Any Registered Dietitians out there??

abbybean11

Hi there!
I'm looking for advice from people who are Registered Dietitians, working towards it, or who work in Public Health.
I'm thinking about going to school to become a registered dietitian to help young people (specifically) who struggle with weight loss and self-image. I also want to do research on vegan lifestyles and plant-based diets to help people who want to venture into those fields.
My undergrad is in Political Science, so I have an interest in policy relating to obesity - specifically relating to food in schools and health education.

The problem is I don't know any RD's personally - I am looking for information about what you do on a day-to-day basis, whether or not you like your job, what sort of personalities are successful in your career, what schools you studied at and if you'd recommend them - really anything!

I am not totally sure that I will be able to pursue this career because I'm not sure how to finance it - but it's something I'm passionate about so I'd at least know what I could do as an average citizen to help people who struggle with these issues. I'm currently a schoolteacher and I'm going to weave in nutrition education here and there into my math lessons (like using fractions and percentages in cooking healthy meals), and I'm thinking about starting fitness classes during lunch for the kids and staff. Any other ideas?

Ok sorry that my questions are broad - I'm just looking for any advice!

alikat517

Hey! I'm a registered and licensed dietitian (RD/LD) and I love my job. There are so many areas and specialties within the profession. I earned a B.S. in Dietetics then completed a 9-month internship and then got my M.S. in dietetics. B.S. and internship is required- a Masters is not required yet but it is strongly encouraged. I started off working in the clinical setting in a small community hospital (~100 beds) then at a larger hospital (~ 500 beds). In the hospital setting, you will provide nutritional care for all types of conditions (diabetes, cardiac disease, stroke, cancers, patients on tube feedings/parenteral nutrition, etc). I am really glad I started in the hospital setting because you get exposed to all sorts of conditions. Now I work in an outpatient clinic and spend my days counseling patients - mainly diabetes education. I am currently working to become a CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator). I myself am a type 1 (juvenile) diabetic so I love spending time with other diabetics. That is great that you have a passion for nutrition, but even if you don't feel it is feasible to go back to school just yet you can use that passion to reach your students and help others live healthy lifestyles! Please feel free to add me and let me know if you have any questions! :happy: