Finding A Qualified Nutritionist
I know how hard it can be hard to find someone to work on your nutrition with.
The first step to finding the right person to work with is to make sure that the nutrition professional you decide to work with is qualified to help you with your dietary needs and has training in the specific issue you need help with. I take this part of your journey very seriously, and I want you, and everyone else, to find a trusted, qualified nutritionist to guide you to optimal health.
In the United States, “nutritionist,” is an unregulated term that anyone can use. Because of this ambiguity, I feel responsible for providing you with a LOT of detail about why I call myself a “nutritionist.”
Use the following FAQs to determine if I am the right, qualified nutritionist to help you!
FAQs
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Why do I call myself a “nutritionist?” +
My formal education in Nutrition includes completing a Didactic Program in Dietetics, accredited and approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in 2010. This undergraduate program is completed by all dietetic students who wish to pursue a career path as a registered dietitian, and many students who don’t. The program includes 122 semester hours of rigorous coursework, in mostly science courses, including 36 semester hours of coursework in advanced nutrition courses.
I completed the didactic program in dietetics with honors (Magna Cum Laude) and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in my major (dietetics). In my graduating year, I received Academic Excellence Award(s) for my school and college. Faculty chose a single, high-performing student to receive the School of Nutrition and Foods award, and that one student was me!
In 2010, I graduated with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences (BSFCS) Nutrition & Foods with a Dietetics Concentration. I decided not to pursue a dietetic internship, which is required to become a registered dietitian.
I completed the didactic program in dietetics with honors (Magna Cum Laude) and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in my major (dietetics). In my graduating year, I received Academic Excellence Award(s) for my school and college. Faculty chose a single, high-performing student to receive the School of Nutrition and Foods award, and that one student was me!
In 2010, I graduated with a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences (BSFCS) Nutrition & Foods with a Dietetics Concentration. I decided not to pursue a dietetic internship, which is required to become a registered dietitian.
Why didn’t I become a registered dietitian? +
Dietetic internships, as accredited by ACEND, typically last 12-24 months and are usually unpaid, but expensive. While dietetic internships require at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice, the required practice areas largely focus on clinical nutrition (e.g., for dietitians who wish to work in a hospital setting) and food service management (e.g., for dietitians who wish to run institutional kitchens).
Instead of paying for a dietetic internship and putting my career on hold for another one or two years, I went straight into field work and began my career in community nutrition, nutrition education, and nutrtion counseling and coaching. As of June 2020, I have worked [conservatively] more than 19,000 paid hours in the field of nutrition (far surpassing the 1,200 hour requirement for a dietetic internship).
Considering that I went through the same rigorous undergraduate program that all registered dietitians do, and I have worked for or with many of the same employers required for dietetic interns in my area, my real-world career experience has provided more value to me, personally, than that of a dietetic internship.
Instead of paying for a dietetic internship and putting my career on hold for another one or two years, I went straight into field work and began my career in community nutrition, nutrition education, and nutrtion counseling and coaching. As of June 2020, I have worked [conservatively] more than 19,000 paid hours in the field of nutrition (far surpassing the 1,200 hour requirement for a dietetic internship).
Considering that I went through the same rigorous undergraduate program that all registered dietitians do, and I have worked for or with many of the same employers required for dietetic interns in my area, my real-world career experience has provided more value to me, personally, than that of a dietetic internship.
Did I take an exam to become a nutritionist? +
I am not eligible to take the registered dietitian exam because I did not complete a dietetic internship (registered dietitians are required to pass an accrediting exam).
I excel at studying, absorbing knowledge, applying knowledge to practicum, and taking exams. My 4.0 GPA in my major, provides strong evidence of this. I feel confident that I could earn a high score on a “nutritionist exam” (if a valid one existed), but no such test exists.
I excel at studying, absorbing knowledge, applying knowledge to practicum, and taking exams. My 4.0 GPA in my major, provides strong evidence of this. I feel confident that I could earn a high score on a “nutritionist exam” (if a valid one existed), but no such test exists.
What about continuing education? +
I take continuing education seriously, and I believe in standards set for professionals to ensure they stay abreast of current research. I keep a pulse on current trends through the internet, podcasts, and literature and then I turn to peer-reviewed journal articles to see what the science “says.”
You may know that dietitians are required to earn continuing education credits. In the last nine years, I have worked with many dietitians and attended many of the same conferences where dieticians earned continuing education credits.
I regularly take courses that have been designed for dieticians and nutritionists, nurses, physicians, childbirth professionals, social workers, etc. and many qualify as continuing education for dieticians, nurses, and more.
You may know that dietitians are required to earn continuing education credits. In the last nine years, I have worked with many dietitians and attended many of the same conferences where dieticians earned continuing education credits.
I regularly take courses that have been designed for dieticians and nutritionists, nurses, physicians, childbirth professionals, social workers, etc. and many qualify as continuing education for dieticians, nurses, and more.