Dear RD2Be,
Tomorrow is Match Day – the day where you log in to a website and discover if you have been matched to an internship program. A nerve-wracking day. An exciting day. A day that seems to have your whole future depending on it.
One year ago, I was in your situation… Anxious, stressed, and panicked. What was going to happen? It was a lack of control that I never experienced before. But what I learned over the past year has shown me that no matter what happens tomorrow, IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
You probably have heard that before. It seems like whenever we are down or when things aren’t working out the way we planned, someone always says that it’s going to be okay. And that usually is the thing we don’t want to hear.
But trust me, it will be okay.
If you get matched:
Congratulations – you are about to embark a year of learning, discovery, and change.
The one thing I learned this year is that internship is hard. Very, very hard.
I equate internship to working full-time as well as being a full-time student at night. You spend your days in a whirlwind of clinical rotations, community presentations, and interacting with a variety of healthcare professionals, patients, and concerned family members. You spend your nights reviewing current literature on different medical conditions and their nutritional needs, writing papers and case studies, and studying the various diets, recommended nutrient levels, and lab values.
Most days is it exhilarating – you are actually creating care plans and implementing nutrition regimes that help people. You are making a difference in someone’s life.
But there are those days that are not as wonderful. There are the days where you are running behind. Days where it seems no matter what you suggest, it isn’t exactly what someone wanted. There will be days that you will cry, days you will become unbelievably frustrated, and days that you’ll want to quit.
But keep going – don’t let a few bad days ruin an experience that allows you to learn, practice, and hone your skills so that you will emerge one year later as a registered dietitian.
If you don’t get matched:
Congratulations – you are about to embark a year of learning, discovery, and change.
First off, it is going to be okay.
You have a year to continue to explore and hone your skills in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Don’t see this as a sign that you aren’t meant to be a RD… see this as the opposite. You have been given the opportunity to delve into the field, to work and to foster skills that many dietetic interns do not even possess.
Take the DTR exam and become a registered dietetic technician. Become a diet tech, dietary assistant, or nutrition assistant at a local hospital and get actual work experience in a clinical environment, interacting with the food service and dietetics staff. Continue to explore the literature on current diet recommendations and new nutrition guidelines – become knowledgeable of evidenced-based nutrition practice.
Most days is it will exhilarating – you are working in a field that you love. You are interacting with a variety of people, absorbing knowledge that you can only receive through hands-on experience.
But there are those days that are not as wonderful. There are the days where you are running behind. Days where it seems that you are no where closer to achieving your dreams. There will be days that you will cry, days you will become unbelievably frustrated, and days that you’ll want to quit.
But keep going – don’t let a few bad days ruin an experience that allows you to learn, practice, and hone your skills so that you will ultimately emerge as a registered dietitian.
Learn and experience as much as you can. If you choose to undergo match next year, your skills will be the strong foundation for the internship to build upon. You will understand what it’s like to work in a clinical setting. You will understand how the food service/dietetics culture works. You will be strong in your knowledge of evidence-based nutrition practice. You will have worked so hard and it will show.
Ultimately, no matter what tomorrow brings, you will be you… a wonderful, compassionate, hard-working RD2Be. Be proud of where this journey has taken you, but be open to the opportunities that are going to begin to unfold in front of you. And remember, it is going to be okay.
Wishing you all the best of luck tomorrow!
Your fellow RD2Be (and your biggest supporter!),
C
Confessions of a Grad School Foodie 