good morning everyone!
i hope you all had a great day yesterday – i certainly enjoyed my day off and am well rested and ready to take on the (short) week.
and that’s a very good thing because today is a big day….
i’m going back to school!
but wait, you thought i was already in school???
well, yes. i am still in my program to get my ph.d. in nutritional sciences. i’ll graduate sometime this year, in august or in december.
but i’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what i want to do after i graduate, and honestly, the possibilities don’t excited me much. originally, i entered my ph.d. program with the intention of completing the dietetic course requirements during my ph.d. work and then getting a dietetic internship after my phd to eventually get my r.d.
well, that didn’t end up happening. my advisor wasn’t ok with me taking extra courses (i needed 26 credits to complete the dietetic work – so that’s kind of a lot) and i am not in a position to be a student for another 1.5 years after my phd + a nearly year-long internship before i get a “real” job.
so, i started seeking out other options with a couple things in mind:
- i want to get a job after i finish my ph.d. i don’t want to have to do another year or more of school before i start working
- i want to work with people – sitting in an office or in a lab all day is not my cup of tea
- i definitely want to keep a nutrition focus. there’s a reason i chose to get my ph.d. in nutritional sciences – i love learning, talking, and teaching about nutrition.
- i still want to use my ph.d.
after doing some research, i decided to enroll at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition® (or IIN™).
the iin curriculum includes health coaching, nutrition education, and business management. at the end of the program, i will be a certified health coach and have accreditation from the american association of drugless practitioners. most importantly, through this training i will be certified to work with individuals and give them coaching advice to help them live a healthy lifestyle.
iin is a distance-learning program and each time a new module (class or lesson) is released, it will be loaded onto my iin ipad that i received as part of my materials for the program.
it’s nearly a year-long program with 40 modules along with assignments, discussions, and tests along the way.
today our first module is being released! so i guess, technically, it’s my first day of school.
this means i am going to be busier than ever, but i am very excited about it!
what does this mean for sarah learns?
nothing is going to change on my blog other than i might mention how it’s going or tell you about anything really cool that i learn.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I have looked at that program too, it looks so interesting! I would love to do it for fun someday.
Mellissa recently posted…All Things Wedding + Giveaway Winner
it’s already super interesting! i was surprised how many people do it for “fun”. there are quite a few retired individuals in the class, keeping their minds & bodies sharp!
So cool, I know a lot of people doing it and everyone has said wonderful things!
emily (a nutritionist eats) recently posted…squash: a how to
it’s such a cool program. i love their attitude towards nutrition & all of the other factors that go into a healthy lifestyle.
How exciting Sarah! I didn’t know that you were even considering something like this!
Katie @ Katie Without Restrictions recently posted…Clearing My Head
yep – i had been thinking about it for a while, and then finally decided in november to enroll! i didn’t really tell many people about it right away – i kind of wanted to get my bearings with it first.
I get it, I’m like that too quite often when I’m contemplating something!
Katie @ Katie Without Restrictions recently posted…My Favorite Date
congrats again! so proud of you!
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean recently posted…Pesto Spinach Tortellini w/ Kale, Sausage & Squash
thanks lady!
I’m happy for you and I am also very confident you will pass with flying colors as you usually do.
thanks mama! i hope i do well with it!
Congrats Sarah! I’ve been thinking about IIN for a while too. Can’t wait to hear how you like it! Do you get to keep the iPad when you’re done with the program? You probably saw that we just got one and it’s fantastic!
Lisa @ Fit in the Midwest recently posted…Laughing so hard I was crying
thanks lisa! let me know if you have any specific questions about iin. i was so excited about starting, that i already finished the first module & am even more excited about the rest of the course.
yep, we get to keep the ipad when we’re done with the course. iin is actually developing an app only available to iin graduates that has everything you need for scheduling clients, keeping records, etc. so we end up with a portable practice!
i saw that you got an ipad – aren’t they awesome?! i’m loving mine for my iin stuff and other things as well (like recipes so i don’t have to waste a sheet of paper!).
I have never heard of that but sounds awesome! I would love to hear how it goes for you b/c it is definitely something I’m interested in. I decided not to spend another 2-3 years becoming an RD and just do a year of school to get my teaching certificate.
Kristen @ The Concrete Runner recently posted…baby girl: 13 weeks
i will definitely talk more about iin & what i learn as i get farther into the program. this first week is a lot of introductory things and easing us into the course.
this seemed like a great alternative to getting my rd! and since i don’t want to work in a hospital or other mainstream medical setting, i think this is just as good for me!
This is very exciting and isn’t it the best when things tend to move in the direction we want them to! I am glad you’ll get to focus in the area you are interested in!
Priyanka recently posted…Week 20 update.
yes! i am so happy about this new opportunity & i really think it will add to my whole “package” when i’m looking for a job!
This sounds awesome, congratulations!! I certainly hope you share with us some of what you learn… I’m a big ol’ nerd like that!
Christin@purplebirdblog recently posted…SOPA/PIPA: Get Educated, This is Scary Stuff
How exciting! Actually, realizing what most RD’s end up doing for a day in, day out job is what pushed me from nutrition to food science. I think the path you are taking is wonderful for you and I love that you are being so proactive in your future!
Michelle {lively kitchen} recently posted…WIAW – MLK Day Eats
thank you so much for the encouraging words, michelle! i have to admit, i was really nervous to share the news! i am so excited about the program and the opportunities it will give me, but there’s always that bit of fear of getting a bad reaction from people…
Congrats on starting week 1! It’s been so exciting going through the fundamentals and module one. I can’t wait to see what we will learn this year.
thanks, sonnet!
i am so excited about finally getting started. although, i will admit that i’m thankful we have two weeks for module 1. it’s taking me a while to get into the swing of things!
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