Time Flies When You’re Having Fun
As I write this, there is just over a month left in the internship. I’m baffled at how quickly the past 9 months have gone by and I’m so grateful for everything I have learned. I truly did have so many unique experiences every single place I went. There is no doubt in my mind that I am well prepared to enter into the field of dietetics as a Registered Dietitian because of this program.
If you had told me 9 months ago that our cohort would click as quickly as we did, I wouldn’t have believed you. I would say, there's no way these strangers are going to welcome us with open arms (literally) into their home for orientation week. I would argue that there’s no way that a group of 11 totally different people could become a tight-knit group in a matter of days. But from where I’m standing right now, I can tell you it absolutely is true. Kati and my fellow interns are some of the sweetest, most inspirational people I’ve ever met. They encourage and support me day in and day out and I am so grateful for that. I’m grateful that these ladies who were total strangers to me just 9 months ago are now some of my biggest inspirations and lifelong friends.
Tips For Future Interns:
Always ask what you can do. Be willing to jump in when asked and have a good attitude about it, no matter what the task is!
Communicate, communicate, communicate!!
Be confident- even at the beginning of the DI and at a new rotation. This doesn’t mean thinking that you know everything and don’t need to keep an open mind, but to be confident in what you know & show it! There is always more we can learn; no one knows everything. But being confident in what you do know goes a long way.
Learn everyone’s name at each rotation site and ask how they’re doing when you see them (even if it’s super busy). People really appreciate this.
Get to know your preceptors- they’re people too!
Have fun! Have fun at your rotations and outside of rotation. Of course we want to be professional and put our best foot forward with these preceptors, but we can also have fun while we do it. These 10 months go by faster than you think. Spend time with your fellow interns. Go to the SLO Farmers' Market on Thursdays, go to a concert when your favorite musician is in town, hit the beach on the weekends, have movie nights. Your fellow interns can be some of your biggest supporters and lifelong friends; cherish the time you have with them during this chapter in your life.
A Challenging Year, But So Worth It
Whenever I tell people how far and how often I commute, they always tell me how ridiculous that is and how hard that must be. Since I’m one of the Santa Barbara interns, I do a lot of driving between Ventura County (where I live) and SLO County. And yes, I’m not going to lie, it is tiring sometimes but in the grand scheme of things, it is so worth it. Truth is, when you get this opportunity, to be in an internship, you just make it work. Sure, some drives might be long and filled with traffic but you find things that bring you joy instead of stressing about it. For example, something that’s been really helpful for me throughout the internship has been finding interesting or uplifting podcasts that keep me entertained and put me in a good mood during my drives. Listening to music or calling friends to catch up on my drives has also helped keep me in the right mindset on particularly stressful days.
Jumping In
Something I’ve learned about being an intern is that being willing to jump in and do anything goes a long way with preceptors (and the entire staff!). I’ve also learned that your attitude and demeanor have a big effect on what you’re doing as well. I think we all know this, but it’s easier said than done to be positive and to look for the good in stressful situations. When I was at Carpinteria Unified School District for my Food Service Management Rotation, my preceptor Janet was a fantastic example of this. There were several occasions where we were in stressful situations and trying to juggle a ton of different responsibilities, but despite all of it Janet always had something positive to say. She would find a couple of things about the day that were good or she would talk to me about how much she loves her job. I admired this so much, that Janet not only believes that a positive attitude makes a big difference, but she puts it into practice every single day.
That’s A Wrap
As I finish writing this, I realize this is my last blog post for the Cal Poly DI. I realize that I only have two rotations left. I realize that in just 5 weeks graduation will have come and gone. And I realize that lots of the girls in my cohort will be moving back home. My advice to you, whoever you are-whether you’re a future dietetic intern or not in the field of dietetics at all, live in the moment, be present and make the most of the time you have with the people you care about. There will always be another goal to accomplish or a new chapter to start; don’t forget the hard work it took to get exactly where you are right now.