Karen Ketsche
Dietetic Intern
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

January 29, 2010

Student Corner Interview: Karen Ketsche

Tell us about yourself - your background and education.

 I grew up in Peachtree City, GA in a family that has always been active and health conscious. My father and one of my sisters run marathons competitively, my two other sisters are dedicated horseback riders, and my mom has run a marathon. Needless to say, health and fitness have always been priorities for us! I was very serious about athletics and trained as a competitive gymnast for twelve years. Additionally, in high school I was involved in several extracurricular activities; my favorite was cheering for my high school’s basketball team. After high school I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University (May 2009). Now I am completing a dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. I hope to begin my career as a Registered Dietitian next summer.

How did you become interested in nutrition?

Two different experiences during my teen years sparked my interest in nutrition—the first was involvement in competitive gymnastics, and the second was a service trip to El Salvador. During my gymnastics career I learned the importance of nutrition in athletics and performance through my own experiences and those of my teammates. Although our coaches encouraged us to eat well and avoid “unhealthy” foods, I wasn’t always sure what that meant! Gradually I became interested in learning more about nutrition as it relates to sports performance. In 2005 I was blessed by the opportunity to travel to San Salvador, El Salvador where I worked  in a children’s malnourishment clinic for one week. During that week I gained a firsthand knowledge of the world of malnutrition. I saw that simple nutrition therapy and loving care could cure these infants and children in a matter of weeks! When I witnessed the miraculous recovery of these infants, I was hooked! I knew that dietetics was the right field for me; I wanted to make an impact in the field of nutrition and food security. I was so moved by this experience that I returned to the clinic for another two-week visit after my sophomore year at Cornell.

Tell us about your involvement in collegiate sports.

As a college freshman I competed for the Cornell club gymnastics team and loved being part of this relaxed, fun-loving group. But even though gymnastics was my first love growing up, I eventually decided to move on and pursue new athletic goals. I took the next year off from competitive athletics, and then, as a junior at Cornell, I walked onto the varsity women’s crew. I spent the next two years learning all the joys and challenges associated with varsity college athletics, not to mention the unfamiliar atmosphere of a team-oriented endurance sport. Crew was the polar opposite of gymnastics. I went from an individual sport which requires grace and poise to a team sport that relies on brute strength and speed—there is very little finesse in the sport of rowing! It was a great challenge for me because I had no prior experience and had never been exposed to any athletic “culture” outside of gymnastics. Not only did I learn to understand and love the sport, but I also paired athletes with my nutrition course work by conducting research on my teammates as part of my sports nutrition classes.

While on the crew I served as the resident “nutrition expert” for the women’s and lightweight men’s teams, answering my teammates’ basic health questions and encouraging them to eat well at the dining halls. I was thrilled to take such an active role on the team and to be part of the Cornell athletic community!

Now that I am out of college, I’ve again decided to tackle new challenges and expand my horizons in athletics. I’ve taken up running with my friends and just finished my first marathon on January 10th! The race was an incredible experience and gave me a whole new appreciation for endurance athletes. I can’t wait to continue exploring and trying new sports in the future!

You have been involved in research. Tell us about that experience and something you learned.

As a sophomore I became involved in nutrition research through Cornell’s Human Metabolic Research Unit. For the next two years I worked as a lab assistant on several projects and was introduced to many of the basic procedures and techniques associated with lab work. During this time I learned how to assess body composition using bioelectrical impedance, the BodPod, underwater weighing, and skinfold measurements. I also collected and analyzed accelerometer data, helped conduct exercise testing, and even served as a guinea pig for several new assessment techniques developed in the lab! It was a fun and rewarding experience. One of the most valuable skills I’ve gained has been the ability to collect, organize, and analyze data to locate trends, correlations, or even surprise findings! I’ve grown immensely as a result of working in the Human Metabolic Research Unit.

What research project has been most interesting to you? Why?

