Hi there! How are ya today!?

Today’s Tip of the Week Tuesday post is for my fellow nutrition guys and gals. I get a lot of questions about my return to school, dietetic internships (DI), and any advice for someone looking to become a Registered Dietitian. I also know that a lot of you find me by searching for dietetic internship info, in particular the Mayo Clinic where I completed my DI. So today I want to give you what it is you are looking for: my top tips on successfully landing a dietetic internship. I know I certainly would have loved to have had my hands on a lot of this information while going through the process! The internship process is scary and overwhelming, but rewarding beyond all measure. That’s why I want to provide a little bit of light into what might seem like a dark tunnel for any of you going though it. One day soon I also plan to provide a review of my DI experience at the Mayo Clinic for those of you interested in that amazing site as well. Boy was I excited when I say these words…

You can read about my excitement that day here.

So where to begin? I’ll start with a little bit of my background. If you’ve followed my site for any amount of time, you know that I returned to school after completing my first B.S. in Broadcasting, you can read more about that and my path through nutrition here. With a communications/journalism focused degree under my belt, you better believe I didn’t have a single science course to put towards my new degree. I was obviously off to a great start.

I sat down in my first Anatomy class (remember, very little science at this point) with 200+ other students fresh out of high school, feeling rather old at my wise age of 23. Not only that, but I had unknowing registered for the harder (and I mean much harder) of the two Anatomy professors at my university.

Day one: “Dustin, I’m not too sure about this. I like nutrition, not dissecting cadavers at 7:30 am.”

I knew very little going into this journey. I knew that I loved nutrition and that I was going to be an RD. In my first few weeks of classes, I would hear other girls talk about dietetic internships and how they hoped they would get one, but for me it wasn’t anything like that. I knew I was going to get an internship and not at all because I was more confident, better than, or smarter than the other students; I knew I was going to get an internship because I was naive. I knew I was going to get an internship because I didn’t know anything else. It wasn’t until a few months into the program that I really realized how competitive the process would be.

After making a few friends in my classes and hearing quotes like this often, “The matching rate is only 50%, so there are only spots for half of us,” my research of what I needed to do to be in the half matched expanded exponentially. I started talking with my professors, talking with students ahead of me in the program, researching internship sites, and working harder and harder each and every day. So I got involved and did everything I could do without losing my mind, or at least only for a little while!

My professor and I providing healthy information to students. 

A “Build Your Own (Healthy) Trail Mix” station I organized as the president of my Student Dietetic Association. 

My Experimental final research project: we had to create a product and take it from recipe development to research and marketing. I created “Rebound Bars,” a vegan, gluten-free, soy-free protein bar for athletes. 

Working in the local nursing home: hairnets NOT optional. 

After an awards ceremony where I was selected by my professors as “Outstanding Student” of my major. 

And while unfortunately the above quote remains rather accurate, today I want to help you be one out of every two that are successfully matched. You can see that through hard work and dedication the sky is the limit.

Ready as I would ever be for my virtual interview!

*Please note, while the information that I am provided proved to help me obtain my first choice internship site, every site and every person is different. Each director/site has his/her own personal preferences and requirements, therefore, I cannot guarantee that if you complete everything below than you will match successfully. 

Here are the things I learned through my research and the things I did to improve my chances of becoming the dietitian that I knew I would be (this is a compilation of information from other students, professors and my own internship research):

Top Tips for Getting a Dietetic Internship

1. Most importantly, enjoy each day. Enjoy the process. You will look back one day and smile at this particular time in your life. You are learning, growing, being challenged and changed more than imaginable.
2. Want it. If you want it badly enough, you will get it/do it.
3. Start researching internships early on in your college career. This way you will know exactly what the internship site is looking for and you will still have time to do it. This takes a lot of stress off of your senior year too!
4. Be diverse in your commitments: volunteer, work a job, be involved in your university (and your student dietetic association, or whatever your university calls it), conduct research with your professors, etc.
5. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. But not just for the sake of building your resume. Find a niche or a field you are passionate about and give it your all. This way you are not only giving back, but you are creating memories, stories and experiences that will provide awesome conversation in the interview process as well. It’s a lot easier to talk about something that you have put time, effort and passion into, rather than starting a story with, “Well, one time…” A friend once told me that the
6. GPA is important… starting in English 101. It’s a lot easier to bring your GPA down than it is to bring it up. Focus on what is important. Study. Most of the information you learn as an undergraduate nutrition student becomes a base for what you will learn over time. Build a strong foundation.
7. Provide great references. 
8. Be passionate (and find a way to show it without using that word). Don’t just tell someone you are passssssionate, show them. Everyone can say they are passionate but what does that even mean? Obviously you are passionate about nutrition or you wouldn’t be devoting your career toward it and striving to become an RD (hopefully!).
9. Create an AMAZING personal statement. This is the only way you will stand out on paper. Let your personality shine through. Be yourself. Let the directors see the real you. You want them to remember you for something, even if it seems silly or tirvial to you. Be professional but be real. Oh yeah, and equally important, proofread it one hundred plus times and have others do the same. You don’t want a grammatical error to be the reason your application was tossed in the trash.
10. Start working on your application and personal statement early. This way, you aren’t cramming (scramming?) to get your application turned in and you can really take your time in making sure it is completed to the best of your ability.

