Dietetics?
- Thread starter tengle56
- Start date
wearedbleedblue
Active member
Its basically the way to become a dietician. I've taken most of the courses required for a dietetics degree here. Its pretty good info for basic knowledge but it takes more advanced classes to know the whys on how everything works. It gives a good framework though. It doesn't relate it much to exercise though, at least here.
UKStrength
Guest
I'm studying to be a dietitian at the moment (British Dietetic Association), I'll be fully qualified in less than a year.
In my opinion, dietetics gives you an excellent baseline understanding of nutrition from all perspectives, clinical, public health and sports. This is having completed a BSc in Human Biology and an MSc in Sports Nutrition and worked with numerous top athletes as a sports nutritionist.
However...most dietitians know next to NOTHING regarding bodybuilding or applied sports nutrition. They generally stick to what they do best, which is providing clinical nutritional support for sick individuals, something that most nutritionists lack an understanding of. A sports dietitian, however, is a different kettle of fish, but I digress...
Over the years I've found treating the general public in a clinical situation far more rewarding than working with athletes. Others may disagree, but I've found that in the UK, dietitians are an extremely valuable member of a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals. Doctors usually know absolutely nothing when it comes to nutritional support. The sense of achievement from nursing a person back to full health from being on death's door in intensive care is unbelievable.
To me dietetics is MY field of choice. I love sport (especially aesthetic sports like bodybuilding) and the nutritional support that comes with it, but it's very unrewarding and your job is constantly in turmoil due to the lack of appreciation for nutrition in most sports teams (coaches often view nutrition as 'common sense').
Dietetics will only enhance your nutrition consultational skills even if you don't stick to the medical field, your repertoire of clients in sport will go through the roof due to having a clinical background (ask a general nutritionist to provide support to a diabetic triathlete and most will faint at the prospect!). You often just need to do an extra course in sports nutrition and you're fit to practice.
PM me if you want more specific details.
MentalTwitch
Well-known member
If you want to do something workout related closest would be R.D. (Registered Dietician) and then get a Kinesiology degree(exercise science basicaly)
I was going to do Dietics but changed because its alot of stuff more medical based, not realy sports based. For that you would do Sports Nutrition which i think is only a certificate.
In my state Illinois, you have to complete a 8-12 month internship, with an associates but will end up with a bachelors anyway and pass the R.D. exam.
Google, R.D. program and i believe there is a site that guides you through and directs you to schools in your area. Invalid Link Removed
To me the salary wasnt worth what i'd be doing. You will most likely end up in clinical setting. Private practice is not very secure and extremely competitive. Not just with other people/businesses but the internet. They expected demand to be high for physical trainers and nutritionist, but in the recent times peoples budgets tightened and the "luxuries" are fisrt to go, this is one of them.
Goodluck though, i hope you stick with it.
I was going to do Dietics but changed because its alot of stuff more medical based, not realy sports based. For that you would do Sports Nutrition which i think is only a certificate.
In my state Illinois, you have to complete a 8-12 month internship, with an associates but will end up with a bachelors anyway and pass the R.D. exam.
Google, R.D. program and i believe there is a site that guides you through and directs you to schools in your area. Invalid Link Removed
To me the salary wasnt worth what i'd be doing. You will most likely end up in clinical setting. Private practice is not very secure and extremely competitive. Not just with other people/businesses but the internet. They expected demand to be high for physical trainers and nutritionist, but in the recent times peoples budgets tightened and the "luxuries" are fisrt to go, this is one of them.
Goodluck though, i hope you stick with it.
striad
New member
My wife is a registered dietitian. She got her master's degree in nutrition and she now works with the sick (mostly cancer patients) in a hospital. She is extremely smart with what she does and she can tell you exactly what anybody with any disease should be eating. However, she lacks the knowledge on the athlete side. She was also taught about the "worthlessness" of supplements. Apparently, most RDs believe that all nutrition should come from food.
PublicEnemy
Member
Right now i"m going through going for my B.S. in Dietetics too, hopefully a Masters if I can get into the graduate program I want to.
I know career wise either way I want to do some sort of nutritional counselling, but with the way the US economy is right now when I get out of school I'm going to need to find a well paying job. From your experience, which field usually has a better pay scale; clinical or sports nutrition?
