10
Things you’ll need to Survive (& Thrive) the DI
By: Brooke Welcher-Miner
Whether you’re internship is
3-4 large rotations at 1 or 2 sites or 10+ shorter rotations all at different
facilities, the end goal is to successfully finish your dietetic internship
with at least some of your sanity still in tact. As I round 3rd heading towards
home (cheers to less than 100 days left), I thought I’d share a few things I’ve
learned over the last 8 months as a dietetic intern. From products to tips and tactics, here’s my
Top 10 Dietetic Intern Essentials for those of you just getting started.
1.
An extra
30 minutes. I promise you, you will never be so paranoid
about being late in your life. So you’re
a little late for that dinner with your friends or to that dentist appointment
you almost forgot about, no big deal right?
Your dietetic internship is an entirely different ball game. Your future depends on the evaluations you
receive from your preceptors. After all,
one or even some of them have to be your references when applying for
jobs. Often you’ll wish you had just
FIVE MORE MINUTES, that traffic wouldn’t be a thing, or that the elevators
didn’t move at the speed of molasses.
End all be all though, is that you, the intern, are responsible for your
own success. Your preceptors want you to
success, as we interns are the future of dietetics. They are there to help guide and support you,
but they are not there to hold your hand.
Time is precious so pack that lunch the night before, have your bag
ready to roll, and set that alarm. If
your journey to rotations goes smoothly, well then you’ll be early and you can
relax or choose to be productive…but if it’s not, you’re prepared to hit a few
bumps in the road. (Side note: sometimes
major things do happen and they are completely out of your control to where the
30 minutes still don’t help. Pray these
things happen on day one of the rotation for a little extra leniency but if
they don’t, make sure you have your preceptor’s direct contact information. CALL THEM!
Explain the situation, apologize, and when you do arrive be ready to
dive in a little extra)
2.
Thank
You Cards. My personal take is that a handwritten thank
you card is going to be 100x more personal than a generic thank you email. Of course you can supplement the thank-you
card with more for your favorite preceptors if you wish, but by no means should
you feel obligated to do so. I’m a
Target junkie so my thank you card collection just keeps growing, but depending
on the number of different preceptors you will have throughout your internship,
two-6 card packets should do the trick.
Make your way on over to the Target
Dollar Bins right this very instant, they’re only $3/pack.
3.
Hand
lotion. Although there is no shortage of hand sanitizer
pumps or hand washing sinks, you won’t find any lotion stations to save you
from dry, cracked hands. With all the
disease prevention measures you do on a daily basis, I promise you you’ll want
to make this small investment. Since
you’re in the hospital setting, make sure you choose something unscented since
people can be extra sensitive to certain smells. I prefer Cetaphil
Moisturizing Cream in the 3-ounce
size. It’s fragrance-free,
non-comedogenic, made for dry skin, and the sample size fits perfectly in your
lab coat pocket with out taking up much room.
You can find it at Wal-Mart for around $7 for the 3-ounce size.
4.
A
planner. Me, I’ve had planners since I was in the 7th
grade. I could tell you the exact date I
broke up with my boyfriend in 2006 or when my O-Chem final was in ’08. That’s just the Type A in me. If color coordination and Post-It notes
excite you, then I don’t need to convince you (proceed to #5). If that’s not you, I suggest you start with
baby steps. Buy the planner. Write in the
planner. You can go to Big Lots and get one for a couple bucks
or you could go all out and splurge on an Erin
Condren, it’s all up to you.
Regardless of what route you choose though, having a planner to keep
your life on track from assignments, to contacting preceptors, to that lunch
date with mom you really need to squeeze in, the next 6-18 months of your life
are going to require a little bit more attention to detail. Remember, time is precious (see #1). I get we have smart phones and Google
calendars and everything under the sun to keep us on track these days, but
there just something about the good old handwritten planner. If nothing else, you get to religiously mark
of the days as you inch closer and closer to becoming an RD. (Confession: I employ all of these scheduling tactics
because I might have a problem with being an over-meticulous planner…or so my
friends tell me)5. A Calculator. This shouldn’t come as a surprise but many people like to second their phone for this purpose. You’re dietetic internship is your gateway to your career. You don’t want people to think you’re just fooling around on your phone all day being unproductive. Put the phone away and go back to the basics. The only calculations you’ll be doing are simple so no need to break the bank. I got mine for a whopping $2 at Dollar General.
6. Personalized Business Cards. Your internship is the time to forge connections and build your professional network as you prepare for your impending career as an RD. Business cards are a simple way to ensure the right people always have your contact information. Whether it be that preceptor or clinical nutrition manager you spent countless rotation hours with, that doctor that offered you a private practice job, or the speaker that awed you at a meeting or conference. You never know who is going to be hiring and might look back on that very moment you put yourself out there. Save some cash and make them on your own with the business card template on Microsoft Word or give a little more room in your budget to order some from UPS or Kinkos. VistaPrint is great and all but to save any amount of money you have to order hundreds and that’s just not necessary.