I certainly hope this helps you through the internship process!

And  to my fellow Registered Dietitians or current dietetic interns: any other tips out there you would add to this list!? If so, please share!

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Good health!

The post TOTW Tuesday: Top 10 Tips on Successfully Landing a Dietetic Internship appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! How are you? Thursday already!? The week is flying.

Yesterday included a great body weight cardio/legs workout that I’m going to share with you tomorrow, as well as another long day on the beach. And you know that included a family photo since the four of us are here now.

Trying to get these guys to cooperate was like pulling teeth, but we finally got them at least posed enough to take a quick pic – even if Gunner is falling down on me.

After a long day on the beach, we had a delicious dinner including another black bean burger for me and some fish/shrimp for the others.

Black bean burger topped with vegan cheese, mango salsa, cilantro lime corn, garlic roasted asparagus, grilled bell peppers and brown rice.

–

But anyways, last week when I was pondering about what I wanted to write about this week a few things went through my mind. Another recipe? Got it. A workout or yoga pose? Got that too. While those are both two of my favorite topics, I also want to always share more than just surface topics with you. I want you to come here because you can read real stories about real life. I want you to feel like you can connect with me, on more than just a “You must try this delicious dessert!” level – if that makes any sense at all. So today’s post is a little bit different than what I normally write about but I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Let me rewind to 2008- the year that I got married and finished up my first degree in Broadcasting/Journalism (or enough so to be able to finish a distance internship and move to Orlando with my new husband).

I was young (21), in love, and following the path Jesus laid out for me. Following our December wedding, I moved to Florida in order to support my husband who was rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes to return to work (the mound) the following season. Our life was up and down, back and fort, and the only constant in our life was God’s love – we were living the minor league baseball life. (In fact, during that time, I even started writing a book called “A Minor League Life as a Minor League Wife with a Major League God.” I think it could have been pretty good, but that’s beside the point.) We moved often and had to be ready to go whenever Dustin and the coaches felt he was ready. I knew very little about life at the age of 21 (who am I kidding? I don’t know much more now ), but I knew what made me happy and that was being with my husband.

That season, I worked a restaurant job with a college degree simply because we had no idea how long we would spend in one city. Try telling the hiring manager of a full time position that you don’t know how long you will live in that one particular city – see if he still wants you on his team. I had graduated yet had no idea what to do with that degree considering our lifestyle.

As a high school and college student, I was a career girl through and through. I was working in a top 10 market by the time I was 25 and would consider getting married around 30. Kids? I don’t think so. Jokes on me, right? As the first married of all of my friends, you better believe the look on both my close friends and parents face when Dustin shared the news that we were thinking about getting married was a confused one.

“You mean a promise ring, Dustin?,” my mom said.

“No, Mrs. Debby, an engagement ring.”

A few of my guy friends in high school used to tell me that Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent” song was written after me. I don’t think that’s the best compliment but you catch my drift.

During our first few years of marriage, I certainly had my doubts. I would get angry and tell Dustin that I had given up my dreams in order to follow his. I would tell him that I was going to move home and march toward my goals.  He supported every decision and every word that ever came out of my mouth. He would tell me that he wanted me to do whatever it was that I wanted to do and if I wanted to move home then that’s what I should do. But he also told me that my support for him meant more than any additional income, more than a “power couple” status, and more than any temporary job.

We certainly could have lived life apart. Me in Atlanta chasing my TV dreams and him hopping from city to city on a different mound every five days. I wouldn’t have known his life and he wouldn’t have known mine, but we would have both been pursuing what we each defined as success.

But we decided it wasn’t worth it.

