My journey toward becoming an RD
This post is for all my RD2B’s out there, anyone considering entering the field of dietetics, or just anyone who’s curious about how I got here!
When I started undergrad, I, like many other college freshmen, didn’t have a single ounce of a clue as to what I wanted to do with my life. I had always been a strong writer, so I declared my major as communications, with a concentration on journalism. Four years and seven internships later, I felt the exact same as I did on day one - wtf do I do now?
During undergrad, I worked part-time for a fitness company, and loved every second of it. After graduation, the company offered me a full-time position, which I happily accepted. That job was...a little bit of everything. And it taught me so much. It was part managerial, part facilities, part operations, part customer service, part marketing - like I said, a little bit of everything. The best part - it really taught me how to speak to people. That sounds odd, I know. But it taught me how to hold my own, and how to effectively communicate - as an employee, as a leader, as a person trying to handle conflicts. And although I didn’t realize it at the time, I really came into my own in that place. But, by the time I reached a year in that role, I began to feel stagnant.
Now, let me rewind a little bit. Nutrition, health and wellness were always topics of interest to me. I took my very first nutrition course in high school, and absolutely loved it. But, when I thought about pursuing nutrition in college, the science requirements were very intimidating to me. Math and science never came easy to me. I guess you could say I very much operated from the right side of my brain, not the left.
That passion for health and nutrition never went away, though. During my sophomore year of college, I started my food Instagram. And creating recipes and content for that outlet quickly became my favorite part of everyday. But again, every time I thought of changing paths, the science courses loomed at the forefront of my mind. Not to mention, my college didn’t actually have a nutrition program.
Okay, so back to 2017. After a whole lot of thinking, reflecting, back and forth, pep talks and breakdowns, I finally decided to leave my job and pursue nutrition. I began grad school that Fall. I enrolled in a program that allowed me to pursue my AND (Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics) Certificate as well as my Master’s in Nutrition Science. It was...a LOT. It took me 3 years in total - 3 years of classes plus three part-time jobs. Yep, your girl hustles.
After grad school, the dietetic internship was my next step. I applied to three programs, and ended up completing my internship through NYU. During the Fall of 2020, I had to take 4 classes through NYU, per their requirements. Then in March of 2021, I started my clinical rotations!
I did my clinicals at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. It was a whirlwind. I learned so much - more than I could have ever imagined. I completed a variety of rotations, including cardiology, general medicine, renal, oncology, surgery, critical care and pediatrics. It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and I was so freaking proud of myself for completing it. My Master’s program was not clinically focused, so I definitely had a lot to learn coming into the hospital. But I quite literally put my head down and worked my ass off. I studied and reviewed my notes from grad school daily, made note of every piece of commentary and feedback my preceptors gave me, and powered through.
Don’t get me wrong - as much as I loved it, and as fulfilled as I felt, it was also brutal. I spent a minimum of 3 hours a day commuting (on a good day), made mistake after mistake, felt so embarrassed and down on myself for making said mistakes (my perfectionist side exerting her wrath), cried regularly, and questioned my career choice many times. Oh, and did I mention dietetic interns don’t get paid? Yep, brutal. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go into every week thinking, okay, only X more weeks to go. But every time I did something right, or had a good day, or received good feedback, it would light me up inside, and it felt worth it.
Okay, internship - done. Now onto the dreaded RD exam. After I finished my internship, I took a week’s vacation to relax. When I got home, I booked my exam for one month later. I studied hard. By the time the exam came, I was having mixed emotions. I certainly didn’t feel ready or confident by any means, but I did feel as if there truly was nothing more I could do. I logged nearly 150 hours of studying, I took every practice exam and practice question I could get my hands on, and Jean Inman practically narrated my dreams (if you know, you know).
Much to my surprise (if I’m being honest) I passed! It was the best feeling ever - I truly don’t know how else to describe it. All the years of school, the hours of homework, the hours of being an (unpaid) intern - had all culminated in that very moment, that very feeling of accomplishment, triumph, and pride. It felt GOOD.
SO, fast forward to now. What am I doing? What do I want to do with this career? What are my long-term goals? Well, right now, I am working for a fabulous private practice, seeing clients and creating content. I’m also hoping to land a clinical job, because this RD is still hungry for more clinical experience. As far as long-term goals - my own private practice? My own cooking show? A book perhaps? WHO FREAKING KNOWS? While I don’t yet have an actionable plan in place, I’m eager and excited and ready to get the ball rolling, to change some lives, and to make a difference in whatever way I can.