I’ll start with a spoiler. I didn’t match with a dietetic internship and I am no longer on the path to become a registered dietitian. HOWEVER, my goal is to help anyone that wants to get matched to match. While it may seem a little weird to take advice from someone who couldn’t make it happen, I can tell you why I didn’t get matched and how you CAN. It was probably the hardest, taxing, emotionally draining process I’ve ever been through start to finish and while I had a lot of support there was one thing I was lacking and I hope I can fill that gap for you. No one was brutally honest with me and I wish they would have been because maybe things would have turned out differently.
My “journey,” if you will, to fulfill my dream of becoming a registered dietitian started about six and a half years ago. I fell in love with nutrition and the concepts of eating healthy came easy to me so I felt like it was something I should pursue as a career. I was never strong in science so I knew it would be a struggle but I still felt it was something I could achieve. If you’re unaware of how the process works, let me break it down for the newbies so it makes sense because all the components can become very confusing.
- Get into a college or university that has a nutrition degree that is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which will prepare you to apply for dietetic internships
- Apply for dietetic internships in your last semester of college
- Wait a long agonizing month while it feels like your entire life is in limbo
- Match day – this is when you find out if you got into a dietetic internship
- Complete the dietetic internship by spending a year working for free (but each internship requires tuition)
- Sit for the registered dietitian exam
- Pass
- Done. Dreams fulfilled.
So I began the curriculum and excelled in my nutrition classes but had to re-take almost all of my science classes only to end up making C’s so that I could pass and graduate. I was told over and over again that your grades are only a portion of what is considered in your entire application. We’ve all heard it. Work experience, professional recommendations, volunteer experience, cover letters, GRE scores etc. are all taken into consideration when looking at an application. Every internship weighs these different categories differently as well, or at least they used to. Dietetic internships are becoming flooded with applications and the amount of spots available are remaining the same. The industry is becoming INCREDIBLY competitive which was not news to me. I knew it would be difficult to stand out so I had a game plan. I graduated with my degree and instead of immediately going into an internship I decided to get a kick ass job that would fulfill clinical AND food service experience. I made some amazing connections along the way that I was sure would help me get into a program of my choice. My hope was that my experience would overshadow my grades and maybe a few years ago it could have.
Now, let me take a break here and say that I don’t feel like a failure and if you didn’t get matched neither should you. Sure, I cried a lot when I realized that six and a half years of hard work and dedication did not pay off but that’s my point. It wasn’t because I didn’t try hard enough because I worked my ass off the entire time. I hate the process and I love it at the same time. Nutrition is essential for humanity especially in the United States and it should not be taken lightly. Giving out nutrition advice should ONLY be left to the experts and I believe that becoming an RD (and a couple other avenues but that’s a whole other topic) should reign supreme. It should be a difficult process because we need people that are passionate and hard working to fulfill what is required of a dietitian. Are there flaws in the system, of course. Just because I didn’t get matched does not mean that I wouldn’t make a great dietitian.
So, all that being said, here is why I didn’t get matched. The competition is way too fierce. Gone are the days where you can excel in one place and be okay in another. You have to have every box checked:
- Fantastic grades. I mean like A’s and B’s.
- Experience in every setting – food service, clinical, community
- Demonstration of leadership
- Excellent recommendations – professional and academic
- Plenty of volunteer and shadowing hours
You’ll have to work your ass off and be good at everything. It’s a tall order but if you’re the type of person that can handle it then by all means, please get after it!
I’ve mourned my loss and I’ve moved on because I know better things are in store for me. Don’t let me discourage you because that’s not what I’m doing. My goal was to tell you exactly how to get where you want to go without sugar coating anything because no one took the time to stop me a long time ago and tell me differently.
Congratulations to all the women and men who got matched this year and good luck to everyone else that is pursuing an RD!
Morgan Cannady 