Educator, Yogi, Researcher, Counselor, and Preceptor.

Alicia Michelson was one of my preceptors at the rotation I recently finished at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI). I had an incredible time with her and the Education Team over the past four weeks and can’t believe how fast it flew by. You know the saying: Time flies when you’re having fun!

Meet Alicia

Even though originally from California, Alicia found herself in Michigan when she went off to college (and ended up spending much more time there than she anticipated). Her interest in the relationship between social & global justice, economy, and food & nutrition inspired her studies, but there was no major offered to encompass all of these. So, she created her own! In her final semester, she took a public health class that “struck a chord” in her, and quickly decided to go for her Master’s in Public Health with a nutrition emphasis. Alicia worked as a research assistant during both her undergrad and graduate studies, which served her well later in her career. After completing the DI (also in Michigan), she earned her RD credentials and moved back to California. Before coming to SDRI, Alicia worked for Stanford as a Diet Assessor and for Riverside County as an Outpatient & Wellness RD. She is now part of the Education Team at SDRI, which is where I had the opportunity to learn from her.

What Is She Doing Now?

Over the past year, Alicia has taken on many responsibilities at SDRI. She launched the DPP (diabetes prevention program) and now coordinates these classes. She teaches DSME/S (diabetes self-management education & support) classes every week, which occasionally include a cooking demo! These classes are also part of research conducted at Sansum. Alicia is available for one-on-one client counseling with participants & patients. Recently, Alicia and the Education Team had the exciting opportunity to write a research protocol and create a curriculum for a new research study specifically working with the Latino population. On top of these major projects and other daily tasks, Alicia also spends time studying for the CDE (certified diabetes educator) exam. I learned quickly that to work at Sansum, you need to be organized, flexible, and open-minded. Every day is different!

There is always a lot going on at SDRI, but there are also opportunities for relaxation & fun. Before my first day, Alicia invited me to their staff’s Wednesday yoga class. This became a weekly habit for me, and it was the perfect mid-week activity to start the morning off with co-workers! From the beginning, Alicia made sure I had ample opportunity to formally meet other staff members and learn about all of their research projects & programs. I quickly felt like part of the team and appreciated being invited to exercise, celebrate birthdays in the office, and attend Education Team meetings.

Standout Qualities of a Terrific Preceptor

It was initially clear to me that Alicia wanted me to get the most out of my rotation at SDRI, and she truly cared that I was earning my competencies. There are many reasons why Alicia makes a terrific preceptor, and one of them is her organization & clear expectations. She was prepared to receive me the morning I first walked in, and already had a few ideas in mind for some of my projects. She allowed me to choose how to spend my time there because she wanted me to have the experience I needed to get that much closer to being entry-level ready. I felt trusted to work independently and appreciated the prompt feedback she offered for my work. One quality that I admire about Alicia is that she always invites but never forces growth. After my first day, she asked me if I wanted to teach a DSME/S cooking demo & nutrition class with her the following morning. She didn’t make me feel like she expected me to do it, and probably wouldn’t have minded if I had chosen to merely observe that first class. But the way she invited me to do things made me feel like she believed I could do it and that she would be there to support my efforts. And ultimately it always led to me wholeheartedly saying “Sure! I’m in."

This encouraging way of teaching me and positive attitude gave me the confidence to jump into more opportunities. I asked if I could wear a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) in order to relate better to participants with T1DM. The next day, someone came into the office I was working in and offered to hook me up! Alicia and the team were happy that I was open to this experience, and they were eager to show me how to use the CGM and analyze my data.

Alicia showed me the importance of staying up to date with research in the field you work in. She is able to confidently answer participants’ questions with to-the-point, science-based information, acknowledging when research is limited. She especially shines in group settings where she meets each participant where they are at, whether that be in relation to their diagnosis or diabetes education level. I witnessed Alicia taking extra time with people who needed it, in both one-on-one client counseling as well as helping new class participants join the group late in the series.

What I Love About Her Job

There are many aspects of Alicia’s job that I found exciting, including being part of making research happen at the institute. SDRI has a rich history in Santa Barbara, and it is rewarding to work for a non-profit organization. Working with a multi-disciplinary team is something I will look for in my career, along with a relaxed work environment and supportive office culture. With that being said, there are still many moving pieces to juggle while working at SDRI- and there is never a dull moment! I like that Alicia’s job allows her to teach in group settings, have a hand in research, counsel one-on-one, lead cooking demos, gain cultural sensitivity and practice Spanish, and grow within her field by being encouraged to earn another credential.

You Can Do Anything!

I thoroughly enjoyed all my time at SDRI, and I owe that to my preceptors. I am grateful to have been invited into Alicia’s world for four weeks and want to emulate her characteristics when I host my own interns one day. I knew that she expected (and believed) that I would create quality work, but not once did she tell me I had to do something a certain way or make me feel pressured or anxious. Alicia helps you grow by making you feel like you can do anything, and I want to make dietetic interns feel that way one day, too.

![endif]--

![endif]--