Hi! My name is Sydney, and this blog will be about my journey to become a Registered Dietitian. I just wanted to start by telling you a little about myself and my journey thus far. I started my undergraduate at Virginia Tech knowing exactly what I wanted to study, and surprisingly I stuck with it all 4 years. That is not to say it was without some struggles along the way. My first two years in the program were really tough. I was on in-major academic probation every spring semester until my junior year for not achieving a 3.0. So, for those of you in the same situation, there is hope :) Do not get discouraged. It wasn't until I got through all of the general science classes that I really started to excel. When it came time to apply for DI's my senior year, I had a reality check. With my GPA being only a 3.1, I was not competitive for the programs that I wanted to get into. So after much discussion with Ms. Cox (the undergraduate dietetics program director) I decided to go with what I had considered plan B. Apply to graduate school. Since it was my plan B, I had not prepared at all. I had to scramble to study for and take my GRE. Then, the application date for one of my programs was December 1. As a word of advice, if you have a plan B, actually prepare for it because you may need to put it into action. After applying to all 5 graduate programs as plan A now, I was still preparing everything to apply for DICAS (the internship matching system). I figured even if I didn't use it that year, it would make my life so much easier to have most of the information filled in. If you have ever completed the DICAS application, you know how time consuming it is. Shortly after winter break, I received an email from East Carolina University informing me of my acceptance into their graduate program. I was given a week to decide whether or not I wanted to attend. That seemed like a huge decision to make in a week, but I went ahead and accepted. Because of this, I decided not to apply to any DI's. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. As I moved down to my new city not knowing a sole, I wasn't too sure why I was headed to Greenville, NC. After being there for a year and completing the first year of graduate school, I know why. I applied and was accepted into the MS/DI program at ECU for the 2013-2014 school year. I even got my top pick for internship assignments in Wilmington, NC. It was not an easy transition, but I was able to meet a lot of new people and make some new connections. I finished what I believe to be my hardest year of graduate school, and now I am able to focus on my internship this year. I am very excited to be starting a new adventure here in Wilmington, and look forward to sharing the good, bad and ugly about my dietetic internship.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor (MD). The purpose of my blog is to share my experiences with nutrition and food, not to provide medical advice. The views on this website do not necessarily reflect the values, thoughts, or opinions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or any current employer. My nutrition and lifestyle views are influenced by my education, professional experience, and evidence-based information.
