From undergrad through the dietetic internship and RD exam, it can be tough to remain motivated and sustain a positive outlook. The road to becoming an RD can feel long, often confusing, and only a little bit (ok, a lot of bits) stressful.
I’ve worked with dozens of students, interns, and new dietitians throughout my almost seven years as a dietitian, so I’ve 100% been there myself.
Here are some lessons I wish I had known back when I was an intern and new RD.
THE INTERNSHIP
Leave your perfectionism at the door.
The fear of making a mistake is normal, but it can paralyze you from taking action if you aren’t careful. And taking action (yup, even if it involves an error!) is how you learn and grow. Embrace those mistakes and imperfections because they are going to teach you so much.
Then there’s that pesky fear of not being ready or good enough (sometimes referred to as “imposter syndrome”), which will knock at your confidence and probably have you overthinking every piece of feedback a preceptor gives you. (Anyone else a chronic overthinker? Yup, me too.) Reject that. Reframe the self-critical thoughts that crop up into positive and productive ones. Repeat.
Learn how to sit with discomfort without judgment.
The internship can push the limits of your comfort zone, and you can’t do much about it except learn how to coexist with it. Mindfulness and meditation are indispensable tools for this (though I was convinced meditation would never “work” for me). I teach a lot of my dietitian clients how to embrace uncomfortable feelings using a pseudo-meditative practice called embodiment, and man, if I had known about it during my internship? It would’ve been so helpful!
THE EXAM
Permit yourself to fail.
I know everyone tells you to “think positive thoughts” and keep your eye on the prize. Those are great! But sometimes, they put so much pressure on you to pass on the first try. I’m here to tell you that it does not matter whether it takes you one time to give or 10. Once you are a dietitian, you are a dietitian, and no one will ever ask.
It’s a lot like how I talk to my nutrition clients about emotional eating. The first step to emotional eating is to have them give themselves full permission to do it. It feels counterintuitive, but it takes the pressure off. It removes the shame and judgment. It changes the narrative from “I’m a failure” to “I’m going to be ok.” And that’s a powerful thing.
Detach from the outcome.
We tend to put a lot of weight on outcomes in life, and that’s more pressure piled onto our shoulders. Yes, you want to pass the exam and become a dietitian; that’s what you’ve been working hard for. But when that’s the only important thing, it can be paralyzing. Instead, focus on the process. Put one foot in front of the other.
Your worth does not hinge on this exam or any other.
AND BEYOND
Don’t be afraid to march to the beat of your drum.
There is no one “correct” way to be a dietitian. Follow your intuition. Pursue your passions. There’s nothing wrong with taking a less-than-ideal job to get your feet wet and pay the bills, and there’s also nothing wrong with deciding that you don’t want to settle for a job that doesn’t light you up with excitement. This is your life and your career.
Speaking of…follow your intuition.
Get so tapped into the core values that you can trust your intuition to guide you. There’s so much chatter out there about what others are doing and what their opinions are; it’s easy to lose touch with yourself. Don’t lose yourself. That’s important.
Get support and supervision earlier than you think you need.
I might be biased because this is my job, but as a colleague (and fellow supervisor) recently said to me, “You just don’t know what you don’t know.” Having someone who’s been through it and can offer some outside perspective can help you grow so much faster.
I use an “intuitive living” framework (think intuitive eating but across all areas of your life) to help dietitians who come to me with one (or several) of three main goals:
- Manage stress, overcome perfectionism, build confidence, and reconnect to their purpose and passions to feel connected to their work.
- Explore their relationship with food and body image to confidently and peacefully withstand the pressures of society to look or act a certain way.
- Understand the nuances of intuitive eating and weight-inclusive care so that they can feel more confident incorporating these principles into their work.
I had to piecemeal these lessons and skills together with more or less on my own, but you don’t have to. We are so much stronger as a profession when we provide safe spaces for each other to be vulnerable and imperfect and cheer from the sidelines as we find our unique path in this beautiful, full-of-potential profession.
For more mindset support, no matter what stage of your education or career you’re at, you can connect with me on any of the following platforms:
PS. We have many great FREE resources to help you feel confident and motivated throughout your dietetics journey; make sure to check them out!
