Personal Statment As a child, I was always told that I needed to eat a good portion of protein to grow up and have a strong body. Even my grandmother who was a 60-years-old woman from a small village with no education kept telling me that if I did not eat enough red meat, I can not carry a baby when I am pregnant. Growing up in Iran in a culture where typical main dishes are a combination of rice with red meat caused me to gain a lot of weight during the puberty. After my family censured me for gaining weight, I began to contemplate my motives behind food choices. I asked myself, ‘is my culture influencing my food selection, or am I able to make conscientious food choices on my own. To obtain a healthier lifestyle, I decided to change my …show more content…
Getting involved in the nutrition field, becoming a co-chair of the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, working at Gasol Foundation with the purpose of reducing the childhood obesity rate and being a teaching assistant for Dr. Cynthia Gonzalez at Santa Monica College expanded my knowledge about being a dietitian. On the other hand, volunteering at the food and nutrition department and the MOVE! program at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and shadowing dietitians helped me to gain a broader vision of a dietetics work. I came into contact with veteran patients who had various underlining health issues and I was particularly fascinated with how each patient trusted and valued the help of the dietitian’s advice. In my clinical experience, I found out about the importance of one on one communication with patients as well as learning about my own strengths and …show more content…
My long-term goal, however, is to create a culture for my patients that encourages healthy lifestyle habits, one that emphasizes the power of healing the body while enjoying eating good food and importance of physical activity within a community that supports their efforts and help build a healthier generation with less obesity and diabetes. Also collaborating with colleagues in interpreting research results and determining implications for the health of the nation is another topic in which I look forward to