Nutrition Feild

Question
Hello  Laurie,

I am greatly considering a career as a Dietician and I was elated to find a RD on my favorite Q&A site. If you do not mind answering my questions, they would be greatly beneficial:

1. Are you happy with the career you chose?
2. What are your personal pros and cons about being a RD
3. What other careers in the nutrition feild are comparable to being a dietician and are they as fulfilling, in your opinion?
4. What other careers were you interested in before choosing the dietetics feild?
5. Approximately how long have you been a Dietician?

Thank-you so much. I really appreciate the time you took to review my question.

~Anonymous

Answer
Hi,
I'm glad to hear you are considering a career as a dietitian.  I can definitely say it is quite a rewarding one, and my colleagues would agree.
One aspect that is most appealing is all the options there are once you are registered: you can work in a hospital or nursing home; a dr's office or dialysis clinic; you can teach, write books, manage a foodservice operation, help community programs, work for a school system, counsel individuals with diabetes or work with small children; or be the dietitian for a spa or a sports team.  The list is just endless!

There aren't really other careers in the nutrition field because you have to be registered and licensed as a dietitian in virtually every state in the US to practice nutrition.

The biggest con is the salary paid to community dietitians, and some clinical (hospital) dietitians.  It's pretty low in some areas, but comparable to nurses--nothing that would keep you from making a living, but some of the other areas pay much better.
Another consideration is having to go through 4 years of college plus an internship.  It's a long and difficult road, but once you get there you will be set for life.  I have moved several times and changed jobs many times--it's easy to find something in the field wherever you live an whatever you want to do with it.

I decided to become a dietitian when I was 13 years old and was fascinated with the organs of the body and their purposes.  I love physiology.  I've never tired of the field and I've been doing this for more than 25 years.

Good luck!!

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