Dietitian

Introduction:

Looking for a Career Option as a Dietitian, Dietitian ? This section features Dietitian, Dietitian as a career option, elaborated with reference to the job profile, personality traits required, the courses and training involved, premier institutions and future prospects.

A combination of clinical and nutritional expertise enables the dietitian to assess each patient's dietary needs. To this knowledge base, the successful dietitian must add the skill of establishing an individual rapport with each patient to enable appropriate advice to be understood and accepted. Dietitians may be based in clinical or community settings. Their patients and clients come from every age group and from all walks of life. While some dietitians choose to specialize in the treatment of, say children or people with renal disease, others continue to whose need for dietary advice may be vital, important or simply desirable.

Some very sick patients are unable to take food by mouth. Then the dietitian's expertise is required to formulate an appropriate liquid feed, conditions, such as and the dietitian continues to provide support and advice relevant to the patient's lifestyle. For other patients, pregnant women for example, the dietitian may need to offer appropriate advice for a comparatively short time.

In the processed food industry a dietitian works on the development and improvement of food products and production methods, such as new ways of preserving foods. In this sphere dietitians work with food chemists and food technologists experimenting in food laboratories on flavor and dietetic problems.

Dietitian may be in charge of catering in organisations of different types such as residential schools, offices and so on. They could also be staff, planning well-balanced meals and supervising their production. They may also opt for teaching in different types of educational institutions-colleges, polytechnics, or universities.


Personality Traits:

Dietitian should have interest in sound diet, an aptitude for science, organising ability, ability for teamwork, patience, a sense of responsibility, understanding of people of all ages, backgrounds, Good writing skills are also an advantage, as dietitians produce leaflets, articles and teaching packs as well as writing reports and letters, and ability to express oneself lucidly would be important for aspiring dietitian. They need to be good listeners and possess analytical and decision making qualities.


Courses/Training:

Courses in Dietetics are:

With a few exceptions, dietetics is studied only after a bachelor's degree in any one of the following disciplines: home science, medicine, science (with chemistry, microbiology), hotel management and catering. Some universities offer postgraduate diploma courses in dietetics. Subjects taught in dietetics include chemistry, physics, nutrition and physiology. Dietitian may be taken up as a specialisation in home science at the Master's degree level in many universities in the country. Delhi university, university of Mumbai / Madras also offer nutrition / health and nutrition as subjects at bachelor's degree level.


Training:

Training is a mixture of theory and practice. Academic subjects studied include human nutrition and dietetics, food and catering studies, sociology and psychology, biochemistry physiology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and medicine. Just as important, you will acquire interviewing and communication skills, and study management to equip you for the responsibility you will have as a qualified dietitian. During training all students spend 31 weeks in a clinical practical placement in the NHS, applying their theory in a health care setting under the supervision of qualified staff. When you have qualified, in order to practice in the NHS as a State Registered Dietitian, you must register with the Dietitians Board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.


Colleges offering Courses and Degrees in Dietetics:


Challenges:

Meeting with resistance when motivating people to change their lifestyle and adopt healthy food habits.


Placements And Prospects:

Dietitian find jobs in hotels, hospitals, in the processed food industry, and in teaching. The prospects are good in all the fields except in teaching where opening are comparatively restricted.

The most lucrative prospects are in the field of private enterprise keeping in view the present trend for health food. Residential schools, Railways, and airlines also employ dietitians to run and / or supervise their catering services and look after their nutritional needs. Openings for the trained dietitian today are varied and the future looks even brighter.


Challenges:

  • Meeting with resistance when motivating people to change their lifestyle and adopt healthy food habits.
  • Might need to follow a diet regime too


Remuneration:

At an entry level, fresher with a diploma can get anywhere around Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month. Those with a master’s degree can expect a higher package ranging between Rs. 2.5 lakh and Rs. 7 lakh per annum, depending on the city or groups they are associated with. The salaries get higher with experience. Private consulting earns a professional nutritionist much more.


Useful Links:

http://plancareer.org/en/career/13/1128/dietitian-career-option-and-requirements.html

Checkout How a Day in the life of a Dietitian is like in the link mentioned below

http://www.careers360.com/news/4880-Career-review-nutrition-and-dietetics

Bibliography:

"Education In India - Schools And Colleges In India." Indicareer.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 29 Aug. 2017.

Attractions, Restaurants And Hotels In Cities And Towns." Thedu.in. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Aug. 2017.

"Latest News On India, World, Bollywood, Cricket, Delhi, Mumbai, City News | Hindustan Times." http://www.hindustantimes.com/. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Aug. 2017.

Arora, Devika et al. "Career Flux - Everyone Deserves A Meaningful Career And Employment.." Career Flux. N.p., 2017. Web. 30 Aug. 2017.