Productivity

  • Productivity

    5 Tips to Be an Awesome Dietetic Intern and Still Live Your Best Life

    Life as a dietetic intern can be challenging. However, you can still live your best life while being excellent in your rotations.

    If you’re starting a dietetic internship, your first thought might be, “I will not have time for a single thing!”. You might think that the dietetic internship is going to consume every second of your life or think, “there is no way I can be an awesome dietetic intern AND still live my best life.”

    As a dietetic intern, let me be the first to tell you that I can still do the things I enjoy. I go out on Saturday nights with my friends, sleep in on Sundays if I choose to, and have time for my workouts. I did not expect to live my best life while being a dietetic intern. Living my best life does not mean neglecting my work or being anything less than an awesome dietetic intern. I am just allowing myself to live my best life throughout this process to start each week happy and refreshed.

    I want to share the 5 tips that will help you be an awesome dietetic intern while still living your best life:

    1. Choose Progress Over Perfection

    Our preceptors have been in our shoes; they do not expect us to have all the answers. As a dietetic intern, you are there to make mistakes and learn from them. To live your best life, stop aiming for perfection and focus more on the little successes you make each day. Get things done to the best of your ability, and do not be afraid to ask questions. The less pressure you apply on yourself, the happier you will be in your rotations, and the more work you will get done during the week instead of the weekends. 

    2. Set a Daily Top 3

    Every day write down three minor “to-do’s” and commit to them! If you are stressing over an assignment, add that to your to-do list. Set aside an hour or two during or after your rotation time to get it done. It is such a satisfying feeling when you can check something off your list. Before you know it, you check off curriculum assignments left and right, and the extra time you have will be for yourself.

    3. Prioritize Your Health to Be an Awesome Dietetic Intern

    On the first day of orientation, my director said, “I want you to focus on your health, your family, and the internship in that order.” If we don’t do something for our mental or physical health each day, we are more likely to feel stressed or overwhelmed. Add exercise, mediation, or journaling to your nonnegotiable to-do list. An awesome dietetic intern takes care of themselves first and brings that positive energy with them to their rotations.

    Check out these five tips to stay sane during your dietetic internship!

    4. Communicate Your Needs with Your Preceptor

    If you are working part-time, have a family to take care of, or want to spend the time outside of your rotation on yourself, let your preceptor know. First, politely ask your preceptor what days or hours you can sit in a quiet office during the week. Next, use this time to work on your curriculum assignments or study some topics you feel uncomfortable with.

    Setting this time during your rotation hours to do curriculum work will give you the time to live your best life in the evenings or on the weekends while still fulfilling your responsibilities as a dietetic intern.

    5. Take Advantage of Opportunities Your Preceptor Offers

    If your preceptor needs you to join an intern panel or help with an open-house event and you have the hour or two to spare, take the opportunity. Take advantage of opportunities and show your preceptor how awesome and committed you are to helping the dietetic internship succeed.

    It would be best not to think the dietetic internship will be 9-12 months of no fun and adventures. It will be. You need to set boundaries with yourself early on and commit to making this process the most fulfilling and exciting part of your dietetics journey.

    Here are some great examples of ways you can survive the dietetic internship!

    P.S. If you are worried about your clinical rotation keeping you from living your best life, sign up for these FREE samples of our Real World Clinical Toolkit.

    P.P.S. Special thank you to Samantha Maldonado, distance dietetic intern at Komplete Business Dietetic Internship and former Get Matched Coaching client, for contributing to this blog!

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  • Dietetics Programs, Productivity, Student Life

    4 Tips To Improve Your Dietetics Grades

    Stand out with the best dietetic grades! These effective tips will help land you on the dean’s list and increase your chances of matching to your top dietetic internship.

    It’s Tuesday, and you’ve already taken your fourth exam for the week, have a lab project due in organic chemistry tomorrow, and two presentations on Thursday. I feel you! Nutrition and Dietetics is an intriguing major but challenging one. As a recent graduate and future dietitian, here are a few tips that helped me survive the busy undergraduate workload.

    Organize, Organize, Organize!

    Every dietetics major understands the importance of staying organized during the semester. It is easy to fall behind and feel lost between meeting lab report deadlines, biochemistry exams, and submitting diagrams of micronutrient metabolism pathways. Keeping a planner and updating it is one way to stay on top of deadlines. A simple planner won’t cut it in this major; it will need to be loaded with details, deadlines, and study times.

