From Kitchen to Classroom: My Journey with Food

I love to eat.

My journey to dietetics began with a passion I share with many foodies worldwide - a passion to eat. Now, I should specify, that this passion to eat involves good food, not the packaged, highly-processed food-stuffs found in the majority of grocery stores, but food that is lovingly created by culinary artists who are also commonly referred to as chefs. I, Stephanie Robinson, am a Food Enthusiast. I am continually refining this self-appointed role of Food Enthusiast (capitals are necessary as I believe this is a title to be proud of) through my travels all over the world - feasting my way across the globe. I can recall specific destinations by the foods I consumed there. For instance, I remember the incredible split pea soup I had in Paris, France near the Notre Dame Cathedral (by this point in my journey I had eaten my weight in French Onion Soup, so I was branching out). I look forward to the tastes I will experience in other countries as my passport stamps amount.

Out of high school, I went to Queen's University, and after being pumped full of how I was attending the "Harvard of the North" and having my ego inflated to the size of a Goodyear Blimp, I started classes and realized quite quickly that the Arts and I was a relationship destined for failure. I expressed my prediction of my impending doom in post-secondary education to a friend in my Intro to Sociology class. He asked when I liked to do, and I said simply, "cooking". The next day I heard an advertisement on the radio for the Liaison College for Culinary Arts, which luckily was also in Kingston, and I immediately set-up an appointment to check them out.

"You're leaving Queen's to go to a cooking school?" - My mom when I told her my future plans. She needed time, but eventually she and my dad got on-board with the idea.

I loved culinary college! Studying each night about specific cooking techniques and terminology, and then spending my days in a classroom sent from heaven decked out with every kitchen luxury one could dream of was the perfect fit for me. I graduated at the top of my class and was hired immediately to work as a Chef de Partie and Tournant at the Four Points Sheridan Hotel's brand new restaurant, the King Street Sizzle. I enjoyed working at the Sizzle, however, working Christmas day with people who had spouses and children made me reconsider wanting to be a Chef. I gave my notice soon thereafter and enrolled in a Holistic Nutrition course at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN) also conveniently located in Kingston. While attending this CSNN, I worked as a prep cook full-time for the Grizzly Grill, and found that even though I have mad knife skills and can prepare the majority of prep for a 200 person/night restaurant, it was not my calling in life. After the first couple of months attending CSNN, I found that the material I was being taught was not to the depth that I desired, so I applied to Acadia University and was accepted on the grounds that I complete a high school calculus class. I think the groan I made upon reading that statement was heard around the world, but after months of being tutored, hours of crying due to frustration, and praying to every god in every religion that Google could locate, I passed with an extremely proud 72%.

Orientation to Acadia introduced me to the fact that to be a Dietitian, I had to first get then complete an internship. "What had I gotten myself into?" I thought. However, after the first year (and an amazing chemistry tutor), the idea that I might get one of these coveted internships came a reality, and then a motivation. I was no stranger to volunteering as in my home town of Ear Falls, ON., I was a Girl Guide for about a decade and the Student Rep of the township's Recreation Committee, so I loaded up with whatever opportunities I could find: Wolfville Nursing Home, the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Obesity Network - Students and New Professionals, and many more.

I would like to say that my journey has been effortless and clear-cut, but that is definitely not the case. I had a disappointing medical diagnosis which could have easily deterred me from pushing as hard as I did in my attempt to succeed. Being diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer June 2008 sucked, to say the least. But through this sucky experience I have learned about my emotional and physical strength, and forced myself to reflect upon what is important to me in my life and the personal and professional goals I want to (and will) achieve. This diagnosis was not entirely a bad occurrence as it struck an interest in me; I am interested in oncology dietetics. I have since volunteered at the I.W.K. job shadowing Oncology Dietitians in Halifax, NS as well as at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) in Calgary, AB.

Additionally, I had encountered another road-block when I was unsuccessful in my application for Acadia's Integrated Dietetic Internship. This disappointment hit me hard. But eventually, I was able to learn from the experience and move on. I am delighted that the next time I applied for internship - Acadia's Graduate Internship - that I was successful! I will be a Dietitian! My journey from the kitchen to the classroom and then eventually an internship has been lengthy, but I am grateful for each experience as they helped form the person I am today: happy, relatively healthy (I am battling hypothyroidism but hope to get my meds balanced soon, in-love (I'm set to marry my best friend 09/01/12), and positive.

History and logic show me that challenges and road-blocks will happen, but I believe that being aware that they will most likely occur, will help me to keep focused on my professional goals. An "inner" challenge that I will need to overcome is my need to succeed immediately. Patience is definitely a virtue and something that I need to work on. I realize that I won't become an Oncology Dietitian immediately, but accepting that fact is much tougher. I must remember to not be hard on myself if I don't leave my internship and get hired immediately at the TBCC or in an oncology unit at a hospital in Calgary (where my post-internship life shall unfold). Additional challenges include my level of education - will it be enough or adequate to obtain a job in oncology? Even if the answer is yes, I will remain skeptical until I am gainfully employed as an Oncology Dietitian.

So what is my game-plan to help better my changes of landing my dream job in oncology?

Work and work hard.

I have done research on requirements and qualifications for roles as a RD in oncology and have expressed an interest to my Internship Coordinators to learn about and observe specific procedures in oncology above what I would receive in the traditional internship. I am prepared to do a Masters, but hope it doesn't come to this as I'm a wee bit tired of classroom learning. I will do my very best to educate myself and provide myself with learning opportunities that will help me to succeed in my professional quest. That sentence sounded like a pledge, because in all honesty, it was.

My passion for culinary delights was transformed into a passion of using food for health - but I am still a Food Enthusiast at heart.

This picture was widely circulated as an ad for King Street Sizzle. I (at the far right) was cropped out after I quit.

This blog entry is a required component of my Internship Reflections as outlined by Acadia University: Part 1 of 2.