Hello, fellow interns! My name is Morgan Zabinski, and I am a dietetic intern through the New Bedford site. I am currently in the midst of my advanced clinical rotation, and I simply cannot believe I am already more than halfway through my rotations. Every day has brought on new learning opportunities, challenges, and time to discover who I truly want to be as a future registered dietitian. For any incoming or prospective interns, I would encourage you to see this internship as an opportunity to learn more about yourself personally and professionally while embracing a gradual movement outside of your comfort zone.
In each rotation, I have been challenged to try news things. Most recently in my community rotation, I had the opportunity to complete a cooking demonstration for public access TV through Coastline Elder Services in New Bedford, MA. This concept initially made me incredibly nervous. The thought of being recorded in a studio was an entirely new experience for me, and my first reaction was hesitance. However, I knew that this experience would be an amazing opportunity to practice nutrition in an entirely different way than I was accustomed to. This experience ended up being incredibly eye opening, and I loved every second of it. By pushing myself, I learned much more about what I am truly capable of. There will be moments when you may feel as if something is not achievable - in these moments, it is integral to keep in mind:
In each rotation, I have been challenged to try news things. Most recently in my community rotation, I had the opportunity to complete a cooking demonstration for public access TV through Coastline Elder Services in New Bedford, MA. This concept initially made me incredibly nervous. The thought of being recorded in a studio was an entirely new experience for me, and my first reaction was hesitance. However, I knew that this experience would be an amazing opportunity to practice nutrition in an entirely different way than I was accustomed to. This experience ended up being incredibly eye opening, and I loved every second of it. By pushing myself, I learned much more about what I am truly capable of. There will be moments when you may feel as if something is not achievable - in these moments, it is integral to keep in mind:
- Being nervous is not bad – it just means something important is happening. Everyone comes into the program with his or her own individual experiences and strengths, and it can become easy to gravitate toward what you already have experience in. However, doing what we know does not necessarily lead to personal growth. Use this time to move toward aspects of nutrition practice you are not as confident in, and remember that being nervous is completely normal.
- The biggest mistake you can make is being too hesitant to make a mistake. Making mistakes is how we learn, and how we are able to push ourselves to explore new things. You will be amazed by how much can be learned about yourself by jumping into new tasks, and amazed by the discovery of new strengths.
- Always work to keep an open mind as to which direction you intend to take your career. For rotations in which you have some flexibility as to where you will spend your time, make sure that you have a good variety of different experiences. There are a multitude of different avenues within nutrition, and sometimes spending time in a niche that you anticipated disliking can actually lead to a new passion.
- Consistently act with confidence, even when feeling uncertain. Feeling confident can be difficult when approaching new rotations and new preceptors. Confidence can bring you a long way when communicating with members of the interdisciplinary team, and further reinforce the knowledge that you already have within the field.
