In this Season 5 episode of Feed Me the Facts, we sit down with Cassidy Sharp, PhD, RDN and Yan Jing Phay, MPH, RDN—two recent graduates of the Diversify Dietetics Internship—to unpack what the reality of transitioning from dietetic intern to practicing RD truly looks like. Cassidy, a maternal and child health dietitian and researcher, and Yan, a clinical dietitian serving diverse patients in Detroit, share candid reflections about their first months as credentialed dietitians.
We explore the emotional roller coaster of passing the RD exam, navigating job searches, managing cultural and linguistic differences, and stepping into roles that require far more counseling, confidence, and compassion than expected. Both RDs open up about challenges specific to being early-career dietitians of color—including representation, self-doubt, and learning to trust their expertise.
Whether you're a current student, future RD, or dietitian early in your career, this conversation offers grounded, realistic insights into growth, identity, and thriving in the first year as an RD.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Finding Their Way Into Dietetics (00:00) How Cassidy transitioned from food science to a combined PhD + RD path, and how Yan’s experience with an eating disorder led her to pursue nutrition and eventually her MPH in dietetics.
Navigating Internships, Visa Barriers, and the Exam (06:00) Yan’s high-pressure experience as an international student balancing visa constraints, timelines, and finances — and Cassidy’s journey finishing a PhD while completing supervised practice.
The First Months as New Dietitians (09:00) That surreal moment of becoming “an RD,” the pressure that follows, and the emotional and mental shift required when stepping into professional roles.
What They Wish They’d Known Earlier (12:00) How understanding program options, timelines, and pacing could have reduced stress — and why patience with yourself matters.
Surprising Moments in Early Practice (17:00) From unexpected counseling dynamics to navigating complex clinical encounters, they share the “no one taught me this in school” moments.
A Look Into Their Day-to-Day Roles (20:00) Cassidy’s work at WIC and upcoming research position, and Yan’s acute care clinical responsibilities, charting, interdisciplinary communication, and patient education.
Why Representation Still Matters (24:00) How being one of few dietitians of color in their settings impacts patient trust, shapes their learning curves, and highlights the need for culturally humble care.
Career Growth and What’s Next (28:00) Maternal and child health goals, MNT literacy, teaching aspirations, breastfeeding support training, and weaving research into practice.
Advice for Future Dietitians (30:00) Set your own pace. Stop comparing. Know why you want this career. Stay grounded in something beyond school and work.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Yan: LinkedIn: Yan Jing Fe, MPH, RDN
Connect with Cassidy: Email: cassiebsharp@gmail.com
️ Stay connected with Feed Me The Facts:
Website: www.diversifydietetics.org
Instagram & Facebook: @DiversifyDietetics
Send in your thoughts/questions: fmtf@diversifydietetics.org
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Squeeze, Diversify Dietetics’ monthly newsletter for the latest updates in nutrition and dietetics.
Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
All content for Feed Me the Facts is the property of Diversify Dietetics, Inc and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this Season 5 episode of Feed Me the Facts, we sit down with Cassidy Sharp, PhD, RDN and Yan Jing Phay, MPH, RDN—two recent graduates of the Diversify Dietetics Internship—to unpack what the reality of transitioning from dietetic intern to practicing RD truly looks like. Cassidy, a maternal and child health dietitian and researcher, and Yan, a clinical dietitian serving diverse patients in Detroit, share candid reflections about their first months as credentialed dietitians.
We explore the emotional roller coaster of passing the RD exam, navigating job searches, managing cultural and linguistic differences, and stepping into roles that require far more counseling, confidence, and compassion than expected. Both RDs open up about challenges specific to being early-career dietitians of color—including representation, self-doubt, and learning to trust their expertise.
Whether you're a current student, future RD, or dietitian early in your career, this conversation offers grounded, realistic insights into growth, identity, and thriving in the first year as an RD.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Finding Their Way Into Dietetics (00:00) How Cassidy transitioned from food science to a combined PhD + RD path, and how Yan’s experience with an eating disorder led her to pursue nutrition and eventually her MPH in dietetics.
Navigating Internships, Visa Barriers, and the Exam (06:00) Yan’s high-pressure experience as an international student balancing visa constraints, timelines, and finances — and Cassidy’s journey finishing a PhD while completing supervised practice.
The First Months as New Dietitians (09:00) That surreal moment of becoming “an RD,” the pressure that follows, and the emotional and mental shift required when stepping into professional roles.
What They Wish They’d Known Earlier (12:00) How understanding program options, timelines, and pacing could have reduced stress — and why patience with yourself matters.
Surprising Moments in Early Practice (17:00) From unexpected counseling dynamics to navigating complex clinical encounters, they share the “no one taught me this in school” moments.
A Look Into Their Day-to-Day Roles (20:00) Cassidy’s work at WIC and upcoming research position, and Yan’s acute care clinical responsibilities, charting, interdisciplinary communication, and patient education.
Why Representation Still Matters (24:00) How being one of few dietitians of color in their settings impacts patient trust, shapes their learning curves, and highlights the need for culturally humble care.
Career Growth and What’s Next (28:00) Maternal and child health goals, MNT literacy, teaching aspirations, breastfeeding support training, and weaving research into practice.
