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How did I celebrate being done with all my undergraduate lectures? Yep, by getting myself a sweet basil plant and strawberry bush to join the spinach, tomatoes, cilantro, and all the other veggies/fruits/herbs blossoming in my garden!

I think there’s going to be a lot more pesto in my life this summer :)

~Karej

I have one more week of school left! Well, one week of classes, one week of dead week, and one week of finals, but those last two weeks never count anyways.

These last two weeks are crazy for me. This week alone faced me with two papers and an education handout due. The education handout was fun, I’ve always enjoyed making things easier to understand. Plus, I focused my handout on blood sugar and having it in a form that parents and kids could read together. I wanted to create something that would be easy for kids to understand, but put in information that the parents would have to help the kids understand and build a relationship and a platform of communication for families that way. I think I did alright.

I have a crazy research paper on an herbal supplement of my choice due on Monday for senior seminar. I have the bits and pieces done, but it’s always bringing it all together into one cohesive happy thing that’s the challenging part. Last paper for senior year, last paper for my dietetics undergrad career! How did this all pass so fast???

I’ll probably be a little quiet over here for these next 3-4 weeks, so I’ll try to get to questions (publicly, privately) as soon as I can!

Happy Spring!

~Karej

The California Dietetic Association convention is taking place this week from Thursday-Saturday. I had the chance to experience it yesterday- the opening day! I wish I had the time to go all three days, but with work/school/life, it just wasn’t possible this year.

I carpooled with a couple of the gals from class. I love driving in Santa Clara, it’s where I learned to drive so I’m super comfortable around that area. Plus, carpool meant beating the morning traffic (stuff gets jammed in the Bay Area). We arrived at around 8:45 am, got our name tags and out goodie bags, and went in to catch the end of the opening lecture.

My favorite speaker from the morning lectures was definitely Manuel Villacorta. He gave this amazing lecture on breaking out the box and taking more risk as dietitians so we can have the same publicity opportunities other professions are getting. I fell in love with the idea of shaking things up and trying something completely different. It’s so easy to just stay in our comfort zones and follow instructions and do what we’re taught. And while that may be a great starting point, it’s definitely important to keep your eyes open for opportune moments that will help nurture risks rather than jumping in blindly or staying stagnant.

My favorite afternoon lecture dealt with Emotional Brain Training. It was a lot like cognitive behavioral therapy, except focused way more on emotions rather than behaviors (my nickname is Captain Obvious…obviously). With my super interest in psych, this lecture obvious had me excited from the get-go, but it got better- you can get a certification in EBT!!! That’s going on my RD bucket list for sure.

The exhibits opened at 6, so after a nice coffee break, the gals and I made our way over. And then I bumped into my future internship director! I couldn’t pass up the chance to introduce myself (with much moral support) and soon enough I was being introduced to the current Cal Poly SLO intern class. They were all so kind and genuine, sharing their tips and experiences with me. Does anyone else follow Stephanie? Well I’ve been following her for about a year (and a half?) and I felt like I was meeting celebrities!! I didn’t get to meet Stephanie, but that’s fine there’s always next time!! 

The exhibitors were all very friendly and there were so many samples!! Like, delicious samples. Whole wheat pastas, salads, pitas, lavash wraps- my goodness, everyone was joking that dinner would NOT be necessary afterwards! And that ended up being pretty correct.

My DPD advisor also hosted a small get-together in the hotel cafe/lounge area, so it was a great opportunity to meet past alumni and talk to them about their internships and their lives as RDs now. It was such an eye opening day, seeing all the places RDs can go, all the different paths we can take, and all the yummy food available!!

I had such an amazing time at the CDA convention, I wish I could go all three days! I am definitely looking forward to next year’s convention in Pomona.

Always the best,

~Karej

The list of unmatched programs is LIVE guys!! If you didn’t get matched the first round, now your chance to try again! There are a lot of really great programs (Lamar U in Texas, Southwestern) with open spots! GO GO GO!!!!

My answer:

SJSU!!! My best friend goes there, I love the campus and San Jose is like my second home, so excited to hear that!!! So the lower divs are just very, very science heavy- bio, chem, o-chem, physio. It’s a lot of work. 

The dietetic internship (DI), though, is different from any regular internship you hear about. The DI is actually our version of med school- we take classes to refine our knowledge and do our rotations, just like med students!

You apply for the DI after you have completed your bachelor’s degree. Prior to graduation, it is important to have experience in any and all nutrition related fields. You take the RD exam after you complete the DI.

Since you’re a freshman, it’s a great time to talk to your on-campus advisor who can give you a lot more detail about classes specific to SJSU and can get you familiar with what you need to start doing to be a competitive applicant. Start early!!!

~Karej

Hope everyone’s Match Day went well! It went wayyyy better than I could have ever imagined. Of course, D&D got a bit overwhelmed, but at 4:40 (6:40 central time) I was able to log in and check my results.

And I got matched to Cal Poly SLO (San Luis Obispo)!!!!!!!! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!!!!

First off, I was so, so , so thankful that I would be getting to stay in California by my Pacific Ocean! Then I was in disbelief- and I think I still am! It hasn’t quite hit me just yet, but I keep telling myself this is real, I’m going to SLO! Which is amazing because that city is gorgeous. One of my good friends goes to school there and she is over the moon about it. 

I called the director today and although we didn’t get to talk to each other (because playing phone tag is exhausting!!), I got the information I needed! I will be centered in SLO (they had a Santa Barbara option) and I’ll be receiving a packet of homework to complete over summer!

I am pumped and just. so. EXCITED!!!!!!

How did your Match Day go? Don’t give up hope if things didn’t go exactly as you planned- the unmatched programs list comes out April 10. If that doesn’t work for you, there’s a new option called the ISPP, talk to your director about it and I will try to do a post on the ISPP option before April 10!

~Karej

Crashed? Overwhelmed? What’s going on buddy? I’m having a slight panic attack in anticipation!!!

~Karej

7 Hours. Okay, I can last that long. I think….

~Karej

Well, okay April, but still. It’s almost tomorrow, anyone else in denial and acting like everything is a-okay, when really there’s this insane amount of stuff running through your mind? I know it’s not just me. 

Time for a run to get these nerves exhausted and unable to ruminate about tomorrow!

~Karej

My answer:

Sounds exciting and you have this whole summer and the fall semester to get some good experience. There are 3 domains of experience- clinical [ex-hospital work], community [ex-WIC, community education], and food service [ex-restaurant work, hospital kitchen]. Get creative and start looking everywhere and inquiring. If you can at the very least get into a hospital, that’d be ideal. Skilled nursing facilities are a great opportunity!

I actually don’t release my GPA information, but college is never easy so trust me, I’m not a 4.0 student. Aim to keep your overall GPA above 3.0 though and that should give you some motivation to achieve better things. There used to be a time when I was tempted to ask all the graduating seniors their GPAs, but the thing was, I couldn’t because that information is sensitive and personal and people who get into DIs have such varied GPAs, comparing myself would not have made a difference. It was a great practice in learning to focus on me and my own goals instead of constantly checking myself against somebody else creating unnecessary anxiety. 

~Karej