We wanted to be together and that’s all that mattered to us. We’ve certainly made it harder on ourselves living on one income the past five years when we easily could have had two, but God had different plans for us and we chose to follow His plan rather than our own. And not only that, life on the go is pretty fun. Watching my husband pitch are some of the best memories I have, and now that it’s over, I would have regretted not being there for the rest of my life. God’s plan for me far exceeds any plan I could have ever written myself. God knew exactly what He was doing when He told me what to do and where to go and I am so thankful that I listened. It was during that time that I was  able to find myself and my true calling. If I had followed my own selfish desires and pushed against God’s plan, I would have never had a quite moment to listen and see what else was out there for me.

Because of baseball, my selfless husband, and God’s impeccable timing, once baseball was over and my husband retired from the game, I was able to return to school in order to pursue my nutrition degree and then my dietetic internship in order to now be a registered dietitian. I would have never done that if our story didn’t unfold exactly as it was supposed to.

Since Dustin is now back in the baseball world (same game, different position), he is on the road a lot, yet again. Following my internship and obtaining my registration, I have again had another “be quite and listen” time in my life. Do I take a traditional job and see my husband very seldom – even though he and I are a perfect team and being together is what makes us the happiest? Or do I follow my heart, choose happiness over a salary and try to map out my own story according to God’s plan?

With a Mayo Clinic seal of approval and a director that always taught me to shoot for the moon, I left there with the confidence to do anything that I wanted to do. Whether it be clinical, community, food service or anything else, I knew I just had to decide what direction I wanted to go in and start walking.

And that’s where I have been these past few months. Trying to be quite and listen. Listening to God’s path. Listening to God’s plan. A few weeks ago I was sharing my story and journey with a fellow Jesus lover and she said it perfectly, “Ashley, you’re waiting for God to show you the way.” She couldn’t have been more right.

Who says life has to be “traditional?” Who says you have to work here first or work there first in order to be successful? Success is defined by you. By me. We each define it differently. What you define as work or success and what I define as work or success can look completely different so long as we are following God’s individual plan for each of us. That is all that matters. It’s taken me nearly twenty-five years to finally understand that but I couldn’t be happier with where I am, praying that I am doing things exactly as He wants me to.

What about you? Have you had a time in your life where you had to be quite and listen to God? As you see, I’ve had quite a few.

I hope you have an awesome Thursday!

Good health!

The post Sometimes It’s More Important to Be Quiet and Listen Rather Than Make Up Your Own Story appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there and happy Friday!

As of today, I am one week out of my dietetic internship graduation from the Mayo Clinic Florida. It still feels surreal. Three years ago when I embarked on my journey to return to school, I never thought the day would come. Now the time has already come and gone.

This blury photo was taken after our graduation of me and my two fellow interns, Jessica and Abbie. It seems so strange that we are all states away again after being side-by-side, every.single.day. for the past nine months. We chat almost everyday, so I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that we will never be Class #54 physically at Mayo again.

Since graduation, I (with the help of my parents) moved out of my Jacksonville place, returning back to my hometown for the first time since 2005 (for an extended period of time). It’s hard to believe that eight years have already passed. I’ve taken a complete break from all things nutrition, with plans to hit the books hard on Monday in preparation for the RD exam. I hope to take and pass it within the next six weeks so I better get busy!

It’s been so nice to hang out with my husband again, after living in seperate states for the past five to six months. We both make jokes that we don’t remember what it’s like to live together anymore, but we are certainly rememering quickly! Because he travels so much for work, I decided to hop in the car with him and spend some time checking out what his life has been like for the past six months. He keeps joking that he knows I will always join him on the road if he takes me to all of the healthy food spots along the way, so our past few days on the road have looked a lot like this…

Steel cut oats, berries, bananas, and granola at our hotel this morning.

Kale, spinach, and cabbage salad (+ so much more!) from Whole Foods.

Daily Kombucha!

He knows me too well! We have spent more time in Whole Foods this past week than I did during my entire internship. No complaints here though. I haven’t eaten this well since our Orlando days. (I’m hoping he thinks this way forever!)

Tonight, we are in Oxford, Mississippi so that Dustin can check out the Ole Miss baseball game while I explore the town and write to you. We are going to dinner in the Square tonight,not quite sure where yet but hopefully finding more delcious, healthy food!

