Lesson 1: Alphabet Soup
Lesson 2: The Humility Pill
Someone once warned me that the dietetic internship is 99% awkwardness. This is absolutely true, and I'm having a little trouble integrating with the medical team. Even after reading through a patient's medical record, I find that there are many gaps and holes to be filled in, which requires talking with the doctors.
It takes a daily dose of humility, for I confess that the attending physicians, the residents, the interns, and the nurses intimidate me! Most times I feel like a little child sitting at the grown-ups table, listening to the adult conversation. But then I tell myself, "Hey girl, remember you have a job to do!" So I spank myself on the bottom, stand up, and speak my mind, saying, "Excuse me Dr. ABC, what's the care plan for Patient XYZ? When do you plan to advance his diet?" And away we go.
Epiphany: "Interns" are actually first-year residents. This confused me at first, but I have since realized that interns are much more approachable than the older residents or attending physicians. Thank you Interns!
Coming soon...Lesson 3: A Poker Face
Once again, Happy Monday!
Rachel
PS-Sometimes I feel like this picture! Hehe. (Photo from Kswpgoodfriends Blog.)
Disclaimer. I am not a Registered Dietitian yet. I provide nutrition information intended for the general public, not for the treatment of a specific medical condition. I try to use scientific research and reliable sources when forming my opinions and messages.
5 comments:
Go get 'um Rachel!!! Well wishes for your internship!
Haha... I had a very similar experience. It's all about confidence :) Good luck!
Reading this brings back memories of my internship days! Don't worry, the longer you are in the hospital setting the more comfortable you are in speaking up to the medical team.
Definitely think that working up the courage to talk to physicians is a big part of the internship. I LOVE teaching hospitals, though...so much better than regular hospitals, where the drs are not used to teaching interns. You'll become more and more comfortable the longer you are in a hospital. :-)
My sister just started her internship/residency. I will tell her to be nice to the dietetic interns :)
Post a Comment