I'm being a little assumptive here. If you've had any extensive conversation with me already (or my incredible parents who lovingly support me), you may know some of these, but a lot of these I did not even know when I first chose my major. I have to say though, this is certainly not the norm, but I never changed my major. A lot of people do, but I've been pretty sure since before I started that nutrition and dietetics is what I wanted to do. As I started entering my major classes, I knew this would solidify whether or not this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and with each passing class I just get more and more excited about what the future holds. So without further adieu, here's a few things you might not have known.
1. We eat.
Okay, that's an obvious one; we clearly eat because we're sitting here alive, writing articles, doing all the things, and stressing over case studies. This was a concept I feel I have to use as a disclaimer when I first meet someone and tell them what my major is. We eat. We eat real food. We eat good food. We eat cookies. We eat vegetables. We eat out. And we're not here to shame you for eating. Please eat, and come eat with us. We just want to help people enjoy good food and good health for a good life.
2. All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.
This is one of those topics I can get pretty passionate about. It's not necessarily a super controversial topic or anything, but one of the big reasons I got into dietetics was because there are SO SO SO many out there with "nutrition advice," and can I get a show of hands for who all have seen conflicting information out there? How about how many times someone is advocating an extreme-sounding diet prescription in the name of "health?" But who are you to question the expert? They're a nutritionist, after all.
"Nutritionist" is an unregulated term.
I have seen some "nutritionists" advertised in my hometown (who will remain unnamed) who will easily pop up on a Google search, but they do not have any formal education in anything remotely nutrition related, let alone an actually accredited dietetics program.
Others may have a degree in "nutrition," but there's a reason I'm at Jacksonville State. I wouldn't want a surgeon to operate on me if he wasn't board certified. There's a reason there are national standards, and just the first step in becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN or RD) is completing a didactic or coordinated program in dietetics that has been accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. There are only seven schools in Alabama offering accredited didactic programs, and two offering accredited coordinated programs.
3. We're not done after we graduate.
Unless you're at one of the schools doing a coordinated program, which combines the Dietetic Internship while you're completing the required coursework, four full years in getting your bachelor's from an accredited program is only the first step. Coming from a school with big education and nursing programs, I use these examples: Educators do "practicum" while they take their classes, and nurses do "clinicals," and when they graduate they're good to go get an entry-level job.
Didactic programs fill the entirety of the four years just with classes, and the experience part is an entirely separate entity. That said, yes I plan to graduate in May. However, I will still have probably at least a year to go after that, and that's not even including if/when I want to go for my Master's in the future. Even for those who do the coordinated programs, they still have to take the examination to become registered afterward.
4. We can't just intern anywhere.
Colleges often have internship and job fairs, and students may complete an internship over the summer to add to their resume. Perhaps a student has a connection to an organization, and can complete an internship there. Not so for those in dietetics. Our internships have to be accredited too, and the acceptance rate into internships is about 50%. Needless to say, they're pretty competitive. Additionally, you have to complete your bachelor's degree and an accredited didactic program before you even start your Dietetic Internship (I mention both because those with their baccalaureate already can just take the classes from the program without having to get a second degree).
What do dietetic students do if they can't get their internships out of the way before they graduate? We keep our grades up and obtain as much relevant experience as we can. As I said, these internships are very competitive, some programs requiring over 1,000 relevant volunteer hours. While there are distance internships available, students are usually required to set up their own rotations. For traditional programs, Alabama only has four, and some states do not have any.
The fun doesn’t end there. Most of these internships are not paid, and in fact, most of them you actually have to pay for yourself. It's kind of like working a job, with classes and projects as well, and while some may offer graduate credit or a combined Master's program, some offer no graduate credit and do not allow interns to qualify for financial aid.
You spend a lot of time preparing to apply to these programs, and while you can apply to as many as you want, there's a chance you may not get matched with a program at all. Yes, there is a matching process; students do not get to just choose where they go, only where they apply to and in what priority ranking order. Those applying in the spring submit applications by February and do not find out if and where they are matched until April. Why do dietetics students want to do this?
We love this field, and we truly want to be the most reliable experts for evidence-based nutrition information and care.
Perhaps the best part of the Dietetic Internship is that each program has its own "emphasis," but interns still get rotations from all the required areas. After four years of building up your knowledge base, interns get to finally put that knowledge into hands-on practice in a variety of settings.
5. We take some interesting classes.
Especially if your program falls under a Family & Consumer Science department (like ours does), you get all the required dietetics-related classes, but you also get some pretty fun and interesting classes that you may not expect as well. I've taken a fashion class, an economics class, a management class, a class where we work in a preschool (with mostly education majors), an exercise physiology class (with mostly kinesiology or exercise science majors), a class on dietary supplements, a class on foodservice, and my last semester I get to take an interior design class (which works out pretty well since that's one of my personal side interests!) These are not electives; no, these are required for my major, as are several other interesting classes.
Since it is technically a Family & Consumer Science degree, they require you to be well-rounded with some background in the other concentrations of the department. Even still, you might be surprised how much some of these classes can actually be applied to dietetics.
In my time here, I've worn a lab coat, a chef's coat, a lab apron, nonslip shoes, business casual attire, and more. Forget hats, dietetics majors wear a lot of coats and other items of clothing that we know the social and cultural significance of. Dietetics truly does draw on aspects of child development, writing skills, chemistry, biology, anatomy, nursing, education, business, management, public speaking or communications, research, and so much more. That said…
6. What don't we do?
If you ask me what exactly dietitians do, I may enthusiastically (and a little cheesily but in all seriousness) respond with "What don't they do??" Where do dietitians work? "Where can't they work?" A lot of dietitians work in hospitals as clinical dietitians, but several work in nursing homes, counseling centers, private practice, the privacy of their own home, and even online doing private consultations. Some do more of the foodservice side of things, managing hospital cafeterias, school lunch programs, college dining services, etc. Some work for specific sports teams and some at gyms and other commercial organizations. Some work in the community, at the cooperative extension or with WIC. Some are educators at the high school or collegiate level. Some are authors or make television appearances; some are bloggers. Some work for grocery stores or restaurants. Some open up their own restaurants. Some work in research, doing the cutting edge studies to get the most up-to-date and reliable data.
Even in hospital and long-term settings, dietitians assess, diagnosis, intervene and monitor patient status. They may administer tube feedings or insulin; they may order specific lab tests; they may make meal plans or customize supplements. Some advocate for nutrition and health-related public policies. Some create recipes and some speak about the latest research. There are literally so many directions one can go with a career in dietetics, and the accredited programs are designed to equip future professionals to be competent for any of these tasks.
7. Being an RDN is goals.
Once we finish our didactic program and internship or a coordinated program, only then are we eligible to even sit for the examination to become a registered dietitian. Then, once we pass, to maintain our credentials we have to stay up to date with continuing education, so you know an RDN has the most up-to-date, reliable information. Beginning 2020, the requirements will increase even further. Future dietitians will have to have their Master's degree, because dietitians want and need to be extremely knowledgeable for the public. New studies are being done every day, and with it are new ways to help our community become a little healthier through lifestyle and eating.
So there you have it folks, all the juicy details of being a dietetics student (or RD-to-be). See also: "Why should I see a registered dietitian nutritionist?" "What do you want to be when you grow up?" or "What is the best major or career path out there?" (although I may be a little biased).
