September Member Spotlight – Angie Brekken

In my job as the dietetic technician program director, I serve as the instructor for all program-specific nutrition and dietetics courses. I work with our program advisor to guide students through their educational course pathways. I talk with potential students about our program. I also complete the ACEND-required reports to maintain program accreditation. In addition to my position as director and faculty, I serve as the co-chair of the eLearning Committee, and I recently was appointed to the role of Faculty Professional Development Coordinator.

I love that our program is fully online. All of my students to this point have been non-traditional students. I get to help them meet their educational goals by meeting them where they are by helping remove the access barrier. I also get to interact with great DTRs and RDs in the field through our advisory board, arranging supervised practice, volunteering for MAND within the Education Director-Elect position, and volunteering with ACEND/CDR through their registration exam development and review workshops. This helps me be a better resource to our students and demonstrate the importance of networking and volunteering within the profession.

It can be challenging to arrange supervised practice for students within their geographical areas. Most RDs and DTRs do not add their contact information to the preceptor database that is available through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics because they are not aware of this resource. If you are open to hosting supervised practice for a student, please consider adding your information to the database. It does not obligate you to serving in the preceptor role, but it could be a mutually beneficial experience for both you and the student. Most of us began our profession needing a preceptor. It is a great way to pay back the time and effort that was invested into us as students. If you are interested, the preceptor database can be found here: https://www.eatrightpro.org/acend/training-and-volunteer-opportunities/preceptors-and-mentors.

In a word, NETWORKING. I have served as a regional representative and secretary in the past. Now, I am serving as the Education Director-Elect. I have developed great relationships with fellow DTRs and RDs. This has been invaluable to me because this network of professionals becomes a resource of go-to experts in the various fields of nutrition and dietetics. If I have a question, I know who I can ask! I have heard about every employment opportunity that I have received from people I have met through MAND. They know my interests and let me know about opportunities. I do the same for them. MAND membership benefits us even when we are not active in the organization, or when we need some time off from volunteering, but in volunteering we not only benefit our affiliate, but our peers, and ourselves. If you are on the fence about volunteering for MAND, consider smaller roles within your region. They are a great springboard for nutrition advocacy!

I think we will see more preventative care within nutrition and dietetics. Telehealth can also become a major player in reaching our communities through medical nutrition and community health. We will be able to reach more people and remove the barriers of transportation concerns, geographical locations, and the need to take time away from work or childcare. With the upcoming 2024 master’s degree requirement to sit for the RD exam, I think we will begin to see more DTRs entering the workforce. Perhaps they will choose to hold the DTR credential throughout their career, or maybe they will begin to slowly work towards the requirements to become an RD. However, we will need to consider the new disparities that might present themselves that could prevent someone from being able to complete the requirements to become an RD. As a profession, we need to promote and support the DTR credential as the fantastic supportive role within clinical nutrition that it is, and autonomous role within different realms of management, health, and wellness.