I know career wise either way I want to do some sort of nutritional counselling, but with the way the US economy is right now when I get out of school I'm going to need to find a well paying job. From your experience, which field usually has a better pay scale; clinical or sports nutrition?
tengle56
New member
yeah, today i talked to my advisor and she recommended me getting a degree in kinesiology/exercise science instead. she said it would be alot more fulfilling for me because its dealing more with sports/athletes than dietetics. with a bachelors in this, i could become a strength and conditioning coach, exercise physiologist, or something of that nature which seems more interesting to me than being a registered dietician. i just want to be in the field closest to bodybuilding! haha
UKStrength
Guest
Seems like the more sensible choice to me. Sport/athletic support is a really competitive field whichever area you choose to go into, be prepared to do a lot of work for free/minimal pay in the first instance just to get the experience required to be considered for the top jobs.
Keep your CV/portfolio as up to date as possible and show as much continued professional development as you can, this will get you into the 'big' money jobs.
Cold
Member
I'm about to graduate in August with a BS in Dietetics. It was quite an experience. For the most part, you will be taught basic nutrition, and nutrition dealing with clinical issues, and for normal health. Not for bodybuilding.
Just an FYI I've taken a **** ton of courses that I thought were really seemed unecessary. Like quantity food preparation, Restuarant Preparation and Management, too many others to list. The Dietetics field is very broad ranging from food science to being restuarant management. Which you'll have to take classes for all of them. So it's important to know and understand the basics of cooking and food service in general.
You'll have to take A&P, Microbio, basic and advanced nutrition, Chem 1 and 2, Organic Chem, some business courses, as well as some other bullshit classes.
Another important piece of advice I'd give you is to research the insitution, the program, and the professors. The reason I'm telling you this is because I got into a bad dietetics program where I used to go college. I ended up droping out and droping my GPA from a 3.3 to a 2.87. Now I'm at a school with a much better program and have been on the Dean's list every semester I've been here mainly because of having better professors and a better program. If I would've came here in the first place I'd be in a much better position today. I'd have a much better chance of getting into an internship.
Oh yeah, almost forgot to tell you. To become an RD, you have to get a bachelors, then get into an internship, and pass the RD exam. If you don't get the RD, you'll be very limited to the jobs/careers you would qualify for. If you want a degree in dietetics GET THE RD!!!! Getting into an internship is tough. Each internship has different qualifications. Check out Invalid Link Removed to get the information on them.
Ok, my fingers hurt now lol. I hope that helps. If you have any questions shoot me a pm.
hardknock
Well-known member
Two of my cousins are registered and liscensed dieticians, not DT which is what a lot of people are but fully liscensed and registered .. in my state, you have to graduate from an accredited program to be qualified to sit for the exam or hold a masters in a nutrition field+have like a 3.8gpa just to sit for the exam. Then, if you pass and become liscensed, you have to be placed on a waiting list to be registered with the state board (which takes 2-6 months)
They both either entered into a diadictic prigram or a coordinated program. One included internships and and one is sort of a two part situation. There is a requirement for 900 work hrs(for RD) or 400 (for dietician tech)....
There is the official site which has specific info for each school in the US which offers each program ...
They both either entered into a diadictic prigram or a coordinated program. One included internships and and one is sort of a two part situation. There is a requirement for 900 work hrs(for RD) or 400 (for dietician tech)....
There is the official site which has specific info for each school in the US which offers each program ...
Tone
Member
I thought about taking the road to being a dietician, didn't like any of the classes and thought most of them were a waste of time. I graduated with my BS in Exercise Science with an emphasis on Fitness and Wellness. I really liked all of my classes- even though im finding out most of the nutritonal stuff we learned 5 or 6 years ago, is out of date now.
hardknock
Well-known member
Not a waste bro, you can still do it. Most programs require a degree first (if its an official program from a US accredited institutuion.
a lot of it prepares you for work in the food industry yet not necessarily for opening a? office and consulting.
I would be done with mine in december had it not been for my finances falling shrt this year.
tengle56
New member
looks like im leaning towards physical therapy now. haha i am very indecisive about my future, even though physical therapy takes some time, you can specialize and work with athletes and entry level salary is like 70,000. plus i have been working as a physical therapy tech for about a year now.
Tone
Member
At the chiropractic office i work at, I do wellness assessments, wellness coaching, and physical therapy.... physical therapy is a good profession, plus you can start your own private clinic and then hire an assistant to do a lot of your therapys for you...