    In my undergraduate experience, I found it helpful to organize my planner around study times. To prevent over-studying (yes, that’s a thing!) and under-studying, I planned to study in 1-hour increments, sectioning off 45-minute studying blocks using the other 15 minutes to give my brain a break. By scheduling study times and staying organized, I felt that I was ahead of assignments and deadlines, which paid off in the long run.

    Utilize Your Tools

    We buy textbooks, lab books, and nutrition manuals because they are required of us, but what if we utilize them? One of my turning points in undergraduate was when I started using my materials. Simply reading the chapters before class and reviewing questions at the end almost always led to me acing the exam. I noticed professors pull a lot of study questions from the book or use them to form questions. Reviewing the PowerPoints won’t cut it.

    Study Well and Study Often

    How do you learn the material effectively? Did you know that everyone realizes differently? Strategies that work for some don’t work for others. That’s why it is crucial to figure out how YOU retain information. This will be important for the registration exam as well. Be sure to check out Pass the Exam Prep, powered by the Study Smarter Method, to help you ace the board exam when your time comes. Science is not a subject that can be memorized, so it’s essential to comprehend the information thoroughly. Personally, speaking out loud (sometimes to my dog) always helped me learn the material. If you can walk through the steps of a process, like the Krebs cycle, then you have a strong understanding of the concept. If that weren’t effective, I would break out the whiteboard. Yes, I was one of those students! Writing can be an effective way to retain information and rock a nutrition exam.

    As mentioned earlier, over-studying can happen. I found myself constantly over-studying in courses without even realizing it. The frustrating part is that after 45 minutes, the brain retains less information, which may mean you’re wasting time. If you find yourself stuck on a subject, reach out for help. Getting a second perspective can be helpful and make a difference in your grade. I utilized my professors and graduate assistance whenever I felt stuck, and I’m thankful I did. 

    Review, Review, Review!

    Sometimes I got picked on because I would always request to review my exams, even when I made the highest grade. I think we don’t give review sessions the recognition they deserve. The main reason being is it’s so important to see what areas you are strong in and those you are weak in and may need extra practice. One perk of being a dietetics major is having nearly all comprehensive finals *cue the excitement.* Reviewing exams is important because you WILL see the information again on semester finals and possibly the registration exam, so make sure you evaluate your areas of understanding. I know that stinging feeling when you study all month for your macro exam, only to see you did less than average. It can be discouraging! Don’t brush it off. Review the exam, see where you need to improve, invest in a tutor, and better yourself. Your future dietitian self will thank you!

    These tips sound do-able, right? I wouldn’t have been as successful in undergraduate without them. Studying effectively is such an important skill because it determines your GPA, dietetic internship acceptance, and passing the board exam. 

    I hope these tips will be useful and help you succeed as a future dietitian! Let us know if you used any of these tips or have any of your own effective studying strategies.

    P.S. Don’t let a low overall or DPD GPA hold you back from having a happy Match Day. Get one-on-one support throughout the application process and increase your confidence by working with a coach.

    P.P.S. 100% of Get Matched Coaching clients were matched to a dietetic internship in 2021. This can be you, too! Click here to see all that’s included.

    From one future dietitian to another,

    Eden Davis

    Dietetic intern with All Access Dietetics.

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  • Productivity, Student Life

    5 Tips for Future Dietitians During COVID-19

    Five tips to help future dietitians during COVID-19 as they navigate online classes, canceled experiences, and mental health struggles.

    1. Create your workspace.

    • Choose a dedicated workspace, ideally with natural light
    • Optimize your setup with a pitcher of water, blue light glasses, and laptop stand
    • Implement a morning routine that will set you up for success
    • Eliminate distracting background noise with a white noise machine
    • Add positive energy to your workspace with plants, photos, and candles.

    2. Manage your time.

    • Schedule regular work hours and breaks and stick to them
    • Work when you are most productive
    • Identify your top priorities for the day
    • Time block 2-3 hours to complete each task, starting with the most important task
    • Eliminate notification distractions by turning on Do not Disturb

    3. Build transitions in and out of work or school.

    • Create clear boundaries between work and home
    • Pick a definitive end time for each day
    • Pack up your home workspace each evening
    • Silence notifications from work and school at the end of the day
    • Keep the rituals you had, like working out, listening to music, and meal prepping

    4. Get virtual experience.

    • Utilize social media networks to find the virtual experience 
    • Search online for remote nutrition experience in your area 
    • Email past professors and mentors to ask for advice
    • Pitch a remote internship idea to a Registered Dietitian working in an area of interest
    • Please explain how you would be an asset and help the organization overcome challenges they are facing at this time

    5. Practice a healthy mindset.

    • Focus your energy on what you can control
    • Turn obstacles into opportunities 
    • Remember that you are not alone in this journey 
    • Practice positive affirmations daily 
    • Permit yourself to take unscheduled breaks to reset
    • Go for a 15-minute walk, listen to your favorite song or podcast, call a friend, or meditate

    BONUS! Use these resources to make connections.

