Wise Words for Incoming Interns

By: Sasha B. Bard, MSN

The internship continues to fly by. At the start of the program I remember people saying, “it’ll be over before you know it.” And they were right. We’ve already passed the half way point and graduation is only 140 days away!

After some reflection on the first half of the program, here are my top 5 tips for the incoming class (to be announced in April) that will follow in our footsteps:

-Practice what you preach. Eat breakfast, pack a healthy lunch, make time for physical activity, drink lots of water, and get a good night’s sleep. Life as a dietetic intern can get busy and between travel, homework, abstracts, research assignments, blog posts, and twitter it may feel like there is no time to take care of yourself. Finding time for you is a must!

-Make a good first impression. You don’t get a second chance with first impressions. As interns you will constantly meet new people and be thrown into new work environments. Treat each interaction as a job interview and put your best foot forward.

-Support each other. This is not a competition. The other interns should be your support and encouragement throughout the year. You are all in this together- your success benefits the group and vice versa.

-Make a Phyllis folder. You will constantly have forms and paperwork to turn into Phyllis, but you may only see her once a week since she’s running around town trying to keep tabs on all ten interns. Make a Phyllis folder and keep it with you at all times. This way, when she pops up, you’ll know exactly where to find your paperwork.

-Keep it light. My partner, Erika, and I do this well. We always have a good time in our rotations and have been told “we’re the most personable interns yet.” It’s important to smile and find something to laugh about. Enjoy your experiences and, possibly more important, make sure your preceptors enjoy theirs as well.


Check back in June for part two: More Wise Words for Incoming Interns.