Be a Sponge!

To be honest, being a Dietetic intern can be a little chaotic and nerve-wrecking at times. With every rotation, you’re basically starting a new job every month or so – and you are always the “new guy”. However, being new isn’t so bad; being from the outside really gives you a different perspective. You are able to observe what’s going on around you: what the workplace is like, meet so many different people, get a glimpse into their struggles and successes, and learn something new every day.

As interns we definitely have our hands full with projects, assignments, and learning new skills, but what I have come to learn is that we need to treasure our time at each rotation. Like a sponge we need to absorb as much as we can of each experience, each lesson, each failure, and each success we experience and observe.

In one of my past clinical rotations, my preceptor really took me under her wing. During my time with her, I learned so much about dietetics and life in general. She jokingly stated that she “was now my grandma” and wanted to give me as much advice as possible in my time with her. We would often have long chats where she would give me a million and one things to think about. Whether they were pieces of advice, warnings, or information, I would simply listen and try to take in everything she would say.

However, unlike a sponge, who simply absorbs and expels, we should be able to absorb and then utilize every new thing that we’ve learned.

Me with my preceptor and chef at SLCUSD!

My first catering event!

In my current rotation at SLCUSD, I’ve been advised by both my preceptor and the RD to use my experiences to learn and improve myself as much as possible. On separate occasions, funnily enough, both ended up giving me the exact same advice. They both told me that as a dietetic intern it’s important that I watch and observe how others do things and take what I like from each person I meet. For example, when watching how each person acts as a leader, I can think about what I like about their leadership style, what skills would best fit me, and what I might not like about their style. I am then able to take what I learned, adjust it to fit my style, and then use it for myself.

I always learn something new from my fellow interns!

I strongly believe this can apply to dietetics, our professional lives, and even our personal lives. We can always find opportunities to learn something new from everyone we meet, even if it's something small like a new tip on how to wrap a burrito, or something bigger like how to drive a car. We don’t always have to agree with what we are taught; however, we should never stop trying to learn more and improve ourselves. Throughout this program we have seen so many new things and have had the chance to meet so many new people with different views, styles, techniques, and personalities.

So, be a sponge! Absorb new information every day. But also, be more than a sponge. Learn from others after absorbing and take what you like to help you grow and improve. After all, we are all a collection of everyone we’ve ever met and perhaps even a part of other’s as well.