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  • Dietitian Career Advice, Productivity

    Jenny’s Best Advice for Starting a Business

    Ready to create your own business but have no idea where to start? Here are Jenny’s top tips on how to turn your dream business into reality!

    Jenny Westerkamp, RD, CSSD, is the founder of All Access Dietetics and Chicago Bulls, Nutritionist. She is a very successful entrepreneur who loves sharing her business tips with dietetic students and registered dietitians to help them reach their dream jobs.

    Commit to yourself and your business!

    Taking the first step is always the hardest. It can be scary to start a business but move past that fear. Find your niche and start planning exactly what you want to do and what you wish the goal of your business to be. Commit to turning this plan into action. Discovering what your goal is will help you to set the foundation for your business. Check out my Life-Changing Books to read for inspiration.

    Put in the time and manage your time wisely.

    Once you pinpoint your niche, it’s time to get to work. Starting a business is a lot of work. Schedule time daily to work on your business plan and learn more about building a business’s logistical side. Write to-do lists or plan one thing to work on each day. See how you can best fill your time to be productive. If you currently operate a nine-to-five job, find time in your day where you can focus only on building your business. Explore different career options that might offer a more flexible schedule so that you can put more time into your business. Your business is a commitment, and it is your responsibility to find time to put it together.

    Grow your social media.

    Social media plays a significant role in businesses today. It is helpful in both marketing and setting a tone for your brand. Social media also helps you to network. Take a class on building social media. The lesson I took to grow my social media was Beat the Algorithm by the College Nutritionist. Check it out here!

    Take a business course.

    Registered dietitians build significant business courses to help guide new businesses through the starting process. Rise to the Top is a virtual business course created by Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, and Mary Ellen Phipps, MS, RDN that helps dietitians grow their social media, stand out as an expert, and create a profitable business. It focuses on everything from marketing to billing and taxes, making it great for entrepreneurs.

    DietitianHQ is another excellent program that offers both membership training and a 4-day symposium for entrepreneurs. A seminar is an online event offering masterclasses from successfully registered dietitians who have been in your shoes.

    The Unconventional RD business Bootcamp offers three courses about content building, making income, and email marketing. Finding dietitians who help dietitians build businesses is a great way to start your brand while supporting the profession!

    Get a business coach.

    Starting a business is complicated and confusing, especially if you have never done it before. Get a business coach to help guide you. They created a company by helping others to develop a business. Cultivate Advisors is one example to check out!

    Business coaches genuinely want to help you and your business to succeed. They can offer great tips to help get you off the ground. They can give insight into the parts of building a business you did not expect to have. Investing in your business early will help you to make it with fewer setbacks.

    Don’t reinvent the wheel.

    There are so many resources already out there to help entrepreneurs make their businesses thrive. Teachable allows you to create beautiful online courses, so you can share your knowledge without worrying about creating a new platform.

    The Better Nutrition Program offers dietitians an easy way to gain information from their patients and clients. Their nutrition assessment tools are easy to use and analyze, which help you to make recommendations for your patient’s health efficiently.

    Surround yourself with people who support your business.

    Never be afraid to ask for help! Surround yourself with people who encourage your vision and plan. There will be bumps in the road, and having people to lean on or talk about these challenges will be crucial as you continue to build. Your support system may offer different perspectives or be your best listener. Let yourself have a cheerleader! You do not have to do this alone.

    Get Excited!

    This is your business! It is your passion. Get excited about it! The more excited you are about your business, the easier it will be to put in the tireless time and effort to get it off the ground. The feeling you get when you put in the work and create your passion, knowing the success is truly your own, is unlike any other. Have fun building your business, knowing it is YOURS.

    PS. If becoming a successful and very knowledgeable registered dietitian is in your future, grab one of our FREE toolkits! 

     

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  • Dietitian Career Advice, Productivity

    Starting a Nutrition Business as a Dietetics Student

    Are you a dietetics student dreaming of starting your own nutrition business? We collaborated with Tony Stephan, RD, to provide you with his TOP five tips!

    Dietitian entrepreneurship is quickly increasing in popularity. As a Dietitian Business Coach, I know, trust me! I teach R.D.’s to create profitable and impactful online nutrition coaching businesses through the I Believe Mastermind. I see firsthand how fulfilling and unique this career path is for R.D. to be and Registered Dietitians. 

