Before becoming a clinical dietitian at UAB Hospital, Guang Ren, Ph.D., R.D.,L.D., spent years conducting scientific research with cells and animal models. His transition from research to direct patient care began during an internship with Live HealthSmart Alabama’s (LHSA) Mobile Wellness team in the spring of 2025.
“My internship with LHSA was a transformative milestone in my career. This was the critical first step that made everything I do today possible,” said Guang. “I still remember talking to my very first patient alongside Dr. Norwood; it was a huge start for me.”
Over the course of his two-month internship, Guang traveled with LHSA’s Mobile Wellness team throughout the Birmingham area, completing more than 210 face-to-face consultations across 22 clinic events and delivering nutrition assessments and dietary counseling to community members.
Beyond providing Mobile Wellness consultations, Guang helped strengthen LHSA’s nutrition education efforts by developing three culturally and linguistically tailored educational resources and creating standardized nutrition labels for 42 recipes. He also applied the Nutrition Care Process and motivational interviewing techniques to help community members establish meaningful, health-focused SMART goals.
His experience with the Mobile Wellness unit also proved invaluable as Guang prepared for the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam.
“Many questions on the RD exam are practical and highly situational,” Guang explained. “Without related hands-on experience, especially in community settings, it is easy to get completely lost. After passing my exam on the first attempt and becoming a registered dietitian, I truly appreciate my LHSA experience and I will recommend LHSA to all my future interns!”
Today, Guang serves as a clinical dietitian at UAB Hospital, where he provides nutrition assessments, interventions, consultations, and education while working alongside a multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurses, students, and other healthcare professionals.
As he looks ahead in his career, Guang hopes to stay connected to the program, saying he is “more than happy to support LHSA, Mobile Wellness, and community education as a volunteer in the future.”
Guang’s experience reflects the shared commitment of LHSA and the UAB School of Health Professions to preparing future healthcare professionals through experiential learning.