Where's the Confidence?

By now, I am used to continually being evaluated at my different rotation sites, but it doesn’t necessarily get any easier. When people are telling you what they see in you week after week, it can be confusing as you further explore your own view of your strengths and weaknesses. Preceptors may bring to light character traits you never considered, and it may change your thinking about the course of your career path.

I recently had a preceptor tell me I’m not confident enough. Ouch, right? Well, not exactly.

I was actually grateful she took the time to point out an area for growth and have a conversation with me about how to develop more confidence throughout my career. She really cared about me and my success as an intern and future RD, which meant a lot.

This preceptor saw my strong abilities shine through a blog post I wrote and was puzzled as to why I don’t present myself with the confidence to accompany my impressive writing skills and nutrition knowledge. I think being in the less-experienced role of an intern and constantly being the new person in an office can lead to some feelings of doubt if we let it. In this instance, I let feelings of inadequacy creep in and held back from my full potential. Granted, I was at an eating disorder treatment center and tried to be cautious, but my preceptor let me know it was okay to jump in and walk with my head high because I had the skills and knowledge to back me up.

Through this experience (and many others), I learned that I am not just an “intern,” but that I have a lot to offer to each site I rotate through.

At rotations, you may shadow your preceptor some of the time, but for the most part, you’re the one leading the nutrition lessons, prepping the recipe, assessing the patients, and coming up with your own creative ideas about how to contribute to the site. This is empowering yet intimidating. I hope interns realize they are fully capable of being successful and that it’s okay show it! I also have learned that confidence does not develop overnight. My preceptor kindly told me that confidence naturally grows with more experience and age, and that it’s normal to not be 100% sure of ourselves yet in this stage of our career. This doesn’t mean we can’t start developing it now in concrete ways such as keeping a list of wins/strengths to reference in times of doubt.

Through all the ups and downs of the internship, I have also learned the importance of spending time with fellow interns and leaning on them for support.

No one knows what you are experiencing every day better than them. We all help each other talk through ever-changing career interests, challenges we are facing, and of course, we celebrate the wins!

After working in the rewarding, yet tough area of eating disorders and attending lectures on self-care, I have really learned the importance of work/life balance. Stepping away from the computer and exploring the beautiful central coast with my newfound family of interns has provided that balance, helped me not take myself too seriously, and created memories I will never forget.

Remember: when you are checking all the boxes of what it takes to be a successful dietetic intern and performing successfully, don’t forget the confidence!

Here’s to believing in yourself and using your support system to create the work/life balance you deserve!