Being the Teacher, Even When We are the Student is True Leadership.
In life, I truly believe that we are always in a position to learn and grow. Equally as ubiquitous is the opportunity to lead, teach and be a role model. Almost 20 years ago a women told me, “See opportunity as it comes, otherwise you will miss it when it goes.” I never knew her name, nor she mine; we only shared a brief moment in time. However, her words have stuck with me almost everyday since. As I grow and mature and lead myself and others in life, they become even more powerful. Our time in this internship is precious, and in it are these incredible opportunities that do not reveal themselves until we jump out to grasp them. As a Nutrition and Dietetic professional and soon-to-be-RD, I know that I will forever be the student in this ever-evolving field. Yet, through my DI and all of my interactions, I find it quite miraculous the impact we can have as a leader and teacher, even when we are still the student. It is these opportunities that enrich my confidence and remind me of why I chose this incredible field in the first place.
I am currently in my community rotations and almost ¾ of the way through my DI! From here, I will build and execute my leadership concentration and truly infuse myself into my future work setting: Private Practice! It has been incredible and challenging but my rewards just keep coming. Some times these rewards show up as a completed RAEF, but more often it shows up as an incredible opportunity that catapults me into new experiences! As a dietetic intern, I have been in positions where I may feel awkward, inexperienced, and unconfident. However, no matter how inexperienced I felt in a competency or skill, or how more qualified the person was next to me, I continued to remind myself that I was a leader and that within me was an enormous amount of knowledge that I could pass on to others I interacted with in my internship. Yes, including my preceptors! As a dietetic intern I am learning to become aware of my personal strengths that may be tucked away and hidden behind the scary walls of my clinical rotations, or the unfamiliar walls of food service, or the compressed deadlines and assignments due. I decided to become aware of the moments where I could be a leader and pass on the knowledge that I did know to others, as it may be more useful than I could imagine. Furthermore, this confidence and positive presence may have opened up professional doors never available before.
I believe that as dietetic interns, yes we are the student, but we are also infusing ourselves into a professional nexus that depends on our contributions, no matter how great or how small. The important thing is that we contribute our knowledge with confidence and purpose, and remember that every student must have a teacher, and every teacher must have a student. They never will nor ever could exist independently. Lead, learn, teach and inspire!
In life, I truly believe that we are always in a position to learn and grow. Equally as ubiquitous is the opportunity to lead, teach and be a role model. Almost 20 years ago a women told me, “See opportunity as it comes, otherwise you will miss it when it goes.” I never knew her name, nor she mine; we only shared a brief moment in time. However, her words have stuck with me almost everyday since. As I grow and mature and lead myself and others in life, they become even more powerful. Our time in this internship is precious, and in it are these incredible opportunities that do not reveal themselves until we jump out to grasp them. As a Nutrition and Dietetic professional and soon-to-be-RD, I know that I will forever be the student in this ever-evolving field. Yet, through my DI and all of my interactions, I find it quite miraculous the impact we can have as a leader and teacher, even when we are still the student. It is these opportunities that enrich my confidence and remind me of why I chose this incredible field in the first place.
I am currently in my community rotations and almost ¾ of the way through my DI! From here, I will build and execute my leadership concentration and truly infuse myself into my future work setting: Private Practice! It has been incredible and challenging but my rewards just keep coming. Some times these rewards show up as a completed RAEF, but more often it shows up as an incredible opportunity that catapults me into new experiences! As a dietetic intern, I have been in positions where I may feel awkward, inexperienced, and unconfident. However, no matter how inexperienced I felt in a competency or skill, or how more qualified the person was next to me, I continued to remind myself that I was a leader and that within me was an enormous amount of knowledge that I could pass on to others I interacted with in my internship. Yes, including my preceptors! As a dietetic intern I am learning to become aware of my personal strengths that may be tucked away and hidden behind the scary walls of my clinical rotations, or the unfamiliar walls of food service, or the compressed deadlines and assignments due. I decided to become aware of the moments where I could be a leader and pass on the knowledge that I did know to others, as it may be more useful than I could imagine. Furthermore, this confidence and positive presence may have opened up professional doors never available before.
I believe that as dietetic interns, yes we are the student, but we are also infusing ourselves into a professional nexus that depends on our contributions, no matter how great or how small. The important thing is that we contribute our knowledge with confidence and purpose, and remember that every student must have a teacher, and every teacher must have a student. They never will nor ever could exist independently. Lead, learn, teach and inspire!
