A Match Made In Heaven

Hey guys!

I'm terribly sorry I haven't posted anything in so long but my life has been a bit crazy lately so blogging had to take a back seat for a bit. Buuuuuut I'm back now and with great news, I got matched!! April 3rd was quite possibly the longest day of my life but when 6pm struck, I cautiously logged into DND while whispering "it'll be ok" over and over again to myself soft enough for my coworker to (hopefully) not hear me silently freaking out at my desk. After clicking on my "Match Results," I nearly had a heart attack when I read that I had matched with my first choice of Baylor Medical Center in Dallas! I would have survived had I not gotten matched but my god was it an amazing feeling to find out that I had actually done it, I was in the 50% that got a match! I must've gotten a little too excited because since that momentous night, I've been very very sick :( the doc thinks its a viral respiratory infection but dear lord it feels more like I have the bubonic plague. In the midst of catching possibly the worst cold I've had in years and working overtime hours as a registry employee (funny how that always seems to be the case with hospital jobs...) I've been saving all my extra energy up to plan for my big move to Dallas in the summer. Since the program starts August 1st, I'll need to be down in TX by mid-July. Lucky for me, I have the world's best big brother who is letting me stay with him in Waco so I can spend a whole week navigating my way around Dallas and looking at potential apartments. In the meantime, I'll be moving out of my current apartment in 2 weeks and back with my parents for the remainder of my time in Illinois. I haven't lived at home in over 3 years so this ought to be....interesting. I've gotta say though none of this would have been possible without my amazing parents and I am so utterly grateful for everything they have done & everything they will be helping me with in the next (unpaid) year of my life. All in all, I am crazy excited to start the next chapter of my life and be one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a registered dietitian! Until next time, stay golden...

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FINALLY FINISHED!

I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION TODAY!! 

I am officially done with DICAS and now...we wait! It has been stressful but overall I didn't have any major disasters or hiccups (that I know of) so all in all I'd say its been a success so far. I am so relieved and thankful to be finished a whole 5 days early. I just found out on Monday that we will be getting annual bonuses on our next paychecks as well so that will cover almost all of my DICAS fees! Now I can spend my hard earned money on the Beyonce tickets I'm also getting from a friend that bought them yesterday (it's been a really good week for me). Good luck to the rest of my fellow #RD2Be's this week as the February 15th deadline approaches. You got this!!

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Almost Done!

After a  very long & slightly emotional talk with my mom about how frustrated and worried I was because no one was getting me the things I needed for my DICAS application, the nutrition Gods came through in a big way because sure enough later that night one of my transcripts were posted.

Then the following day I f i n a l l y got my course list form from my DPD director and my 3rd reference letter!! Things are finally looking up! Still need 1 more reference letter & my last transcripts but in case you're out there freaking out & stressing like me, RELAX. Like my roommate said to me when she saw me laying on the floor groaning about how life isn't fair, it'll all work out. Just trust in that.

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DICAS Update: E-Portfolio Fun

February 15th is coming so fast!! So I have all of my parts done for DICAS so far, I'm just waiting on my DPD director to send over my Course List form, my last two references to submit their letters, and my transcripts to be processed...yikes! All I can really do now is wait which I think might actually kill me... I really don't like relying on so many other people to make sure this thing gets completed on time, it is truly so stressful!

Today on kind of a whim I decided to add one more program to my list taking me from 3 program designations to 4. The final one that I added today is a distance program through Sodexo and I'm not really sure why I didn't consider it before (I think the word "distance" scared me off) but they actually work with you to find a Sodexo location close to you instead of you finding your own preceptors. Their application isn't too much different from the rest, however, they did ask that you provide a link to an e-portfolio. Since I'm on this kick about blogging and creating websites and being all artsy and whatnot, I thought of it as a neat little project to work on. For those of you not familiar with what an e-portfolio entails, this is how Sodexo put it, an e-portfolio is for "highlighting your experience, achievements, goals, and commitment to the profession. Additionally, a well-crafted electronic portfolio demonstrates your computer and technology skills."

So I spent the morning putting together a modpodge of my skills, hobbies, passions, experience, blah blah blah into basically my own little website turned resume using Yola.com. If you're interested to see how it turned out, here is the link: http://annastrle-eportfolio.yolasite.com/

I kind of like this little extra requirement for Sodexo's program because it let's you take that extra step to show your creative side as well as highlighting your passion for nutrition. It may not be everyone's cup of tea to do something like that but I enjoyed it and it helped me kill a little time on this terribly boring Saturday I'm having at the moment. Well now that that's done I guess I'll...take a nap? Sounds good to me!

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Transcripts

Since we're in the ever-advancing digital world I should've guessed that I could do all my transcript ordering for DICAS online but since I want everything to be perfect, I went all the way out the the community college where I took dual credit & summer classes to ask how to have my transcripts sent to DICAS with the attached form that DICAS asks you to send with them.

After waiting far longer than I should have to talk to the "transcript expert", a nice lady finally came out from the back just to tell me I had to do it all online...oh. So I left and came home and did it online. Moral of the story is before going all the way out to any schools you may need transcripts from, check to see if you can order "transcripts with an attachment" from their website. That way you can fill in all the forms yourself & attach the transcript request form that DICAS asks you to use all from the convenience of your couch. You don't even have to get out of your pajamas. What a time to be alive.

Anywho I hope this helps save some of you the trouble of going allllll the way out to your schools to be told you didn't need to come out there after all...oh well, lessons learned!

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Is Any Experience Really Good Experience?

The answer is yes! When it comes to nutrition jobs and internships, employers and directors want to see that you have experience and skills that will allow you to succeed in whatever it is you are applying for. The key to using irrelevant experiences to your benefit lies in your ability to make your skills seem transferable.

Say your only experience was volunteering at your local library (don't laugh, I actually did this for a period of time. Not so glamorous but hey, experience is experience). So you're probably asking yourself what skills could I possibly have gained from being surrounded by books all day? WELL it helped my communication skills and customer service skills whenever I helped patrons find the book they were looking for. I also had to use the computer occasionally to look books up so I could say that it also helped improve my computer skills.

With the right phrasing and terminology, you can use even the most unremarkable experiences in your favor to snag the job, internship, or position you have your heart set on.

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Nutrition & Dietetics

Nutrition is such an awesome field to get into but it is not necessarily the easiest career to pursue. Before diving head first into a Dietetics program, be sure that this is EXACTLY what you want to do with your life because it is a lot of work, takes a lot of time, and unfortunately can cost a pretty penny too.

Tips for success in your undergrad:

• Plan wayyyy ahead -- it may seem silly to plan out two, three, four semesters, or even your whole four years in advance but trust me, you will thank yourself when you finish on time in four years and not five....or more
• Get close to your adviser and professors early -- they're on your side. They're the experts you'll want to ask for advice on everything from what classes to take when and how to succeed best in their classes. And having a close relationship with multiple instructors will make it so much easier for you to get awesome recommendation letters when it comes time for you to apply to internships.
• Get involved! -- join the nutrition club, volunteer at a food pantry or WIC clinic, get a foodservice job if you can. Start building your resume up early with whatever you can get into. Don't wait until you're a month from graduating to realize you have no valuable experience because that will lower your chances of getting into an internship or getting a post-grad job
• Save money if you can -- I know its not possible for everyone but if you can save even a little throughout your undergrad, you won't be as shell shocked by the costs of just applying for a dietetic internship (the tuition is a different story; make sure you're sitting down when you look at those numbers!)

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