A healthy lifestyle and a well-balanced diet are both essential for the well-being of modern society. Nevertheless, obesity, malnutrition, and eating disorders are becoming increasingly alarming problems in today’s world. Moreover, an unhealthy diet can accompany and exacerbate conditions such as stress, depression, and overwork. By applying for the Dietetic Internship at Florida International University, I am looking forward to integrating my knowledge of balanced nutrition into counseling people to gain healthier eating habits.
Coming from Middle Eastern origins, gatherings mostly revolved around food. Whenever there was a celebration food had to be present. Although my dad’s side of the family suffered from obesity and diabetes, they did not have the tools to understand how nutrition could improve regarding chronic diseases. Seeing some of my family members pass away from these diseases made me want to provide a better and well-rounded understanding of nutrition. Facilitating people is a goal that I would like to achieve while educating people that do not have enough knowledge or any background in nutrition. Having food is a necessity but in some countries, food and water are not available. I aim to achieve availability and accessibility concerning nutrition education in third-world countries.
Throughout my life, I have been interested in a healthy lifestyle. I have often shared what I learned with my cousins and other family members. The information that I knew was inaccessible to those without such education, and it made me think about how much society influences what is right and wrong to eat. With my own family as an example, I can assert that both extreme low-calorie diets and overeating do not improve a person’s mental and physical condition. Currently, my primary goal is to help people get better in their nutritional patterns and come into harmony with themselves, letting them know that food is not bad to eat, but that it fuels a healthier life. Therefore, my strongest motivation and aim to become a registered dietitian is to educate people about the incredible opportunities for proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
I believe that a dietitian can genuinely make a difference in changing the situation with a growing number of diagnosed overweight and improper eating habits for the better. My personal and academic experience demonstrate enthusiasm in this internship. My initial goal was to translate personal interests into a professional skill, which I hope to achieve in my career. Over the past academic years, I have participated in various nutrition-related activities to increase and expand my knowledge and different areas of the topic such as community nutrition and clinical nutrition. Attending courses and workshops on dietetics deepened my knowledge and understanding of a professional dietician’s role in society. In addition, I actively performed group and individual assignments and demonstrated my motivation and knowledge of the topics. My high inspiration and the ability to work individually and in a team is a traits that can be well-implemented in this sphere of work. While my work allows me to self-motivate and manage, I can also adapt to the leadership or work styles of my colleagues.
Organizing and playing a leading role in many extracurricular events and meetings dedicated to poor eating habits and lack of nutritional knowledge in society, in both academic and clinical settings, have allowed me to achieve good results by expanding my knowledge and doing extra research. I have developed methods and behaviors that assist in my management of responsibilities when it comes to nutrition-related activities. In my working experience with patients and athletes, I have demonstrated advertency and empathy to be my main advantages for this position. Since people with eating disorders often require compassion, additional attention, and involvement in the treatment process, I believe mindfulness and a caring attitude are vital in dealing with patients. Additionally, I find that continued work and interaction with a patient is essential even after initial treatment, to observe favorable results.
Although academic skills are valuable to me, I believe that practical applications of knowledge are an integral part of the training. I also realize that to be entirely successful in my profession, I critically need to gain more practical experience in a clinical setting. I have strengths in leadership, individual work, and technical knowledge, but I understand that I need further improvement in my practical experience, teamwork, and contentious learning of dietetics. By applying for FIU Dietetic Internship, I am looking forward to gaining new expertise, employing it in practice, and developing communication skills for further advancement in my chosen profession. As a future registered dietitian, I hope to serve people and promote the most appropriate health and lifestyle choices. I believe that it is vital to recommend diet and nutrition methods, depending on individual preferences, requirements, and health indications. As I move forward in my profession, I will develop individualized approaches to patient health and be considerate and respectful concerning their potential conditions. I hope to use this internship to perform according to professional instructions, receive and implement criticism, gain experience, and continue working with others in the dietetics field. In this regard, FIU Dietetic Internship is also an excellent opportunity to develop my professional goals.