    More and more R.D.-to-be’s are uninterested in working in a clinical setting, and that’s okay! There are so many other options out there for Registered Dietitians, like entrepreneurship. You do NOT need your R.D. credential or clinical experience to start your nutrition coaching business RIGHT NOW. You read that right; you can begin your nutrition coaching business while you’re still in school! Below, I have my TOP FIVE tips for the R.D. who wants to do just this!

    #1: Take Action

    If creating and owning your own nutrition coaching business is something you’ve been thinking about for quite some time, then what are you waiting for?! The first step toward success occurs when you take action! 

    If you’ve been planning, thinking, and waiting for the “right time” to pull the trigger and get started on your nutrition business and you haven’t been DOING, you are LOSING. I know this sounds harsh, but I’m saying it in the most loving way possible.

    Let me tell you a little secret, and there is no “right time” for anything! Do one thing every day that will move you forward with your business. You need to put in the effort because success is truly YOUR responsibility, no one else’s. 

    #2: Have A Support System

    Support is ESSENTIAL when it comes to entrepreneurship. In the I Believe Mastermind, I always tell my clients that you have two families, the one you are born into and the one you choose. You may or may not have family or friend support at home. Either way, it’s vital you also have support from other individuals going through the same entrepreneurial journey that you are.

    My clients, in particular, have a multitude of excellent resources available to them. For instance, they can message me directly or turn to our Facebook or Slack community if they are stuck and confused about something. We are always there to root for each other, celebrate success, answer questions, and more. 

    Having a community to turn to for help or motivation is essential and can make the difference between having a successful or unsuccessful nutrition coaching business. 

    You DO NOT need to build a business alone. The most successful people in the world have all had help from coaches, mentors, friends, etc., so do not think that help is a “bad” thing for one minute. 

    Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength!

    #3: Do Not Have A Plan B…Commit!

    Commit yourself to the process of creating and building your dream business. Yes, a plan B, or “safety net,” may be a way to protect us from the pain of the failure and tough challenges that lie ahead, but they can also take away our focus and determination toward what we want to achieve. If you give yourself too many options of what to do when things don’t work out, things will NOT work out. Write that down! However, if you don’t give yourself a plan B and C, you give yourself no other option than to succeed. When I started my entrepreneurial journey years ago, I quit my job and never looked back. It was the D.O. or DIE mentality that forced me to succeed. 

    Most people fail because they quit and because they gave themselves too many other options to fall back on. Be confident in yourself and stick to your ONE plan/business. When times get tough (because they will), don’t back down. Fight through those challenges, and success will come to you.

    #4: Make Time For YOU

    ALWAYS make sure you are making time for the things that make you happy.

    As an R.D., I went through what you are going through. I remember those long days of studying for exams and working on assignments. Dietetics is not an easy degree! If you decide to start your own nutrition coaching business while in school, know that your workload is about to double! It’s 100% doable, but you need to be organized and ready to take the bull by the horns. 

    Make sure you’re blocking time off in your week for something you enjoy! Maybe it’s an hour blocked off for the gym every day; perhaps it’s family movie night on Saturdays or date night on Fridays with your significant other. 

    Taking time for yourself allows your brain to “reboot” while improving your focus, motivation, and concentration. You may not feel like you need time away from studying and working on your business, but you 100% do! Do not neglect your family, health, and other priorities in the process.

    #5: Trust The Process

    Building your own nutrition coaching business is TOUGH. It will most likely keep you up at night, stress you out, and probably make you miss out on some fun activities. HOWEVER, creating your own business brings so much fulfillment and impact that it’s worth the complex and stressful days it brings. 

    It took me YEARS to get to the point where I am at now, and it will take some time for you too. Building a successful nutrition coaching business can not be done in a day, so if this is what you’re expecting, this is probably not the right path for you, and that’s okay! Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. 

    You will 100% have demanding and stressful days, maybe even weeks, but the critical thing to remember here is that you need to FIGHT through the difficult times because success is on the other side. Struggle teaches us how to be stronger individuals and business owners.

    Remember….

    If you are not an R.D., you CAN NOT give out medical nutrition therapy. You can only help individuals by providing general nutrition knowledge. 

    Follow me on my social media accounts, where you can learn more about me and the I Believe Mastermind!

    P.S. To get you motivated to start your own business, check out our blog post about the 4-Self Help books you need in your life. Click here!

