Liz_loves_Lemon: Fast Forward from 2013 to 2015… But what happened in 2014?

To all who read this,

Thank you for still caring to read about my life! I realize I have not updated in well over a year, so I figured… why not spend the next few blog posts updating you on the past year, which is mostly about my dietetic internship and journey to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. [Quick note: The credentials Registered Dietitian and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist mean the same thing]. Also, I became an aunt to the two most adorable twins girls this past year. I will spare you all the "I have THE BEST nieces" talk, but if you want brownie points, ask me about them.

Anyways…

The steps to become a RD or RDN is a lengthy, yet rewarding, process. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State University… We Are! After graduating from Penn State, I worked at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and loved it. I worked with great coworkers and under strong leadership. And, of course, I LOVED living in Baltimore. If there is one place in the U.S. I recommend you visit, it is Baltimore, Maryland… and if you go, bring me with you as a tour guide!

After working in Baltimore, I moved to Richmond, Virginia for an 11-month dietetic internship at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Whew-it was an intense internship. I learned so much about medical nutrition therapy and about myself after numerous self-evaluations. My intern class consisted of six interns from all over. They are all so wonderful! There's Kelsey, who is easily one of the most positive persons I have ever met. If you need help, a fun night out, or a shoulder to lean on, you can count on Kelsey. There's Amy, who along with being my roomie, got me hooked on Hop beers, introduced me to Luke Bryan (<3), and also shared a passion for peds too. There's Brett, who brought her puppy to us for puppy therapy and was an incredible leader during our chaotic audit week. I have no doubt that she could be a strong manager one day. There's Jordan, who is a food science wiz, has the best one-liners, and makes tasty meals. And, there's Kendra, who knows how to shop for a bargain, plan a new program, and is always up for some ice cream. Cheers to the best internship class!

I had several rotations that I really enjoyed. First and foremost -all my pediatric rotations. Because I hope to eventually work as a pediatric dietitian, I catered my internship to working with children. So much fun! Being able to play a role in helping children heal or improve brings me great joy. Another rotation I enjoyed was my nutrition support rotation in the cardiac surgery intensive care unit. Here, I rounded with the medical team on a daily basis and monitored/made adjustments to tube feeding regimens (of course all of this was supervised by my RD preceptor). There is so much that goes into medical nutrition therapy in the ICU… and it doesn't hurt that I had the best attending for two weeks (my "silver fox" as Kelsey would say). All in all, I am very fortunate to have had this opportunity and appreciate all the help and guidance offered by the internship director, clinical coordinators, and preceptors.

Interns at Belle Isle on a brisk November day.

Richmond was an interesting experience. Although it was nothing like Baltimore, it did have some pretty, cool sights and breweries. My favorites about Richmond:

Place to take visitors to: Maymont

Place to lay out/ historical/walk around: Belle Isle

Place for beer: Southern Railway Taphouse and Legends Brewery

Place to eat: Flames 231 and Goatacado food truck

Festival: Dominion River Rock on Brown's Island

Farmers Market: South of the James (try the different peanut butters-I got a delicious apple-cinn one)

Shopping Center: Short Pump

I graduated from the internship this past December and moved back to Pittsburgh. Graduating this program was such an accomplishment; there were really great days and then some really tough ones. But again, I made it through! However, I still needed to take the CDR exam and pass to become certified as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

I took my exam on February 10, 2015 and passed! Thank goodness! I will write about my studying experience in my next blog… it may bore most of you, but if you are planning on testing soon, it may prove helpful.

Currently, I have another interview lined up in Pittsburgh and am awaiting to hear back from other places as well. This application/interviewing process is long. I'm slightly torn, because I still want to travel and try new places out, but I also want to stay in the 'burgh for a bit… I guess I shall see where the job takes me! Should I go to Denver, Co? or Austin, Tx? or Dallas, Tx? or stay in Pittsburgh?