Learning doesn't come just from textbooks and lectures. Working in the field, with actual people, be it as a volunteer, intern or employee, can teach you a lot.
Working at Camp Setebaid with kids with type one diabetes helped me gain a better understanding of just what it's like for someone to live with type one diabetes; an understanding I couldn't get from reading my medical nutrition therapy textbook. The amount of time and effort it took on behalf of the counselors, counselors in training, doctors and dietetic staff to help the kids manage their diabetes was staggering. And the amount of effort the kids themselves put in was monumental as well. These kids, as young as eight, worked so hard to carb count, adjust their insulin and adapt to what their blood sugar was, all while enjoying camp to the fullest. And getting to be a part of it gave me a much greater appreciation of just how strong these kids are.
I couldn't have had that experience without the kids I got to help at camp. The kids I worked with and helped teach taught me things a textbook never could. And that is part of why volunteering and doing an internship are considered so important to the dietetic profession; they teach you things you wouldn't otherwise learn.
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