Reflection of Competency Areas

  This reflection is composed of evidence retained from the following courses that have challenged my ability to apply the knowledge that I have accumulated over my career as an undergraduate. The education that I have received from the University of Cincinnati has left me prepared to utilize all five of the core competencies. 

Knowledge Integration

1)      Lifecycle Nutrition - Exam #2: I demonstrated my proficiency in topics ranging from the medical symptoms and health consequences of metabolic syndrome, to the differences between water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, a topic that I felt comfortable with due to my Survey of Biochemistry class. I was also able to draw on the knowledge I accumulated in my Introduction to Psychology course in order to define and assess for Munchausen Syndrome.

2)      Public Speaking Speech - The Caffeine Effect: I gave a speech on the effects that caffeine has on the body by using the concept of extemporaneous speaking learned in class. However, the content of my speech was based on the psychoactive properties of caffeine that I learned about in General Organic Biochemistry. I also spoke regarding how popular having a caffeine addiction is in America, which I learned about in Medical Nutrition Therapy II. This speech resonated very well with my audience of college students.

3)      Nutrition Research Methods - I was required to locate, interpret, and evaluate an original research paper that has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. I learned how to use PubMed from Community Nutrition in order to locate an original research paper, and I was already familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of implementing a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) from Nutrition Care Planning.

Critical Thinking

1)      Advanced Nutrition I - Assignment 8: This assignment demonstrates my ability to communicate the similarities and differences among the processes of absorption of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein. It was a challenging task interconnecting the metabolism of those three macronutrients, but I persevered with the help of my lecture notes. I was also required to identify the aminotransferases that are good indicators for trauma or disease, and why.

2)      Medical Nutrition Therapy II - Hypertension Management Homework: I evaluated the dietary/medical history of a patient with hypertension, in order create a meal plan appropriate for this patient. I wanted my case study patient to be able to follow my meal plan, so I made sure to put into consideration their current food preferences based on a 24-hour recall of the case study patient's intake.

3)      Lifecycle Nutrition - Formula Assignment: To complete this assignment I had to visit the baby food aisle in a neighborhood store to make nutritional observations concerning the amount of formula reconstituted per brand, as well as the cost of the products per fluid ounce. I had to perform some of the calculations on my own before drawing three conclusions based on the quantitative information I gathered. 

Effective Communication

1)      Medical Nutrition Therapy I - Evaluation of Standard Client Interview: I conducted a simulated client interview that had another student in the class playing the role as the patient. I gathered information from the "client" by the utilizing my active listening skills, which involves reflective listening and positive affirmations. I also exercised my active verbal skills by using open/closed questions in order to collect all the information required for a nutritional assessment.

2)      Public Speaking Speech - How to Read a Nutrition Label: For this speech I chose to explain to the class how to accurately read a nutritional label. My audience was engaged as I used a PowerPoint to showcase the features and components that make up a nutritional label, and my credibility as a dietetics major kept my class intrigued.

3)      Lifecycle Nutrition Client Review: This assignment demonstrates my ability to effectively perform a nutritional assessment and to provide recommendations to a person based on their current state of health, as well as their diet. My effectively communicated with the person I chose to assess and I was even able to get all of the information that I needed in only one meeting. I was also required to chart their BMI on an appropriate growth chart.

Collaboration and Team Problem Solving

1)      Medical Nutrition Therapy I - Diet Review Presentation: I worked in a group of five in order to produce a visually aesthetic PowerPoint with the objective of educating students on the marketing claims, the related physiology, and the description of a specified diet. I was in charge of researching the marketing claims associated with the fad diet, while also contributing to the PowerPoint.

2)      Food Science II - Pumpkin Bread Experiment: Testing a modified recipe was challenging, but I took the lead in delegating what each group member would contribute based on their strengths and weaknesses. There was an issue with the method that we used for testing palatability, but we made sure to take extra time outside of class to sit down and collaborate on the results.

3)      Community Nutrition - Nutrition Education Material Review: For this assignment I was required to locate existing nutrition education materials relevant to the nutrition related topic our group was assigned to present about to elementary school students at Pleasant Hill Academy. I had to evaluate the quality of existing nutrition materials, before collaborating with my group on how we could implement the activities that we all found into our final lesson plan. We ended up using the matching activity that required the students to differentiate between refined sources of grains and whole sources of grains in the final project. 

Social Responsibility

1)      Cincinnati Children's HealthWorks: I volunteered to help the dietitians while conducting cooking demonstrations on how to make popular dishes healthier. I was able to communicate healthy eating tips based on what I learned in Food Science I & II. I learned about effective communication techniques in Nutrition Counseling & Communication Skills. During the meetings that I observed between the dietitians and their clients I was able to properly identify what stage of change each client was in, a concept I learned about in Medical Nutrition Therapy I.

2)      The Parkinson's Disease Rehabilitation Institute: I volunteered at this institute assisting the clinical coordinator, Dr. Brian Terpstra. I assisted him in locating research materials, filing papers, and social marketing efforts while also observing the physical therapists at work with the patients. I learned a lot about how versatile of a disease that Parkinson's and became very involved with the innovative rehabilitation techniques that the clinic used.

Strengths and Areas to Improve:

I consider myself an open-minded and empathetic individual that exceeds in educating others in a way that is not demeaning or overwhelming. I would consider my ability to communicate effectively and to collaborate with a team in order to accomplish a common goal. I have also developed the ability to efficiently locate and integrate resources when planning presentations and conducting research for reports. However, I have often caught myself overburdening myself with too many responsibilities. I consider the fact that I occasionally over-schedule myself a weakness in regards to planning and critical thinking.