| You
probably know that fruits and veggies are good for you (and
that too many cheeseburgers and French fries aren’t),
but are you often curious why? Are you the only one
of your friends who wishes you could understand those confusing
Nutrition Facts food labels? If you like science and food,
are fascinated by the human body and like helping people,
you might enjoy working in the field of dietetics. Dietitians
are food and nutrition experts who teach patients how healthy
eating (and limiting junk food) can help them live longer
and feel better.
Dietitians can work in many different
areas:
Clinical: Clinical dietitians work
in hospitals, assisted living centers and other health care
facilities. They work with doctors and nurses to coordinate
patients’ medical records with their nutritional needs.
While many illnesses must be treated with medication, the
best medicine for a lot of medical conditions (such as heart,
kidney or liver disease) is a healthy diet! That’s where
clinical dietitians come in—they advise patients on
how changing their diets can improve their health.
Community: Some dietitians prefer
working in the community at government-funded health care
organizations, such as diabetes clinics, heart health education
centers or WIC (Women, Infants and Children) clinics, which
provide healthy food and nutrition counseling to low-income
moms and their children.
Food service: Do you have strong
opinions about the food in your school’s cafeteria?
Take a stand by becoming a food service dietitian! These dietitians’
jobs might include planning healthy lunch menus for schools
or company cafeterias, buying food and kitchen equipment,
or managing a kitchen staff.
Consultation: Many dietitians have their own businesses. They
might help all kinds of clients (schools, diabetic patients
and obese patients trying to lose weight), or specialize in
the area know best.
Interview with Tami Charles, Manager
of Nutrition Services (Clinical Dietitian):
 When
Tami was in high school, her grandpa passed away after having
a heart attack. Right then, Tami and her family decided to
make some changes in their diets, eating foods lower in fat
and cholesterol. “I realized for the first time that
what you eat really makes a difference in how you feel,”
Tami says.
In college, Tami took a nutrition class and
loved it, and knew that she’d found the career for her.
She received her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and
started a 9-month internship, a requirement to become a registered
dietitian (RD). While she enjoyed working on the clinical
side most, her first job after her internship was at a WIC
clinic. Shortly after that job, she took a position as a clinical
dietitian in a hospital.
After several years, Tami started to set her
sights on management roles. She decided to increase her chances
for a promotion by earning her master’s degree in management
(while continuing to work full time). “I probably wouldn’t
have been able to get the job I have now without a master’s,”
Tami says. It was perfect timing; when a position opened up
to manage the Nutrition Services area of her hospital, Tami
jumped at it and got the job.
Today, Tami oversees the clinical dietetic
and food service functions at a hospital. She manages eight
dietitians, a chef and all of the cafeteria and food service
staff. A pretty big job? “We serve over 5,000 meals
a day!” Tami says. While every day is different, most
days she spends time assisting dietitians with patient care,
helping the hospital chef with menu or recipe changes and
overseeing the hospital’s catering business. On the
side, Tami also advises a local college on their student meal
plan for students living on campus.
What’s Tami’s favorite part of
her job? “I really enjoy working with patients,”
she says. “I like making a difference in someone’s
recovery and well-being.”
What
You Can Do to Get Ready:
After getting your college degree, you’ll
need to complete a 6 to 12 month internship and pass a national
exam to become an RD. Until then, you can volunteer at a hospital
or shadow a dietitian to see what the job is like. When you
get to high school, be sure to take challenging science classes,
as you’ll need to take classes such as chemistry, microbiology
and human anatomy when you major in nutrition at college.
What
it Pays:
Dietitians’ salaries vary depending
on the type of job you take (in a hospital or a school) and
your responsibilities. You can start out making $40,000 and
make as high as $75,000 in a management position. Dietitians
who consult for clinics, hospitals or individual clients charge
between $50 and $100 or more per hour and can make over $100,000
depending on the number of clients they have.
Other
Resources:
www.eatright.org:
- The American Dietetic Association has lots of information
and news about the dietetics profession.
www.sne.org
- The Society for Nutrition Education strives to be the premier
organization for food and nutrition education professionals.
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