Before interviewing the campus nutritionist, Dana Faris R.D., I never knew how diverse and unique the field of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics was. She explained to me that there were many career choices within the field that I could explore before choosing to become a Clinical Nutritionist. In fact, many areas of study will be emphasized and explored while completing the required internship. An example would be becoming a Dietetic Technician or “DTR” for short. Someone with this title works under a registered dietician as their assistant. This career entails things like: organizing meal plans, consultation and educating patients in making healthier choices on their own. A Dietetic Technician does, however, have different educational requirements …show more content…
I applied what I know about this career from a personal contact among my family, Lisa Kennedy, who works as a dietician in a dialysis clinic. What I have been told so far is that her experience has been as rewarding as it has been stressful. Meeting a passionate client that strives to make a positive change in their life through diet rehabilitation is what she cherishes the most because, unfortunately, encountering patients of that nature are rare. The educational requirements are completion of a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. The prospective student must then complete a master’s course with an inclusive internship and gain about five or more years of experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics site, the graduate could begin to make up to $55k annually. The state of Texas has seen a 30% increase in job openings, totaling to about 170 new jobs annually since 2012. Much of what I would like to get out of my degree is the ability to positively change a person’s life in a way. While a Clinical Dietician may not be the most glamourous job in my field of study, I will certainly put to good use the experiences I may be given from pursuing this