My Top 10 Tips for Future RDs

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No one realizes it, but to become a dietitian it takes a lot of effort which comes with a lot of stress. Not only is it a hard science heavy major, but we have to deal with the stress of DICAS, internships and everything in between. That is why I wanted to create a blog post on some tips that can help future RDs to be confident and prepared for what is ahead.

1. Gain experience early on: This might be a given, but you would be surprised at how many people do not start getting experience until junior or senior year in college. Even though it is not the end of the road if you wait this long, but it is better to be safe than sorry, so start early! I started gaining experience the summer after my freshman year in college. Before this, I already had experience in food service, since my dad owns a restaurant, so I knew a lot about the behind the scenes of what it takes to run a foodservice operation. But the summer after my freshman year, I started volunteering with a sports RD at my school and I worked with the olympic sports teams. This was my first time working with an RD, but it got my foot in the door which lead me to other opportunities. So do not be afraid to ask around, that is how I got this position and I still work there today. 

2. Develop relationships with faculty as soon as possible: This is also probably a given, since you were probably told this during freshman orientation. One way I tackled this was meeting with my professors one on one. Also I would reach out to them frequently with questions and I even took research classes with some of my professors in the dietetic program. This way, I got to know them even better. Now I am working very closely with one of my professors on a mentorship program which opened even more doors for me. Again, don’t be nervous to get to know them because these are the people you might want letters of recommendation from down the road, and they are there for you if you have questions as well as have great connections that can help further your career. 

3. Become a member of the Academy: Please please please make this a priority, I can’t stress this enough! Being a student member is inexpensive and it looks really good to internships because shows your dedication and interest in dietetics. Also, the Academy offers this wonderful opportunity to become a student liaison for your school. This also looks great to internships and shows your leadership skills.  

4. Become a member of your local dietetic association: This took me a little bit longer to figure out, but I found so many benefits in joining my local dietetic association. For example, I know a few students that did a distance dietetic internship and they were members of the local dietetic association. So they already knew local RDs that would be willing to be preceptors, which made their life so much easier. Also if you are looking for jobs in the future or CEU opportunities, having connections with local RDs makes a world of difference. They also typically offer student liaison opportunities (leadership!!) as well as scholarships which can really help!

5. Become an ACTIVE member of your schools nutrition/ dietetic club: The reason I emphasized active, is because many students might be members but do not participate in the club. I think being an active member of your schools dietetic/ nutrition club is so important because not only does it help you make more connections with students and faculty, but it gets you more involved in this field. For me, I was able to do a lot of unique things that I would never have had the opportunity to do outside of our club.

6. Step into a leadership role: I did not realize the importance of this until later on, but once I did, I jumped at every opportunity presented to me. When I started researching internships, many internships stated that leadership skills are important to them in a candidate. Some ways to present these skills include being on the board of an organization, officer for a club, starting your own program, becoming a student liaison for a dietetic association (like I mentioned earlier), etc. These are examples that I have seen as opportunities for a student, but I encourage you to find something that would present yourself as a leader. 

7. Do not waste your summers, use them wisely: This has been something I have seen many students do, and it’s tempting to take a summer off from thinking about your career path. There are so many opportunities during the summer for dietetic students, including summer camps, internships, jobs, and volunteer opportunities. What I look forward to every summer is volunteering at a children’s Type 1 Diabetes camp. This is where I fell in love with the clinical side of nutrition, but I never would have found my calling if I did not take the leap of faith and sign up one summer. During the summer you typically don’t have the stress from academics, which can help tremendously. And internships like to see that you are using your time wisely, and taking every opportunity to learn more about nutrition. 

8. Get a job, internships are expensive: The second I started college, I started looking for jobs. College is expensive in itself but once you factor in living expenses, food costs, utilities and everything in between, its crazy. Then once you graduate you have to start an internship, which is not paid, so all this adds up quickly. I had a few jobs in college, and I highly recommend it! I was able to save up some money that will benefit me in the future. And it doesn’t have to be nutrition related, even though that would be a plus. I had a food service job that would count as experience and these tend to be easy to find. 

9. Attend FNCE if able: This is completely optional but has so many rewards. I was very fortunate enough to go twice and this past year, my school paid for it. So before you decide on anything, I would ask around your department and see if the department has money available to help students attend FNCE. This is a very beneficial conference to attend as a student. My favorite part, besides the Expo, is the internship fair, which is where many different internships come and gather in 1 large room. This way you can talk to the directors/ interns of each internship you are interested in which saves you so much time! This is such an incredible opportunity and I believe more students should take advantage of it. And the best part is, you don’t even have to pay to attend FNCE to participate in the Internship fair. 

10. Practice Self Care: This is a tip that I need to use for myself more often. We are taught early on to stress about getting an internship, when we should just relax a little more. If you manage our time wisely then you will be ok. I understand there is a lot to do to prepare for an internship, trust me. Currently I am in the process of applying for internships and I am stressed beyond belief. But the best 2 pieces of advice I have ever received was to take time for yourself every once in a while and that it is ok to say no. I am really bad at both of these things, and I know I am not the only one. Without these 2 things, we will be overwhelmed and that is not healthy to maintain over time.

I am NOT an RD, I am a senior dietetics student, so these tips are based off my own experiences. I have many more tips to add to this list, but these are the main ones that I find to be the most helpful.

Haley Newton