Dietetic Internship Journey – the Beginning

During the next year, I will be gaining experience in the nutrition field as a dietetic intern.  I am extremely fortunate to have been accepted into the Bastyr University Dietetic Internship program.   I will work with several different preceptors in the areas of clinical nutrition, community nutrition, and food service management.  After I’ve completed the internship, I will be eligible to take the Registered Dietitian exam and then officially launch my private practice!

The coursework for my masters degree at Bastyr University was fascinating, with a perspective of both nutrition science and natural health.  What I learned supported my philosophy of disease prevention through lifestyle choices, treating the cause not the symptom, and using whole foods as a foundation to health.  It was a unique and wonderful experience to learn about and integrate health practices that fit with my values.

A challenge with the dietetics field is that the internship rotations are frequently in settings where the value of a whole foods diet is not recognized or affordable, symptoms are treated while the cause of the disease persists, and the healthcare system does not target prevention.  I know that I am definitely not the first Bastyr nutrition graduate to be in a position to reconcile the disconnect between what supports health and what the current healthcare system provides.  I am lucky that I get to participate in the only dietetic internship with a mission for interns to integrate whole foods, environmental nutrition, and complementary medicine perspectives into their experiences. 

I expect that I will get to experience a wide range of organizations whose philosophy may or may not embrace these perspectives.  My mission is to move the needle, however slightly, toward the end of the spectrum that supports the foundation of whole foods nutrition as an essential component of health care.  It may be through one idea I pass along, the experience of one patient, or my passion for helping others. 

I will share my experiences and “aha” moments over the next year.  My hope is that they help you better understand the power you have in your everyday food choices to impact your health.