Although I decided not to apply for the internship this year, the time leading up to the application and the application process was extremely stressful.
The competition within the program was noticeable in my first year and has gotten considerably worse over the years. Fellow classmates often do not work well together because of the underlying competition, and have said that other classmates are seen as a ‘threat’ to their success. The system and internship application process demands so much from the students, which is fair, yet the competition is unhealthy and creates a great divide within the program. Professors also contribute to this negative environment by supporting this type of behaviour. Professor’s biases towards the internship and certain fields of Dietetics are sometimes pushed upon students and this has made me feel as though I have no other career options in nutrition.
The type of environment this process has created, in my opinion, is not conducive to a supportive work environment, during internship or practice. One reason I chose not to apply for the internship is that my experience thus far with dietetics and nutrition does not convince me this is the best, or the only way, to help people. The politics within the field and the internship process do not always represent the health care profession in a positive way. In researching the route the take to become an RD, there is no transparency and very little communication about the stressful process and the slim-to-none chances there are of actually getting an internship. It is also very difficult to understand why certain candidates are chosen over others. There are so many amazing candidates in this program, yet they are often denied an internship – even when we have been told that we all meet the criteria we are supposed to.
The structure of the RD accreditation process is not reflective of what I thought a RD was. The tension within the program and the poor communication create an unsupportive environment; how does this teach us to be supportive and good team players in our practice? My experience thus far has really made me question if I want to be a RD. This in itself forces me to question my choice to attend Ryerson and to caution others of the program. I feel that looking to other health care professions for direction on their accreditation process would really benefit this profession, and would make this a more positive experience for students.
1 comment:
My entire life I've wanted to be an RD. I finally quit my job after working for the state 17 years, while also going to school and raising kids on my own. It took until now for me to save the money and be able to pursue my passion as a RD. I went to orientation today at the university. I have only two years left and I have everything paid.
After learning about internships today, I decided to Google "chances of internships in RD" and was fortunate to locate this site. However, now I'm very concerned after reading all these blogs, and I think my chances could be low of getting any internship. I definitely have the maturity, skills and growth and experience, but they may choose me over the younger candidates. I have massive volunteer experience and good grades as well, but with all the items you all listed here now I’m scared.
If I wait 5 more years, then no one will want to hire me. This is my one time shot. Everyone knows me as “go getter" regardless of barriers that arise. There have to be some positives with this education, such as maintaining our own health and helping those we love with their health too. What about working for others in another capacity, in a related field, while trying to finish school and if internship is out for an additional year(s)? How do people work or earn money while completing the internships? I’d really like some feedback from anyone with ideas and also links to websites that may be beneficial as well. Thanks for sharing all of your great comments.
Sincerely Concerned
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