In my opinion, the most exciting project was a double-blind intervention trial testing the effect of iron supplementation in non-anemic, iron-depleted female rowers. Not only was the topic interesting and relevant topic for me, I also served a dual role as a member of the research team and as a member of the study population! I often acted as a liaison between the subjects and researchers throughout the study, answering questions and providing information for both groups based on my rowing and nutrition knowledge. I also participated in the initial testing stages of the project, doing VO2 max tests and body composition assessments on a regular basis as we worked out the kinks in the study design and procedures. I enjoyed viewing the study from a 360º perspective! This study also provided me the opportunity to collect and analyze blood samples, conduct endurance testing on research participants, and analyze physical activity records to detect trends among the data. This was an invaluable experience in my development as a nutrition professional because I saw the process start as a research idea that turned into a formal thesis and then came to fruition; I was excited to take part in the study!

Describe an experience as a dietetic intern that relates to sports dietetics.

Since I expressed an interest in sports dietetics from the beginning of my internship, the program directors at Vanderbilt have taken that interest into account and found as many opportunities as possible for me to work in sports-related settings throughout the year. Since August I’ve done two different rotations working in a sports setting. The first of was a week spent shadowing Amy Freedman, RD, the dietitian who works with the Vanderbilt varsity athletic teams. During this week I was able to sit in on several one-on-one counseling sessions that Amy conducted with athletes on various teams. I also completed several individual projects such as a 3000 calorie meal plan created in accordance with the Vanderbilt dining facilities, a monthly bulletin distributed to athletes, and a case study based on one of Amy’s former clients.

The second sports-related experience within my internship is still in progress, a two-week rotation at the Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute Fitness Center as part of my community-focused staff experience. During this period I am working as the on-site RD for the fitness center. As part of the rotation I’ve created a two-week long health challenge entitled “Fit For Life.” The challenge targets fitness center members and encourages them to complete a series of “tasks” to be eligible for a prize. The “tasks” include attending events such as a cooking demonstration and drive-by taste test of healthy recipes; reading handouts and pocket guides on topics ranging from body composition and caloric needs to healthy shopping guides and appropriate pre-/post-workout foods; and reviewing a bulletin board display which focuses on the importance of each macronutrient within a healthy diet. I’ve had a lot of fun creating the materials and testing recipes for this health challenge, and it’s also provided me with an opportunity to be creative and develop my own unique work style! Throughout the staff experience I am also meeting with some of the fitness center clients and asking them about their nutritional history, habits, and knowledge. These sessions help me learn more about the individual client’s nutritional needs as well as the nutritional “culture” within the fitness center. This information helps me plan, develop, and distribute useful and appropriate information throughout the two-week health program.

Both of these experiences have been wonderful and have encouraged me to continue actively pursuing sports dietetics!

What are your professional goals? Once you become a registered dietitian, what type of professional work would you like to do?

Since I am still exploring the wide range of options within dietetics and even within sports-related dietetics, I think it will be hard to pinpoint one specific goal until I’ve worked in the field for a few years. However, at this point I am most interested in working with collegiate and elite level athletes. Although I immediately think of gymnastics and rowing because of my own experiences in these fields, in reality, I think I would like working with any collegiate or elite team. In my wildest dreams I can see myself working at one of the Olympic training centers or as the official sports dietitian for a national sports team, traveling with these competitors and monitoring their nutrition and health on a regular basis. Since I’ve enjoyed lab work so much, I would like to pair nutritional counseling with regular physiological testing no matter where I end up. The great thing about being a student and/or a young RD is that I still have time to explore and weigh my options! And who knows—maybe I’ll end up somewhere totally different than I had originally planned. I’m excited to enter the dietetic workforce and start exploring!

Is there anything else you would like to share with other students?

Even though I’ve enjoyed lots of wonderful nutrition-related experiences, I’ve also had my fair share of experiences that didn’t work out quite like I had hoped. I would like to encourage students and fellow interns to keep an open mind about every nutrition-related environment they encounter, even if it’s not the right “fit” for them or isn’t quite what they expected going into the situation. You never know which experiences will be most helpful or rewarding until you given them a chance! Don’t decide whether or not you like something until you’ve given it real consideration.