Join the CCSG as a student
Join us!
All student members of the BDA can join 2 specialist groups for free. These groups allow students to gain insight into specialist areas of Dietetics to support studies and future careers.
Take a look below at the webinar we held for dietetic students on Nutrition Support in Critical Care
The CCSG is a great specialist group to consider joining as part of your student membership, here are a few reasons why!
Hannah, a student at Birmingham City Univeristy, and Verity, a student at Leeds Beckett University, have both written blogs on their experiences of critical care whilst on B placement. You can find these on our Blogs by CCSG members page.
Nutrition Support in Critical Care – A webinar for students
We held a webinar for dietetic students on 12 April, available to watch back.
Students within the CCSG
We think student representation is so important that we have our very own student member, Kristina, within our CCSG committee! You can find out more about Kristina here: Committee
This is what Kristina has to say about why she wanted to represent students within the CCSG committee:
Why did you want to become the student member of the CCSG? My reasons for becoming a student volunteer for the CCSG are twofold. Firstly, I wish to promote the wealth of resources and events that the CCSG have to offer – be it webinars, study days, or crib sheets. These resources can be used to supplement classroom learning and come in handy for placements too! In addition, I wish to represent the views and perspectives of fellow students, so that the committee can keep supporting students, offering insights into the specialism, and preparing them for their future careers in dietetics. Secondly, volunteering is a fantastic opportunity for refining my teamwork and communication skills and broadening my professional network.
Why do you feel student membership of specialist groups is important? I’m sure all students would have had the importance of CPD drilled into to them, and what better way to put that into practice than becoming a member of a BDA specialist group? Being a student member of CCSG offers networking opportunities, access to resources, professional development, and a platform to stay updated on advancements in the field.
What do you hope to achieve in your role on the committee? As dietetic students, we have limited time available to explore each specialty thoroughly. I hope to discover ways that allow me to help fellow students in acquiring a more comprehensive insight into the intricacies of working in critical care. I want to share aspects that might not be covered during placements or in lectures. I aim to provide insights that can prove valuable in handling encounters with critically ill patients and, perhaps, spark an interest in specializing in critical care!
If any students have questions for Kristina, or ideas for how the CCSG can support students, please send her an email at [email protected].
Our previous student member, Lucy, has since gone on to become our graduate member of the committee. This is what she had to say about her time as the student member of the CCSG:
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time as student member of the CCSG committee. It has been a pleasure to represent students within the committee and ensure the CCSG is offering helpful resources and tools to help students with an interest in critical care or with critical care experience on placement.
My role as student member was very varied, as I was the first-ever student member of the CCSG committee I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to make the role my own.
During my time as student member, I gained a plethora of knowledge and developed skills. I have increased my knowledge of the different opportunities and roles available within dietetics and have been able to hear about some of the most innovative research within critical care. As well as improving my communication and teamwork skills, I developed and worked on new skills including project planning and management, I certainly have an increased understanding and appreciation for how much time, planning and hard work goes into planning events and resources. My confidence levels have greatly improved because of volunteering, and my experience communicating with dietitians within the CCSG made starting placement a little less daunting and helped me realise experienced dietitians are not as scary as we might think!"
Whilst in post Lucy wrote a blog post about her role on the CCSG committee, what she enjoys about it and some of the benefits. You can read this on our Blogs by CCSG members page. She also wrote an article for the BDA for their 'Students doing brilliant things' feature, which you can read here.
More information
You can sign up for a specialist groups on your BDA membership homepage.
Student membership of the BDA also comes with lots of other great benefits, you can find out more information here: Student Membership