And now you have to be wondering what is the exciting news that I mentioned in the title. I’m so excited to share with you that the blog is getting a makeover with an entire new face and more nutrition related content (since I will be an RD in just a few short weeks!). I am told by my designer that it will be only a few more weeks; he is sending me the first “draft” soon! I know both you and I will be happy with it based on my conversations with him.

Well, I’m off to get ready for a datenight with my HUSBAND. Sure feels strange to be in the same town as him! I hope you have a great weekend as well!

Good health!

The post C’est La Vie, Internship and Exciting News! appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi pals! I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!

I’m feeling super lazy right about now. Despite that, this weekend has been pretty productive, in all of the non-fun, am I not in high school anymore? ways. I’ve been sitting at my computer since 7am and didn’t step outside once today. Sad. I feel like it was such a wasted day, but I keep trying to convenience myself that it wasn’t, internship wise.

The weekend started on Friday afternoon with another project assignment. Instead of stressing, or working for that matter (like I probably should have), I went straight to the gym for a run and yoga. I left feeling much better than I did going in so that’s always a plus.

To make up for my Friday night slack (right now, not doing work on a Friday night is a bit unusual), I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to get some work done.  Later in the morning, I headed over to the Donna 26.2 Expo in downtown Jax to talk marathon nutrition with both athletes and non-athletes alike. The turnout was great; so many nutrition questions! It was incredible to be in the presence one of the leading breast cancer researchers and Mayo Clinic oncologist, Dr. Edith Perez, as she discussed the importance of exercise in cancer prevention. I was very sad to not take part in running the race this morning because of prior talks earlier in the internship to be a part of a research study to be conducted at the actual race (not just the expo). Maybe next year!? My training for my next marathon actually starts on Monday (tomorrow?!) ironically; perfect timing as my running motivation is soaring after this weekend!

After the race, back to my boring computer chair I went until later in the evening where I joined my fellow interns for dinner with one of thier family’s. It was a wonderful break from the work to say the least.

Like I said earlier, today has been more work but I was able to get so much done (hence, why I’m able to write!), so for that, I am grateful…even if I missed the Florida sunshine.

Last week, I spent time in school nutrition, which was interesting yet very predictable at the same time. One thing I did realize is that I actually do have an interest in school nutrition (which certainly wasn’t there before): I know it would be an uphill battle for the rest of my life, however, certainly a battle worth fighting.

And that friends, is the day in the life of a dietetic intern. Fun, right?

With only two weeks in my internship remaining and now being asked what my next plans are eight times a day rather than the normal four, my head is starting to spin again as I too ask myself, “what’s next?”

I do know that move number twelve is next, but that’s about all, folks!

Also, I wanted to mention that I promise to have more nutrition and fitness related posts soon!

Have a great week!

The post Internship Fun appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good morning and happy Sunday!

Not sure if I ever thought this day would come, but today marks my last day of my “summer break” and tomorrow marks the start of a career I’ve been working toward for the past few years.  I am beyond thrilled to start my internship at the Mayo Clinic TOMORROW morning at 7:30 am.

The past few months have been nothing short of amazing, as Dustin and I got to spend time in various cities with family and friends and just enjoy life. I’m excited to get back on a schedule and continue working toward my goals.

As summer vacay comes to a wrap, it’s time to get my ducks in a row and prepare for what the next eight months hold.  First stop: COSTCO.

Nothing helps me feel more prepared to take on the week (and excites me) more than a fully stocked kitchen…

Dustin and I were members at Costco back in the baseball playing days, but when we moved back to GA we never rejoined.  I guess there is something about living in FL and us being members there? Who knows. We felt the time was right and made our way back to that mosterous place since it is just a few miles from our house.  Since Dustin and I eat relatively the same foods every week (minus veggies), grocery shopping there makes sense.  There were only a few items that I had to run in Publix for, like unsweetened Almond milk and Ezekiel bread, but other than that, we were good to go.  We even found a few goodies there too, like the center picture above.  I’ve been wanting to make Stuffed Grape Leaves for a while after enjoying them so much at the St. Augustine farmers market, but when we saw them at Costco, they looked too good to turn down. They would be so easy to make though: grape leaves, brown rice, tomatoes, red peppers, olive oil, and a few more ingredints: I think I can handle that.

Anyways, today I plan on listening to North Point  Community Church Online, running a few more errands to prepare for tomorrow, enjoying a long run with the hub and pups, and maybeee laying on the beach for a few hours. We will see what all gets done.  Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday!

Good health!

