Education & Leadership PBL Round-UP
Agatha’s Online Dietetics Placement Experience
Hello, I am Agatha, a second-year Dietetics Master’s student at the University of East Anglia. For the past 3 weeks, I have undertaken an online placement in the non-NHS settings with registered freelance dietitian Ellie Coles. This experience not only expanded my knowledge in dietetics education but also honed my leadership skills and ability to work independently.
Throughout the placement, I had the chance to work on multiple projects, which allowed me to understand the roles of dietitians in education and the theories of education, and to create educational content for different dietetic settings and careers using the learned theories.
One of the most exciting projects that I have worked on was to organize the PENG student webinar. Through discussing with the PENG student representative and the educational lead officer, we have decided this year to focus on addressing malnutrition. We aim to equip students with essential knowledge about malnutrition and nutritional support strategies considering the cost-of-living crisis, practical skills in using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, and insights on Malnutrition Awareness Week. Together with another student, who is also doing the education and leadership placement, we have drafted a series of social media posts to promote the webinar which have all received positive feedback and have been posted on PENG Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn (make sure you have a look at our posts & remember to sign up for the event, I am sure you will not want to miss it !!)
What I enjoyed the most during placement?
One of my favourite parts of placement was the remarkable flexibility it provided. The ability to complete my placement tasks whenever it suited me best was a significant advantage. This high level of flexibility allowed me to manage my time effectively, accommodating my other responsibilities and personal commitments.
The freedom to work from different locations, from my favourite coffee shop to the school library and even my bedroom, added to this convenience, making the entire experience enjoyable and highly adaptable to my lifestyle.
Having a regular coffee meet-up with another student during placement definitely make the 3-week experience more enjoyable too!
Key Learnings and Insights
Through completing the BDA leadership module, I gained invaluable insight into the importance of leadership as a healthcare professional, as well as the skills and behaviours needed for good leadership. The module increases my self-awareness of personal leadership skills and help with my understanding of how to improve services through leadership skills and behaviours. Some of the key learnings included:
• Leadership is not about being in charge but the ability to influence people by demonstrating positive personal attributes and behaviours
• Everyone can be a leader within their professional role. Leadership is not dependent on a position within an organisation or team, title or pay grade, power or authority
• Leaders lead people while managers manage things.
Challenges & How I Overcame Them
Despite its high flexibility, one of the challenges I faced was adapting to the remote nature of the placement. Without the immediate feedback of an in-person environment, I had to develop strong self-discipline. Regular check-ins with Ellie and maintaining a structured schedule helped me stay on track and meet deadlines.
Impact on Your Personal and Professional Growth
This placement has significantly influenced my career aspirations. I now have a deeper understanding of the education field in dietetics and am more interested in pursuing a career in dietetics education to bring my clinical experiences and practical skills back to university. The experience also helped me build essential skills, such as content creation, communication skills and project management, which will be invaluable in my future endeavours.
