Career of Dietitian

Upon my arrival to Le Moyne College in August of 2003, I was determined to be an accountant.  After a summer spent working in an accounting department, I decided that I was not fit to be an accountant.  I enjoy working with people, and attempting to help solve problems in society.  I was able to shadow the director of a juvenile detention facility, and found out that I was very interested in this line of work.  As I wrote in my completed autobiography activity for this class, I decided to change my major to sociology in order to prepare myself for a future in administration of institutions for troubled youth.

            The readings that we have done in class have been a great comfort to me because they have introduced me to the broad range of career options in sociology.  In Careers in Sociology, 3^rd Edition by Stephens, I chose to read chapter four of the character profiles, titled “Sociology and Careers in Business Consultation.”  It was interesting for me to see how the concepts and skills attained from a sociology degree, like the understanding of people and means of communication, can be applied to fields such as business.  In chapter one of From College to Career: A Guide for Criminal Justice Majors by Peat, I was forced to take a look at my values and evaluate my answers in considering a career choice.  I found that based on my strengths and weaknesses, I am fit for a variety of careers, especially those that deal directly with people.  In chapter three of Peat, which deals with planning and preparing for a future career, I wrote down my goals and aspirations, along with a plan of how to achieve them.  I came into this class with one, very stringent, idea, and now I am open to all possibilities that result from a degree in sociology.  I chose to do my careers paper on that of a dietitian because nutrition is a great interest of mine and a background in sociology is recommended and useful in this field of work.

            According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), a registered dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition (www.eatright.org, 10/18/04).  Dietitians have many different roles and responsibilities, depending on what type of career path they have chosen.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are four types of dietitians.  Clinical dietitians provide nutritional services for patients in institutions.  They work alongside doctors to develop programs of proper nutrition based on the individual needs of each patient.  Community dietitians work with individuals and groups to promote good health through healthy eating.  Management dietitians supervise the meal planning and preparation of large institutions, such as cafeterias.  Management dietitians are also responsible for managing the nutritional budgets of these institutions.  Consultant dietitians meet with clients to achieve specific goals, and are typically self-employed (www.bls.gov, 10/18/04).  Dietitians are not limited to one of the four practices or specializations.  In fact, most dietitians practice in more than one specialization.  The expectation of a dietitian is the same for all dietitians, regardless of the concentration:   To prevent and treat illness by encouraging healthy eating habits.

            A major appeal to me in considering nutrition as a future employment opportunity is the fact that dietitians are employed in many different work settings.   In my informational interview, Regina Meno, a Registered Dietitian in Sidney, New York, told me how she first began her career working in a hospital, then specialized in elderly care at a nursing home, and now is a personal weight loss consultant working out of her home.  Dietitians are capable of using their training to fit their personal preference of work setting and/or schedule.  Although they typically work regular 40-hour weeks in hospitals or health care agencies, accommodations can be made (U.S. Department of Labor 2004: 1).  Employment in government, schools and universities, public health agencies, private practices, sports nutrition programs, food and nutrition related industries, and research areas in food and pharmaceutical companies are all places of possible employment for dietitians (U.S. Department of Labor 2004: 1).

            To become a registered dietitian, one must complete a bachelor’s degree from an ADA accredited program, complete a supervised practice program  that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), pass a national exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), and continue to pass tests in order to maintain registration (American Dietetic Association 2004: 1).  An undergraduate degree in dietetics, foods and nutrition, food service systems management, or a related area is approved by the ADA in most cases.  Within these majors, an emphasis is placed on courses in management, biology, business, psychology, and sociology.  After college, no additional education is needed, but one must participate in a supervised program (like an internship), lasting anywhere from six months to two years.

            It is possible to become a registered dietitian through attending graduate school if you are someone like me, who will have an undergraduate degree in something other than dietetics.  The first step in this process is to find a university that offers a graduate program in dietetics, like Syracuse University.  The head of the program would then evaluate my previous education and decide which classes it would be necessary for me to take in addition to completing my graduate degree (American Dietetic Association 2004: 1).  Although this path is more complicated than simply obtaining a bachelor’s degree in an accredited program, it can still be done, and in a timely fashion.  The policies and procedures vary by program, but each one concludes in holding a dietetic position approved by CADE, and passing an exam to become a registered dietitian (American Dietetic Association 2004: 1).

