Registered for Success

Two months. One month. One week. And now, just one short weekend before the very first day of the very first rotation of your dietetic internship.

If you’re thinking it’s time to relax and focus on self-care before this challenging, stress-inducing period of your life begins, you’re right. However, if you’re also thinking about dedicating some of the weekend to setting your first rotation up for success, then you are extra right. And you came to the right blog post.

First Tip. If you haven’t already, reach out to your fellow interns. Your cohort can become one of your BEST support networks. Create a platform for communication, whether it be an app, a group text or a group email (our cohort downloaded GroupMe). Then USE it! Invite your fellow interns to a potluck or a hike, or both like we did! Getting together with other individuals in the same boat as you will ease your stress and build your excitement for the upcoming experience you’re all about to face together!

Second Tip. Familiarize yourself. Before I started my first rotation at a food service management site, I read up on all of the requirements so I understood what I needed to get out of this rotation. Scanning over the small details like formatting, I tried to paint a big picture of what this rotation will look like and what important values and strategies I will employ to accomplish what I need to.

Third Tip.Organize yourself. Whether you’re a binder person, folder person, type A or B, find a way to organize your supplies that works for you. This will make it easier to keep track of syllabi, assignment descriptions and other worksheets you will collect over the next several months. More importantly, it will transition you into the right mindset to start your rotations. After my first week, it was clear that I wouldn’t be going anywhere without my clipboard. When in the food service management rotation, you might walk into the kitchen or a meeting and unexpectedly observe or participate in a new managerial role. Having a clipboard that held my pen, paper and different documents given to me throughout the day was so helpful. Then I would add the documents to my binder at the end of the day!

How these strategies benefited me:

• When I started the GroupMe for my cohort to communicate through, I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually use it. I’m so glad I did however because we all check in, update each other on our various rotations, and plan fun events through it!

• When my preceptor asked me day one what particular roles within food service management I wanted to gain experience in, I showed initiative and preparation when I was able to refer to a list of ideas that I had already reflected on.

• When she asked me to refresh her about one of the projects, I was able to summarize and even pull out the actual description for her to look at.

Most importantly, the night before my first rotation, I cleared all expectations. No one can predict what their first week will look like, but by starting the week feeling supported, organized and familiarized, I was able to confidently hit the ground running no matter what my first week was to bring.

And I still had time to go to the beach!