     

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  • Productivity, Student Life

    Exam Study Strategies for #RD2Be’s

    Studying for exams as a nutrition major can be difficult. These study strategies can help you succeed in becoming a Registered Dietitian.

    P.N. and EN equations, Krebs cycle enzymes and intermediates, the steps in the Nutrition Care Process-  there’s a lot of information that a future dietitian must know.  Future RD’s must get good grades in classes and excel in the internship and then pass the R.D. exam. Gone are the days that you have only your textbook and pen and paper to study. Now there are so many online tools that are designed to help you get better grades. Here are five strategies that will help you be more focused and better prepared for your exams.   

    1. Use Flashcards

    You can even save yourself the money you typically spend on 3X5 cards to make flashcards using Study Stack. You can search for flashcards that other students have already made, create your flashcards, and then practice and play games with your online flashcards. Flashcards are a great way to study for any exam. 

    2. Avoid Distractions

    How many times have you clicked on Facebook when you should be studying for that next biochemistry exam? Use ways to help monitor your distractions, like StayFocusd. StayFocusd is an extension for Google Chrome that allows you to configure how much time you spend on specific pages. Once your allotted time has been used, the site will be inaccessible for the rest of the day. With nearly 5,000 reviews, this support tool has helped a lot of people stay focused. 

    3. Create Study Groups

    If you live close to your classmates, form a regular study group with study goals set at the beginning of each session. If you would like to connect and study with students virtually, you can use  StudyRoom. StudyRoom allows you to communicate with your classmates by setting up a dashboard and sharing materials or asking questions. You need your school email address, and then you click into specific classes.

    4. Plan studying into your Calendar

    Cramming for a test lowers your ability to retain information. Create a balanced study schedule to help your brain keep what you learn. GoConqr allows you to create a study schedule and manage and track tasks. It also allows you to develop other study tools to gain insight into which topics you are mastering and which ones you need to study more.

    5. Take Breaks to Eat and Move During your Study Sessions

    When you study, you are using energy, so take time to refuel. And take time to stretch and move your body. If you need a reminder, Stand Up! is a flexible work break timer that allows you to set timers within your schedule.

    Finding the right study tools and techniques may be a trial and error process but find what works for you. Have you found an online study tool that has helped you master your nutrition classes?

    P.S. The Study Smarter Method has helped hundreds of RD’s pass the exam. Learn more about Pass The Exam Prep. 

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  • Productivity, Student Life

    TIPS TO STAY ON YOUR A-GAME THIS SUMMER

    Staying focused during the summer can be challenging as a dietetic student. Use these tips to help you enter the upcoming semester feeling prepared and refreshed.

    OK, the dog days of summer are almost over (trust us, we’re sad too!). For me, summer is a time to explore, have fun with friends, and…prepare for the upcoming school year. Wait. What? Using your summer can help you go from average to a stand-out student. Here are my tips for staying on your A-GAME during those summer months.

    Set up informational interviews with RDs who inspire you.

    Maybe it’s just me, but I love meeting new people (especially in a professional atmosphere) so that I can hear their stories. Everyone has a little gem or piece of wisdom they are willing to share; you just have to ask!

    Do I set these interviews up expecting to earn a job upon completion of my Dietetic Internship? No way! These informal interviews allow you to learn about the wide variety of careers in the nutrition world and help you expand your network of people in the nutrition world.

    So pick up the phone and set a coffee date with an RD that is inspiring to you.

    Volunteer in your community.

    Volunteering is another excellent way to meet other people in the nutrition world, gain experience, and possibly tap into a passion you didn’t even know existed.

    Some volunteer ideas that are fit for foodies are Cooking Matters, local races, and local food banks.

    Rest and relax.

    Yep, I said it…relaxing will help you stay on your A-GAME. During the school year, our brains are preoccupied with studying, working part-time jobs, getting involved in the school’s dietetic association, building our resumes, and the list goes on. According to current research, it’s SO important to give our brains mental downtime, and the summer is the perfect time to do it. Rest is when our brain can absorb and make sense of all of the information it has gathered over time.

    So this is your permission to take a nap, meditate, take a yoga class, or go for a casual walk. It’s good for you!

    Have fun!

    After all, it is summer. Use this as your chance to get creative and do something that you LOVE to do. Train for a race, bake a cake, host a dinner party, hang out with friends, go on vacation, whatever it is that brings you pure joy…do it!

    Let’s hear from you:

    • What is one way you are having fun this summer?
    • How do YOU stay on your A-GAME during the summer?

    PS Are you in yet? Sign up for our newsletter here to receive monthly webinar invitations, free resources, exclusive experience opportunities, and so much more!

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