The post So Long Summer Break appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! Happy Wednesday… I hope the  middle of the week finds you doing well! We have had a wonderful week thus far; lots of positive thinking going on down here. It must be the weather. What is it about the sunshine that just makes everyone happier? I don’t know about you, but it certainly does me.

Here lately, with just a few weeks left in my second return to school, many people have been asking me about my road and journey in deciding to return to school to pursue a career as a registered dietitian (RD).  Today I want to share with all of you a little about why I choose to return to school, what my path has looked like since returning, and my thoughts/feelings about it all.

PAST:

As most of you know, I graduated in 2009 with a degree in broadcasting, with all plans in mind to be the next Erin Andrews, don’t we all? I wanted to pursue a career in sideline reporting, well, really any type of sports reporting.  Growing up in and around sports, I thought this would be the perfect job for me.

As I began my broadcasting internship at WFTV Channel 9 in Orlando, I quickly saw that by simply saying, “I am going to be a sports reporter” wasn’t near enough.  If this is what I truly wanted to do I was going to have to put in a lot of time in other areas, such as news, to prove myself and work my way to the position that everyone wanted. I would have to move to whatever city had an opening, for a salary that was hardly survivable.  But at that same time, I knew I didn’t want to work in news. I didn’t want to be the girl telling you of our world’s troubles and negativities day in and day out. In our house, we turn off the news; how could I do something for a living that I don’t even support? I couldn’t.

I had always loved nutrition.  The summer before I my senior year of college, I called my dad on day and told him that I was going to change my major to Nutrition.

“Not so fast, Ashley,” was his response.

“You’ll be done with school in one semester and graduating in two, why don’t you just go ahead and get that degree and get out of there.”

He was right, it was too late.  I was so close to being finished and changing my major at that point would have added years on. Plus, I wouldn’t have been able to move to Orlando with Dustin right after our wedding.  He probably also saw my HOPE scholarship running out soon

In the middle of my broadcasting internship, a light bulb went off and I figured out exactly what I wanted to do, since news reporting wasn’t it…I wanted to be a health reporter! I could combine my broadcasting degree with my passion for nutrition and easily do this, so I thought.  I went into the station the next day and started asking several questions about it. My ideas and dreams were quickly shot. One of the stations veterans told me, “they are always medical doctors (MDs) or registered dietitians (RDs),” referring to health reporters.

Great, I am neither. Back to square one.

Dustin and I had gotten married less than one year before beginning my broadcasting internship.  After realizing that news reporting was going to be a path that I would have to take if I wanted to work in this field, I decided that it just  wasn’t worth it.  Dustin had a job that demanded him to be in a certain (assigned) location. Reporting is a job that would demand me to be in a certain (assigned) location. If I wanted to be with my husband, one of us was going to have to pick. Obviously, his baseball career was far more excelled and more promising than any plans I had in reporting.

I decided, at least at that time, I would have to pursue something else.

During this time in Orlando, while Dustin rehabbed his shoulder, after my internship was completed, all I did was read, read, read about nutrition.  Though I was always interested in nutrition, it was during this time that I truly fell in love with it.

Dustin was forced to retire from baseball (due to the shoulder injury) in 2010 and he still had 1.5 years left in school to complete his degree since he was drafted after only his junior year. I knew, if ever, when Dustin decided to return to school, that would be the opportunity and time for me to return as well.

If I wanted to be a health reporter or pursue a career in a field that I am so passionate about, I decided that I would work toward obtaining a Nutrition and Food Science degree during this time so that I could become a registered dietitian (RD).

PRESENT:

I will go ahead and say this… my journey toward becoming an RD has not been easy (but nothing worth having is ). This degree is SO different from that of any journalism/communication degree. With my first degree, showing up to class, turning in my homework, and studying the night before tests worked. That would never fly for this degree. I spend weeks studying for tests, hours working on projects, and even more hours working on research/community service/volunteering to build my resume in order to have THANKFULLY obtained an internship (to get my registration). Oh yeah, and on top of that, I needed to work a job too. Hello, yoga teacher.

Since there are only internship spots for 50% of the dietetic students, you could imagine, landing one is extremely competitive. Three of my friends (all which gave up their lives for this degree for the past two years, all with GPAs of 3.6 or higher, and more community involvement and research than imaginable), unfortunately didn’t get matched with an internship. We are all still wondering, “WHY?” Sometimes I find myself saying had I known it was this competitive, I might not have even gone back, but yes I would have.  I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. — George E Woodberry

“If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life.”

The post My path through nutrition. appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.