Finding Comfort in Being Uncomfortable

“The one thing you learn is when you can step out of your comfort zone and be uncomfortable, you see what you're made of and who you are.” -Sue Bird

I was two months into my clinical rotation and working with an extremely intelligent and thorough new preceptor who holds high expectations for dietetic interns. I was intimidated. I guess I was suffering from what they call ‘Imposter Syndrome.’ The following questions were going through by head at the time": What if I’m not smart enough? What if I don’t have what it takes? What if I make a big mistake? What if I get a bad review?”

That week I was working with patients who had complicated procedures, one being the Whipple. I really wanted to do well that week and prove my capabilities to my preceptor, so I began reading up on the procedure for my nutrition assessment. At that point, I thought I understood the procedure well enough, but when asked to explain the procedure to my preceptor, I was missing some pertinent information. I felt disappointed in myself in that moment.

“Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off excellent.” -Wendy Flynn

She explained to me that I am not expected to understand everything about the procedure. That is the purpose of being a dietetic intern - to learn new things and have different experiences along the way. If I knew everything already, I would not be in this position as an intern with the opportunity to work with knowledgeable and experienced RDs. It is always possible to spend time researching and gathering information, but there is something to be said about learning by doing and through experience.

When you are surrounded by experts, don't miss your chance on asking for advice.

An important lesson I’ve learned so far in the my dietetic internship is to never be afraid to ask for help. Specifically, I have noticed the strong community feeling displayed by all of the RDs; they are all always willing to help each other. For example, there might be an RD who is an expert in a certain condition, like diabetes, who might not be as knowledgeable in an illness, like cancer. That RD will go to a colleague who has more experience in the topic of cancer. Everyone in this community asks for advice, for clarification, and most of all they are not afraid of looking for any kind of help.

What I’ve learned most about being an RD during my rotation so far, is that the learning never stops. There is absolutely no way you will ever learn everything, but there are always going to be new conditions to learn, updated information from studies, and more to learn from other RDs in your community.

While it isn’t enjoyable having feelings of discomfort, knowing that I am out of my comfort zone means I am growing and on my way to achieving my goals. If we’re too comfortable, then we won’t move forward. Since learning this, I now look forward to the challenges ahead and continuing to learn throughout my career. I can’t wait to see what I’ll learn tomorrow, during the rest of my internship rotations, and continue to learn once I officially become a registered dietitian.