When I left you a week ago, I had just completed a dietetics internship rotation with the wonderful Maryann Meade and was looking forward to my next mini-internship with Marci Anderson, a registered dietitian specializing in nutrition therapy for eating disorders and who owns her own practice in Cambridge, MA. As dietetic students often are not exposed to eating disorder counseling, I was looking forward to this internship as a way for me to gain experience in both eating disorders and counseling.
So, how was it? Rather than keep you in suspense, I’ll just tell you now: I had a fantastic and rewarding experience with Marci! If you’ll come inside, I’ll tell you all about it:
Check out this chic and cozy sitting room:
Marci decorated the entire office herself. As a business owner, she takes on many jobs besides that of a nutrition therapist: she also needs to think about the appearance of her office, marketing of her services, budgetary issues, insurance (both her clients’ and her own), her tenants, even whether or not the plumbing is working correctly! I could go on and on. I’ll say it again, folks – owning your own business is NOT easy.
Upon my arrival, Marci was brimming with ideas for possible learning experiences. Over the course of a week, I worked on designing handouts (which I LOVE to do!), writing blog posts and tweets, contacting dietetic internship directors, and writing an article for a Massachusetts Dietetic Association publication.
My “office”:
Oh, no! I don’t have a picture of me working at my computer like I’ve had in every internship post thus far! Let’s see if we can fix that:
That’s better.
I was also able to sit in on many counseling sessions with Marci’s clients. Thanks to all of Marci’s clients who welcomed me into their sessions! Nutrition therapy for eating disorders often brings up painful and difficult conversations, and I know it must not have been easy having another person in the room. This internship was an incredible opportunity to see nutrition therapy for eating disorders firsthand.
In Marci‘s office:
Marci works hard to incorporate the most current and effective nutrition therapy techniques in her practice. I’ve learned a little about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and motivational interviewing in class, but nothing beats seeing these counseling approaches in action.
Marci also devoted plenty of time to chit-chat sessions with me, sharing how she started and grew her practice, as well as answering any questions (of which I had many!). I feel as though I’ve learned so much about counseling and owning your own business over the past week. What a wide world out there for future dietitians!
I wanted to take a picture with Marci on my last day, but there wasn’t anyone around, so I propped my camera on a book and used the self-timer. I’m surprised the picture turned out so well!
Thanks for a great experience, Marci! :)
I also had a nice week with Peter’s brother, Dave, who kindly let me stay with him rather than commute four hours a day. Dave is quite the gourmand, especially where hot peppers are concerned. I would show you a picture of his dried chili collection, but I don’t think I’d be able to fit them all in a single camera frame. Only with Dave would you come home at the end of the day and hear him say, “Hey, Jessie, try this death sauce.” (I kid you not.)
You first, Dave.
So, how was it?
Yeah, I thought so.
My next dietetic internship rotation (and second to last rotation!) is in food service. I’ll keep you updated!
Q: Have you ever cooked with dried hot peppers? Have you ever accidentally stuck your finger in your eye after handling one? I have.
Lesson? Wear gloves!
PS: When I returned home late Friday evening, I found my desk had been transformed in my absence.
Do you think Peter is trying to tell me something?
Edited to add: I’ve had a few questions about whether or not Peter and his brother, Dave, are twins. The answer? Nope, they’re not – just brothers who look very similar. Although, each claims he is taller than the other (I stay out of that argument).
Hello THIH readers! After recovering from my “tastes of the wild“, I’m ready to share with you more about what a registered dietitian does. To bring new readers up to speed: I’ve talked about nutrition research and clinical dietetics, as well as quick looks at food service dietetics and community nutrition with SNAP-Ed. Let continue this series, shall we?
Over the past five weeks, I’ve had the fortune to intern with Maryann Meade, a private practice dietitian in Connecticut. As I discussed in my clinical dietetics post, registered dietitians work in many diverse areas. Maryann not only offers nutritional counseling for a variety of nutritional needs, but also consults for home care agencies, day care organizations, drug and alcohol facilities, workplace wellness programs, and more. She is also involved politically, having held several offices in the American Dietetic Association and currently the office of delegate for business and consultation in the House of Delegates of the American Dietetic Association. She has even taught classes at the University of Connecticut! Diversity in dietetics is not just a rumor, kids.
So, what exactly did I do over the past five weeks? A short summary:
Welcome to the waiting room! You have an appointment with Maryann? Please, sit and get comfortable. Maryann will be with you in just a moment.
I observed and participated in many nutritional counseling sessions during my time with Maryann. We counseled clients with diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, IBS, anemia, kidney stones, disordered eating, lactose intolerance, acid reflux, nutrition support, and more. We also counseled athletes looking to fuel their performance and individuals who wished to lose weight. I feel like I’ve seen almost everything over the past several weeks – but I know there’s much more out there. I have also met many amazing people who are committed to their nutritional health. Having clients come in and thank us for the help we give them is one of the most rewarding aspects of nutritional counseling – but, not the only one!
Maryann and I also visited some clients in their homes. These visits are particularly fruitful because home visits give us a chance to observe food practices and cooking facilities in the home – for example, if a client is talking about a particular specialty food, he or she can just pull it out of their cabinet and show it to us. Nice. I have also helped Maryann give presentations at a children’s nutrition program for which she consults, as well as attended a meeting of certified diabetes educators.
A lot of work goes on behind the scenes as well. As a nutrition consulting business owner, Maryann establishes and maintains relationships with other health care providers and organizations through marketing and communications. For example, I developed mad skillz in writing assessment letters to physicians and nurses concerning mutual patients/clients. I also learned about billing insurance companies, setting up appointments, and arranging referrals.
Hard at work on the computer. Gotta have a picture of me at the computer for every dietetics-related post.
Dude, where’s my doctor letter??
"What??"
Establishing, growing, and maintaining your own business is not easy!
Don’t forget: registered dietitians need to eat, too! A lunch beneath the tulips:
A mish-mash of veggies, feta, olives, olive oil, and fresh herbs:
Greek yogurt with raspberries and blueberries:
Veggies? Check. Healthy fats from olives? Check. Protein in my yogurt? Check … But, wait, Jessie! This isn’t a balanced meal!
After reviewing these pictures, I realize I had forgotten to add my usual whole grain pasta to my veggies and olives. No whole grains in this meal. Oops. I guess even soon-to-be-RDs make mistakes :) Not every meal is going to be balanced, but that’s ok!
Hanging out with Maryann in her office:
Thanks, Maryann! I had a wonderful time over the past five weeks! :D
If you have any questions about private practice dietetics, please feel free to contact me.
Future plans: Next week, I’m very excited to be working with Marci Anderson, the owner of Marci RD Nutrition Consulting in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. Marci is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer who specializes in eating disorders, body image, emotional eating, and more. Stay tuned!
P.S. The cherry trees are blooming in New Haven! Check it:
Have a great Easter weekend, everyone!
Q: What aspect of dietetics do you find the most interesting so far?
and
Have you ever seen a cherry tree in bloom? Gorgeous!
