Don’t be afraid to ask away!

It’s really hard to believe that in 3 weeks I will be finished with my dietetic internship! I can remember my first day of rotations as if it was yesterday…. There are so many experiences and lessons that have been learned as an intern during these last 9 months that I am eternally grateful for. And while I would love to share all of them with you, I’ll save you some time ;) and talk about what I think is the most important thing I learned as an intern up to this point.

It’s really a simple concept that I think some people struggle with - I know that I did - and that is to always ask for what you want. This is YOUR internship. You can either take what’s given to you and be fine with it, or you can create opportunities for yourself and make this time meaningful to you. Here at Cal Poly, we are fortunate to be able to have some input as to what rotations we would like to choose, but once you get to that rotation, your fate is in your hands. Your preceptors will provide guidance as to what they would like for you to accomplish and learn, but honestly what you want to accomplish and learn is pertinent. Simply addressing these things can make all the difference in a rotation.

I feel like I struggled with this concept in the beginning of my internship. I consider myself an outgoing and assertive person for the most part, but as a dietetic intern starting my internship I wasn’t as confident going into rotations. It’s really funny to look back and think about times when I didn’t ask certain things because I was timid and worried. During my first rotation at the Public Health Department I quickly realized that you create opportunities by asking for them. I was really interested in going to Lompoc’s health care clinic because at that facility there is a pediatric doctor and therefore pediatric patients. The dietitians at Lompoc started a “red light, green light” program to combat the obesity epidemic that is unfortunately being seen in this younger population. My original schedule presented to me did not include going to Lompoc because my preceptor was considerate about the longer commute associated with sending me there. At this point in my internship I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to ask for a schedule change or question what was being given. Kati, Cal Poly’s internship director, is very wonderful and offers great advice throughout the internship. She definitely had a big influence in assuring me to always ask and communicate with preceptors your goals and values for each rotation. Her encouragement helped me gain the confidence to ask my preceptor to include this experience. I am so happy that I did because seeing the pediatric patients in Lompoc was not only an amazing learning opportunity, but it was also so much fun! Preceptors for the most part are happy to accommodate your preferences. It’s important to know that sometimes you won’t get what you want but it’s always better to ask than to wonder “what if.”

Not only should you ask for what you want, but in general just ask anything!!

Ask questions about things you don’t know. There is a Danish proverb that says, “He who is afraid of asking is afraid of learning.” Don’t be afraid of learning!!

Ask your preceptors for advice: Both advice that is dietetic related and advice about life in general. Your preceptors are full of life experience and wisdom - take advantage of that knowledge! Also, don’t be afraid to ask about possible job opportunities within the company if you are truly interested where you rotate through; that could lead to potential job offers like it has for me at DaVita!

Ask your director and peers for help: I love that I can go to my director and fellow interns with any problems I have. They’re always there to help guide me, give great advice and most importantly, bring lots of laughter and happiness to my life.

Ask yourself what your goals are and what you can do to be better every day: Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it!

This internship has taught me so much and I will be a better future RD because of it. The biggest take-away from this is you get in life what you have the courage to ask for, so ask away and have no regrets!

"If you don’t ask the answer will always be no." – Nora Roberts

"You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." - Orpah Winfrey

"You create your opportunities by asking for them." - Shakti Gawain

"Don’t wait for the right opportunity; create it." -George Bernard Shaw

"He who is afraid of asking is afraid of learning." -Danish proverb