which is not to encourage or discourage you from seeking that perfect job. Rather, it is to suggest infusing whatever work you choose to do with that which most enlivens you.  

A fun fact about Angela
Working at the Roanoke Natural Foods Cooperative as a teenager was instrumental in my decision to pursue an education in nutrition. In particular, it created a desire to understand fact versus fiction, especially as it related to wellness and wellbeing.