After the 33-week internship at Simmons University, here are some of the lessons we've learned.
As our internship has come to an end, we look back at the months and rotations that flew by. The tireless nights worrying about what the next day might bring, the challenges we’ll run into while feeling hopeless, scared what our preceptors might think of us. It seems just yesterday we were at orientation and now we talk about all our future dreams and career goals from this point onwards. The past nine months was the most humbling experience and it’s hard to boil down all the major lessons that we have learned, but here are a some of them:
1. Self-care is needed no matter what - We used to think the only way to take care of ourselves was with expensive activities like massages, manicures, face masks. Honestly, self-care can be ANYTHING that makes you feel relaxed. Rui finds cleaning her room, re-watching Grey’s Anatomy, stretching, playing with silly putty, or simply calling a friend de-clutters her when she is stressed. Nicole enjoys finding time to do nothing whether that might be spending a few hours just sitting on the couch and browsing through new movies or catching up on previous shows.
2. Be confident, don’t doubt yourself - You probably know more than you think! There were moments where our preceptors would challenge us and we would be too shy or scared to answer. Giving yourself the confidence to answer the question at the end of the day might actually lead to a positive outcome!If you were wrong, write down what the right answer was and remember it for the next time. We both had notebooks FILLED with medical terms we needed to look up at home.
3. Struggling does not mean failing - Clinical was the hardest rotation for Rui. It was her very first rotation as well. BUT it's the steps you take to pick yourself back up that makes you a better learner.
“I felt like I had TOO many questions which made me feel like a failure. Soon enough, my introverted habits of not speaking up bit me in the butt. I was no longer learning, improving, or even aware of what I truly needed. Speaking up and showing up authentically was the best decision I made and probably the number one skill I learned during this internship.” - Rui
4. Be comfortable with criticism - Criticism has been the most helpful tool in terms of self-improvement and personal growth for us. It is hard to not take criticism personally, but try to shape it into a that will be helpful for YOU. Remember that criticism from preceptors comes from a place of care and that they want us to learn the most that we can.
5. Be open-minded - You might go into a rotation with one idea and be blown away with what it is really like! Some of our favorite rotations were ones we thought we’d HATE. Nicole originally had zero interest in doing outpatient counseling, she was so invested in the science of clinical until she fell in love with her outpatient rotation. Additionally, not liking a rotation is as equally valuable! You can use that experience of either staying away from it in your future career, or learn from the aspects you didn’t enjoy. EVERY part of your internship counts!
6. Flexibility - as Dietitians or healthcare professionals, many of us share a common trait: that Type A personality. During our orientation, our internship directors told us that flexibility is KEY during the internship. We were at varying sites that lasted from 2 and 10 weeks. Every place has different schedules, expectations, parking locations ( or none at all!), and unique roles. Instead of trying to expect a regimented technique, flexibility will be your savior and is a trait many preceptors look for.
These are lessons we’ll take with us in our future experiences that are not limited to the dietetic internship. Reading through these lessons doesn’t mean that it will be easy to do, but it’s one step towards practicing it.
Best of luck to those who are starting their dietetic internship or a new job!