7. Time to Yourself. Internship gets hectic, especially if you’re juggling classes or maybe a part-time job on top of it. I am far too familiar with the feeling that there just aren’t enough hours in the day, but one thing you should always make time for is your sanity. Internship is a temporary phase and life is about balance. I promise it’s possible to succeed AND enjoy yourself. Not only is it possible, it’s a necessity. Life is about balance and as fast-paced and crazy as internship might get, you need to take the free moments you do have to slow down and do things that make you happy. Go grab a bite with a fellow intern, indulge in some retail therapy, get outdoors, take a weekend trip, enjoy some yoga, or just binge watch that Netflix series you’ve been dying to see. Whatever your strategy may be, maintaining a positive state of mind benefits everyone. You’ll be more enjoyable to be around, plus you’ll be able to show up on a day-to-day basis with your best foot forward leaving your preceptor impressed and your patients in good hands. I mean after all, that IS our job as health professionals… am I right?
8.
A nice bag and a professional wardrobe. Duh. And Duh! It’s no surprise that as a female, like 99%
of dietitians (sorry to the guys reading this), most of us thoroughly enjoy
fashion. Although an intern budget
doesn’t exactly give you the freedom to go out and buy a new wardrobe, you do
need to “dress the part”. Most rotation
sites require you to dress business casual but this can have various
meanings. Maybe something you previously
though was acceptable is a no-no, so ALWAYS be sure to confirm with each
individual site, their specific dress code do’s and don’ts. Some key pieces I recommend are a nice blazer
(or two), a tailored dress, a pair of black slacks, cardigan(s), and of course
close-toed shoes (preferably flats since we walk a lot and heels can be
disturbing to patients). Maybe you
already own some of these, maybe you don’t.
The great thing is that if you invest in key pieces, you can
mix-and-match them your existing wardrobe and make it look like you’ve got
“young professional” down to a science.
Remember when I mentioned my love for Target? They typically a GREAT selection of business casual pieces
that won’t break the bank. Other GREAT places:
TJ Maxx, Marshalls, H&M
(the mecca), Old Navy, or if budget
allows, you can never miss the mark with Express. As for the bag, pick something structure in a
nice neutral color that fits your laptop, that planner I recommended, and any
other essentials you might need on a daily basis. Again, TJ
Maxx has a wonderful selection including designer brands at intern prices. What more could you ask for?
9.
The
Awareness to Double Check, Triple Check, and Spell Check. As a
disclaimer, most of what I’m about to say are skills you will acquire
individually over time during your internship experience but having a heads up
and some extra encouragement never hurt anyone.
Moving on… When you’re in rotations, especially clinical, you get
assigned patients and screen them first thing in the morning. You get your ducks in a row and you head to
the floors to complete your consults, follow-ups, and etcetera. Some of these patients though, you might not
see until the afternoon. Be mindful, A LOT can happen in this time. Diet orders can change, people can get
discharged, new procedures or results can become available. ALWAYS
make sure to peak back in the charts before going to see patients to make
sure you’re as up to date on their particular situation as possible. There is nothing more you want to avoid than
feeling ill-informed. More than the
charts take that extra step and communicate with the nursing staff or medical
team. If there’s something you don’t know, don’t view this as a weakness but
instead an opportunity to learn. ASK QUESTIONS! Maybe a note hasn’t been entered yet but
there is some critical information you might need (I promise, the doctor’s don’t bite). We’re all on the same team
with the same goal – give the best treatment possible to our patients. Speaking of notes and critical information…
be concise but thorough in your charting and note writing to ensure you get all
the information across in a way that other’s will read it and follow it. And don’t
forget to proofread and spell check.
10. An Open Mind. You’ve
probably already been told this 101 times (and are likely going to hear it
approximately 21903712 more times before your internship is over), but as an
intern that all but scoffed at the mere consideration of this statement 8
months ago, I can assure you it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. Maybe you enter the internship absolutely
gung-ho to work in clinical nutrition.
You’re set on working in a hospital and no one is going to change your
mind. Maybe you have your mind made up
that renal medicine is the worst thing in the world and that rotation is going
to suck the life out of you. Until you
have one amazing rotation with a killer preceptor that shakes those blinders
right off. Be flexible, treat
your entire internship like an interview, and make every rotation your favorite
rotation. Take 10 minutes each day to
personally reflect on something you learned (good or bad). Write it down, blog about it, and
remember…You only get to be an intern once, so be a sponge and soak up EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND.
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Just to
throw it out there, I would also highly
recommend adequate amounts sleep. Obviously you should goal for the recommended
7-8 hours per night and “sleep” would’ve made the list but it’s sometimes
unrealistic (to be completely honest). Sometimes you might still have to pull
those all nighters, others you might struggle to even get 3 or 4 hours but
don’t make these instances a habit.
Similar to your sanity and maintaining as much peace of mind as possible
to remain productive, sleep is on that same page.
I hope
you all enjoyed reading this post as much as enjoyed writing it. To my fellow RD2B’s, whether your finishing
your internship like me, just matched, or are just starting to research
programs and the beast that is DICAS…Stay passionate and stay driven, the
success will follow. Good luck and God
speed!
About Me:
I’m a dietetic intern and
Master’s student at Saint Louis University studying in the Medical Nutrition
Therapy track. When I’m not zipping
through the halls of St. Mary’s or Barnes Jewish Hospital, you can find me
indulging in frozen yogurt, taking in sunshine on a patio, cuddling (and taking
selfies) with my cat, running a 5K alongside my rockstar momma, or playing pick-up
game of sand volleyball. For more blog
posts, please visit my personal site brookeashleyrd2be.weebly.com
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