Stand Up For Your Profession

By Allison Scherer

It’s match day and you matched. Congrats! The stress is over. You have yourself a celebratory drink with friends as a feeling of extreme pride now washes over you. You beat the competitive 50/50 odds of even being placed and are on your way towards becoming a registered dietitian. This credential is something you’ve been studying for, volunteering for, (maybe) brown-nosing (a bit), and gaining every experience you possibly could for four (or more) straight years.

Fast-forward to your first clinical rotation: Walking through those hospital doors proudly wearing your freshly pressed white lab coat, and your food-themed badge reel on your lapel, you can’t help but exude confidence, especially when people accidentally mistake you for a doctor or speech pathologist or endocrinologist. Feelings of excitement and nervousness make their appearances as you are about to meet your preceptor – and those feelings become even stronger as you now are about to see your first patient. Mid-diabetes education, there’s a knock on the door. In walks the doctor who says: “I’m sure what you have to say is important and all, but I’m going to talk to the patient now”.  Welp. Those feelings of excitement and nervousness and pride turn into shame, embarrassment, and anger. Mind you, this doctor was there to confirm the patient’s discharge – not how to nutritionally manage their type 1 diabetes on their own which is something entirely foreign and extremely important for the newly diagnosed patient who’s yet to have any information on carbohydrate counting, insulin injections, or medications at all.

            Sadly, these encounters happen to dietetic interns and dietitians more often than you think but is a topic that hardly comes into conversation when you begin this RD journey. I entered into this profession knowing the importance nutrition plays in preventing life-debilitating diseases…and assuming everyone else knew that as well and held it to the same importance that I did - or at least could be educated by the influential impact the registered dietitian makes. Now, these situations may not happen to every body but they sure aren’t anything new to those in the clinical nutrition field. And I praise those who have never lost sight of who they are as a dietitian or felt feelings of being lost. However, it truly is discouraging when during your whole undergraduate life, dietitians were respected just the same as every other licensed health professional with some sort of higher level education (just as you) who walks through those hospital halls only to be treated as if your major is laughable compared to that of the MD.

Many rotations have passed since the interaction above however, these feelings of unimportance in the health field have continued from site to site and at one point I even dreaded going back through those hospital doors. I’ve gotten used to the fact that our professional opinions are often dismissed or stepped upon by those with reversed credential from our own – “DR” rather than “RD” – and have let myself succumb to thoughts of changing my major or wishing my internship time was over because only then with those two letters behind my name will I feel better. However, instead of continuing to entertain thoughts of changing my major, I decided to change my outlook.

            We have miles to go in the journey of having the clinical dietitian be welcomed and respected as a member of the healthcare team. And while it may take extra effort on our end today, the reality where dietitians are equal members will be realized tomorrow. Advocating for yourself and your profession is vital not only in the clinical realm but in the community, foodservice, athletics, infectious disease, agriculture, policy - anything and everywhere. RD’s are backed with scientific knowledge and rigorous training in how a variety of wholesome, nutritious foods prevents disease and grants some pretty beneficial rewards: lower morbidity and mortality rates, less incidences of chronic disease, lower risk of cancer, weight management, better quality of life, longevity, reversal of inflammation, just to name a few. WE as dietitians understand this – and RDs truly believe the public knows this about but has a hard time accepting it.

            Entering back into the room of the newly diagnosed diabetes patient when I was so rudely interrupted by the doctor, I wanted to respond with “Why yes, it is very important for his health as he heads on home without your invaluable care there to guide him along the way. Give me two minutes to finish up and I’ll be done. Thanks”. But really responded with, “Not a problem, I can come back in a couple minutes”. Maybe I shouldn’t have walked out. Or maybe I should’ve stayed and continued on as he finished up and taught him a little bit about nutrition as he listened. But don’t get frustrated when the patient is back through those ER doors sporting some awful black and green toes and an amputation on the way because he wasn’t educated on how to manage his carbs.

Registered dietitian, RD, RDN, dietetic intern, doctor of food, the “Real Deal” – whatever you call yourself; keep on keeping on, hold your head high, and your nutrition morals strong, because one day we will be the ones educating those MDs who thought chocolate was a vegetable.