            The average starting salary for all registered dietitians is $35,700 (American Dietetic Association 2004: 1).  Income varies depending on the practice area.  Median earnings in consultation and business are $60,000, for food and nutrition management $55,000, for education and research $54,800, and $43,200 in community nutrition.  Salary varies by experience, educational level (registered or not), geographic region, and size of the community.  Dietitians can advance in their field by becoming directors of dietetic departments (U.S. Department of Labor 2004: 1).

Employment of dieticians is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (www.bls.gov, 10/18/2004).  Due to the world’s increasing emphasis on the importance of diet and healthy lifestyle, dietitians should continue to be in high demand to help people understand proper nutrition.  As the baby boomer population ages, the demand for dietitians will increase in health care facilities such as nursing homes.  With all of the new fad diets in mainstream society today, dietitians are being consulted more than ever with questions regarding healthy weight loss and management.  It is the duty of dietitians to educate confused members of society on the reliability of the newfound information.

During an informational interview on October 10, 2004, Regina Meno told me that she loves her career as a registered dietitian because of what she gets back from her services.  She finds satisfaction in knowing that she helped to change someone’s life in a positive way.  Mrs. Meno states that there is nothing better than seeing a patient happy after incorporating healthy habits into his or her life.  As a mother of four, she also loves that she can work out of her home and set her own hours.  Other dietitians echo Mrs. Meno’s sentiments toward the occupation:  They find it gratifying to assist people in major life changes (American Dietetic Association 2004: 1).  Like any other profession that deals with people, dietitians find difficulty in watching patients fail.  It is heartbreaking for them to watch people harm themselves through poor food choices.  In the same interview, on a lighter note, Mrs. Meno said that she comes across difficulty in finding the balance between being a mother and a nutritionist-she never buys junk food for her kids, and in turn is accused of depriving them of some of life’s goodies!

Sociology is the study of human behavior, investigating how individuals are shaped by their social groups, from families to nations, and how groups are created and maintained by the individuals who compose them (Sociology Writing Group 2001: 4).  The work of a consultant dietitian is very sociological because the patient’s life must be examined in depth in order to devise the appropriate plan for the patient’s dietary needs.  The family, location, and occupation of a patient must be taken into consideration in finding the solution to his or her problems.  A community dietitian, one who works primarily with groups, must look at group dynamics in order to get optimum results for all participants.  Like Janique Cordier, dietitians in management must be able to communicate and understand the people that they are working for or with (Stephens 2004: 20).  Food is a very important aspect of society because it represents the culture of a person.  Dietitians must adapt the sociological perspective to be successful in their line of work.

A background in sociology is recommended for dietitians because of the point of view that it provides.  The sociological imagination, recognizing the connection between individual, private experience, and the wider society is helpful for dietitians to understand the causes of eating-related disorders (Sociology Writing Group 2004: 6).  Pressure from society, family members, and peers can all contribute to the development of poor eating habits.  How an individual interprets and deals with these pressures can result in a distorted use of food.  Dietitians not only have to understand these factors, but must deal with them from many different perspectives.  Having knowledge of sociological methods is a tool that makes dietitians efficient in what they are trying to accomplish.

“The sense of pride you get in being able to help another human being, in even the smallest way, is a feeling that can keep you energized to work in an occupation…” (Peat 2004: 129).  This statement exemplifies the career of dietitian to me.  I chose to research this career because of my interest in nutrition and my desire to help people.  After collecting data on important aspects of the career like responsibilities, work settings, educational requirements, salary, and job outlook for the future, I am seriously considering going to a graduate school for dietetic studies.  In this course I was challenged to look at myself and my desires for the future in ways that I had never done before, through the exercises in Peat.  The outcome of these exercises is that I now realize that the career opportunities for me are wide open.  If I do decide to go into the profession of dietitian, I know that my sociological background will benefit me greatly in dealing with people and understanding health issues based on societal problems.

Bibliography

American Dietetic Association. Retrieved: October 18, 2004. www.eatright.org.

Informational Interview. Regina Meno. October 10, 2004.

Peat, Barbara. 2004. From College to Career: A Guide for Criminal Justice

            Majors. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Stephens, W. Richard. 2004. Careers in Sociology, 3^rd Edition. Boston: Allyn and

            Bacon.

The Sociology Writing Group. 2001. A Guide to Writing Sociology Papers. New

            York: Worth Publishing.

US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved: October 18,

            2004. www.bls.gov.