Advice for Future Dietitians (30:00) Set your own pace. Stop comparing. Know why you want this career. Stay grounded in something beyond school and work.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Yan: LinkedIn: Yan Jing Fe, MPH, RDN
Connect with Cassidy: Email: cassiebsharp@gmail.com
️ Stay connected with Feed Me The Facts:
Website: www.diversifydietetics.org
Instagram & Facebook: @DiversifyDietetics
Send in your thoughts/questions: fmtf@diversifydietetics.org
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Squeeze, Diversify Dietetics’ monthly newsletter for the latest updates in nutrition and dietetics.
Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Rewind: Do I Belong in This Field with Trinique Waters
Feed Me the Facts
14 hours 21 minutes 9 seconds
3 months ago
Rewind: Do I Belong in This Field with Trinique Waters
In this special episode from the DD archives, host Deanna sits down with Trinique Waters, RD, to reflect on navigating career doubt, finding belonging, and building confidence as a woman of color in dietetics. From struggling to find her first job post-internship to discovering her passion for maternal health and lactation consulting, Trinique shares a heartfelt journey that will resonate with any RD or RD-to-be questioning their place in the field. Whether you're early in your career or just feeling stuck, this episode is your reminder that your path doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. This episode was originally recorded in December 2018. Trinique has now been a dietitian for six years and works as Friends Hospital.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Trinique’s Introduction to Dietetics (00:00) How a high school hospital rotation sparked her interest in using food to support health.
Facing Doubt After Graduation (03:00) The emotional toll of struggling to find a job and questioning her place in the field.
The Impact of Representation & Belonging (04:30) What it felt like being the only Black woman in her program and comparing her path to others.
Underutilizing Support & the Power of Networking (06:00) How opening up and seeking community could have made the journey less isolating.
From Food Service to Clinical: Embracing Career Detours (08:00) Why her first job wasn’t ideal—and how it became a stepping stone to where she is now.
Rebuilding Confidence in Clinical Nutrition (10:00) How reconnecting with clinical skills helped her feel a renewed sense of purpose and belonging.
A New Passion: Lactation & Maternal Health (11:00) Her plans to support Black women through nutrition-focused lactation care.
Advice for RDs & RD2Bs Questioning Their Place (12:00) Why your passion—not your name, appearance, or background—is what makes you belong.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Trinique:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinique-rd/
️ Stay connected with Feed Me The Facts:
Website: www.diversifydietetics.org
Instagram & Facebook: @DiversifyDietetics
Send in your thoughts/questions: fmtf@diversifydietetics.org
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Squeeze, Diversify Dietetics’ monthly newsletter for the latest updates in nutrition and dietetics.
Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
Feed Me the Facts
In this Season 5 episode of Feed Me the Facts, we sit down with Cassidy Sharp, PhD, RDN and Yan Jing Phay, MPH, RDN—two recent graduates of the Diversify Dietetics Internship—to unpack what the reality of transitioning from dietetic intern to practicing RD truly looks like. Cassidy, a maternal and child health dietitian and researcher, and Yan, a clinical dietitian serving diverse patients in Detroit, share candid reflections about their first months as credentialed dietitians.
We explore the emotional roller coaster of passing the RD exam, navigating job searches, managing cultural and linguistic differences, and stepping into roles that require far more counseling, confidence, and compassion than expected. Both RDs open up about challenges specific to being early-career dietitians of color—including representation, self-doubt, and learning to trust their expertise.
Whether you're a current student, future RD, or dietitian early in your career, this conversation offers grounded, realistic insights into growth, identity, and thriving in the first year as an RD.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Finding Their Way Into Dietetics (00:00) How Cassidy transitioned from food science to a combined PhD + RD path, and how Yan’s experience with an eating disorder led her to pursue nutrition and eventually her MPH in dietetics.
Navigating Internships, Visa Barriers, and the Exam (06:00) Yan’s high-pressure experience as an international student balancing visa constraints, timelines, and finances — and Cassidy’s journey finishing a PhD while completing supervised practice.
The First Months as New Dietitians (09:00) That surreal moment of becoming “an RD,” the pressure that follows, and the emotional and mental shift required when stepping into professional roles.
What They Wish They’d Known Earlier (12:00) How understanding program options, timelines, and pacing could have reduced stress — and why patience with yourself matters.
Surprising Moments in Early Practice (17:00) From unexpected counseling dynamics to navigating complex clinical encounters, they share the “no one taught me this in school” moments.
A Look Into Their Day-to-Day Roles (20:00) Cassidy’s work at WIC and upcoming research position, and Yan’s acute care clinical responsibilities, charting, interdisciplinary communication, and patient education.
Why Representation Still Matters (24:00) How being one of few dietitians of color in their settings impacts patient trust, shapes their learning curves, and highlights the need for culturally humble care.
Career Growth and What’s Next (28:00) Maternal and child health goals, MNT literacy, teaching aspirations, breastfeeding support training, and weaving research into practice.
Advice for Future Dietitians (30:00) Set your own pace. Stop comparing. Know why you want this career. Stay grounded in something beyond school and work.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Yan: LinkedIn: Yan Jing Fe, MPH, RDN
Connect with Cassidy: Email: cassiebsharp@gmail.com
️ Stay connected with Feed Me The Facts:
Website: www.diversifydietetics.org
Instagram & Facebook: @DiversifyDietetics
Send in your thoughts/questions: fmtf@diversifydietetics.org
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Squeeze, Diversify Dietetics’ monthly newsletter for the latest updates in nutrition and dietetics.
Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
