This year dietetic intern Chelsea Irving was selected as the Outstanding Dietetic Student in a Dietetic Internship Program from AND.
“Chelsea truly delights in learning about new areas of dietetics and shows enthusiasm in participating in her supervised practice rotations. She has an open mind and doesn’t let prior perceptions impede future possibilities.” This positive attitude is something she has shared with her fellow interns, “encouraging them to have [a similar] attitude about situations that may be difficult, new, intimidating, or time consuming.”
Also of note is the fact that Chelsea has “completely owned [her] responsibilities [and] has an excellent work ethic and initiative.” There is no doubt that as she enters this field, “Chelsea will be a great dietitian and make meaningful contributions.”
Get to know Chelsea better in the spotlight below:
Where are you attending/have you attended school?
I did both my undergraduate work and internship at BYU. Go cougars!
What dietetics related job/volunteer experiences have you enjoyed the most?
I’ve worked as a diet tech at Intermountain Medical Center for the past two years. I loved learning more about clinical nutrition in a very hands-on way because I get to interact with patients and even do level 1 assessments. I’m a clinical junkie, so I’ve loved being able to spend so much time in a hospital.
What is your favorite recipe or food-related tradition?
Oh my, there are too many to name! If I had to choose, I think my favorite thing to make is a cream cheese apple tart that I created/perfected during my foodservice management rotation at BYU. They are delicious, and my heart and sweat was poured into them which makes them that much more delicious to me.
What made you choose dietetics for a career path?
My original plan was to go to medical school, and my original major was biology. However, I soon realized that biology wouldn’t really get me a job after graduation is my plans for medical school changed. I then heard of dietetics and decided that this would be an okay job if medical school didn’t work out. As it turned out, I didn’t go to medical school, and now I love dietetics! Even though being a dietitian was never in my original plan, I’m glad things turned out the way they did.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself working either as a clinical dietitian or somewhere in management. I could also potentially be in either PA school or getting my PhD, depending on how long I take to work after I finish my master’s degree next December.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is still to be an MD or PA. I can’t ever escape my love and passion for medical care. However, if that is not the path I choose, I would love to work in clinical pediatric nutrition or become a professor at a university. Honestly, I still don’t know what my dream is!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with UAND membership about yourself?
I love to rock climb and run, and I’m obsessed with motorcycles! One day, hopefully sooner than later, I will have my own sport bike.