Embrace The Chaos
As many of you know, the path to becoming a dietitian is not always an easy one. The time and financial commitment involved, particularly when taking on an internship, can deter many aspiring dietitians from taking that next step. It was almost enough to stop me.
My path to an internship probably looks a little different than most. I had multiple pit stops and started a family along the way. Ten years after starting my prereqs, I am now mother to four children under the age of 10 and the thought of taking on an internship at this point in my life was daunting, to say the least. We all have our own obstacles to overcome and responsibilities to juggle, and I am no different, but I worried that I might not be capable of doing it all, so much so that I almost didn’t apply.
And that was pre-COVID. Thankfully I did apply and was beyond thrilled to match with Cal Poly, but suddenly I was faced with not only navigating my intern year as a busy parent but doing so in the midst of a pandemic when schools are closed and childcare scarce. Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart in the best of times. Throw in a dietetic internship with a side of COVID and you’ve got a recipe for chaos.
The most essential skill I have learned so far as an intern is how to be adaptable in the face of all the chaos and uncertainty. Other skills will come with time and practice, but learning to roll with the punches will serve you well in your intern year and beyond. I enjoy a certain degree of predictability and order, and I am sure many of you can relate. But you can’t plan for everything as this year has certainly taught us, so I say, learn to embrace the chaos.
That’s not to say there isn’t room for all the planning and organization we hold so dear. Keeping yourself and your work organized can help anchor you through the storm. So, here are a few practical tips to keep you organized and on track in uncertain times:
Invest in a planner to keep track of important assignments and due dates (while I personally prefer a traditional datebook, digital works too)
Designate a binder (or folder on your desktop) for all of your assignments and rotation-specific resources
Stock up on notebooks for taking notes at your rotation sites
Keep your DPD textbooks and references handy, you will refer back to them often!
And most importantly, don’t forget to take a moment to breathe. Find something that brings you peace and joy and do it often. For me, that’s enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea and taking a quiet moment to flip through a beautiful cookbook. For others, it may be running, yoga, meditation, reading, hiking…you name it. You do you.
Even without the chaos of COVID and the other curveballs life may throw your way, your intern year will test you. I had no illusions that this year would be an easy one, but there have also been days so fulfilling they remind me why I chose this path for myself. So, my advice to you is, stay flexible and be open to all the learning opportunities that will most certainly come your way. And for anyone out there who may be wondering if they can really do it all, you never know what you are capable of until you try.
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