Just a FEW Reasons Why This Lady Boss is Worth Knowing- A Preceptor Profile

Caitlin Johnson is a private practice registered dietitian (RD), with a specialty in integrative and functional medicine. This means she does not just look at treating diseases, but looks at the “why”, as in the underlying cause of the disease, and sees what the individual person needs in order to promote their optimal wellness. She looks at everything she can do for each one of her clients, starting with their lifestyle, lab work, medical history, genetics, what motivates them, and more. She turns away from the traditional western medicine approach and focuses on the social and emotional connections to health. A quote straight from her website, “Feeding your mind and soul assists you in feeding your body the best food. Let's choose pomegranates and pears over prescriptions.” When I was reading this before I started my rotations with her, I was instantly charmed. Although we hadn’t met at this point, I felt like I knew her already due to how real and relatable she is on her blogs, Instagram, and website (and just wait until you meet her in person!!). Caitlin’s way of looking at disease treatment, along with her successful business and powerful personality, made me so excited to start working with this inspirational “lady boss”.

Caitlin graduated with her bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and completed her dietetic internship at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Caitlin knew that after she passed the RD exam, she would want to have her own private practice. However, in undergraduate courses and in some internships, students do not get much experience in business. She took it upon herself to learn everything she could about business, and kick started her own company “Caitlin Johnson, RD Inc.” She passed out flyers to different doctors’ offices around the area, promoted herself on social media, and suddenly she was having an influx of clients. After a few years of counseling patients in many different areas of nutrition, (diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease, etc.), Caitlin knew she wanted to specialize in what she is most passionate about, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and fertility. She narrowed down her private practice and is currently focusing on helping women with PCOS with fertility and managing their disease. With PCOS, it can be difficult to become pregnant. However, through Caitlin’s different approaches to increase her clients’ fertility and confidence, many of them have become successful in getting pregnant despite their diagnosis.

Although a short rotation (I blinked and all of a sudden it was over), the amount of knowledge I have attained is immeasurable. It has been such an incredible experience because every single day I saw Caitlin make a huge difference in her clients' lives. I was lucky enough to have been able to sit in on some of Caitlin’s counseling sessions (all virtual due to the pandemic), in which she went over lab results, herbal supplements, possible treatment options, overall check-ins on how they are holding up, and more. Some of her clients would come into the appointment feeling stressed or defeated, and she would talk to them for a bit, get to the bottom of the issue, and make useful and attainable recommendations for them to implement. The smiles that they would have at the end of the appointment is something I will never forget. Since Caitlin has her own private practice, she sees many of the same patients every few weeks. They really establish a strong personal bond that I have learned to be integral when wanting to maintain and grow your business. Caitlin can be a close confidant, but also an extremely educated professional that will give her clients the guidance that they need. Her ability to connect and relate to every one of her clients/ potential clients is truly a sight to see.

In my experience with Caitlin I found her to be very generous with her time. She is an incredible teacher, who is kind, patient, and insightful, and always asked me if I had any questions. We were able to have multiple one-on-one meetings where we discussed my professional goals and aspirations, and gave me invaluable advice on how I can get to a place I want to be when I become a RD. Caitlin has opened my mind to so many different possibilities for my future career and has provided me with tools to help me get there.

One of my favorite days of this rotation was when Caitlin and I, along with another dietitian, went on a hike and discussed business strategies. Not many people get to say they have their business meetings in the beautiful outdoors!

Caitlin truly motivated me to become a future private practice dietitian. To be able to become an expert in the field of nutrition you are passionate about, educate, and make a relationship with each of your clients, is something that I have always dreamed of doing. Although only four weeks, I feel so grateful to have been invited into Caitlin's world and see the way she looks at nutrition, treatment, and life. I have left this rotation with an abundance of information on business strategies, sales, supplements, and different ways to manage diseases. But, what I hold most dear to my heart is that I made a true friend while working with her for these past few weeks.

Caitlin's advice to interns and future RD's: "Find what you are passionate in. Lean into that. Do not let the advice of 'you have to put two years into clinical before doing anything else' hold you back from exploring other opportunities. Remember that you are treating a human in front of you, not labs, symptoms, or a diagnosis. Often times patients/ clients really need you to 'hear' them to accept any help that you offer. And finally, find a mentor!"