My Career Goals: Why I Want To Be A Nutritionist
In this paper "Why I Want To Be A Nutritionist Essay" we will research the main theme and reason for my goal in life - to be a nutritionist. When my Grandpa was diagnosed with diabetes, he gave up on life. He was grumpy, never ate right, and hardly exercised. Seeing how this impacted his life motivated me to be healthy and active. Being healthy is important to a happy and fulfilling life; without it people would be depressed and unmotivated. I would like to share my passion and ideals on how to further improve health and wellness with other people. For that reason, I think being a nutritionist would be a perfect career to pursue. Having this career will require a lot of encouragement and charisma because changing someone’s lifestyle is never easy. It is important to establish a good rapport with each patient to help them fully reach their potential. Therefore, it is essential to volunteer in the health science field as it will improve my communication skills as well as give me more hands-on training. It is also necessary to study other subjects such as chemistry and biology. Studying these subjects will help me understand more aspects about the job. I hope to attend the University of California San Diego (UCSD) as they are one of the best health science schools in the state. UCSD is “one of the most active health science research institutes in the country. Of the $1.07 billion it received in research funding in 2017, $615.7 million was dedicated to health sciences research at UC San Diego Health”. This proves their research and dedication to health science as a whole is a high priority.
Not only is the campus beautiful, I grew up in San Diego County so I would be very comfortable with the location. I am certain UCSD is the right university for me, but with an acceptance rate of 34%, I may need to consider other colleges to fall back on. Being close to my family and friends is imperative to me while attending college. I am considering both California State University of Fullerton (CSUF) and California State University of Long Beach (CSULB). In my research, I found that both were rated the highest based on graduation rate as well as their diverse programs in health services. Based on the acceptance rate alone, CSUF has a 48% and CSULB has the lowest at 32%. When it comes to pricing, CSULB is the cheapest with $23,610. Whereas the other colleges vary from $26,654 (CSUF) to $32,239 (UCSD). Comparing the information on the each college website, UCSD stands out from all the rest on their health website. Volunteers can be at least 16 years old and the list of possible opportunity is endless ranging from concierges to patient care units. Their volunteers also speak highly of the volunteer program stating, “I loved getting to know the nurses and gained a lot of knowledge that will help me with my nursing career. I could tell from my first day that UC San Diego Health works as a team and supports one another in each department while giving safe care. I have never been in a hospital with such positive people. I enjoyed every moment."
There are a variety of opportunities at UCSD, which is why I would love to attend if I got the chance. In addition to studying health science, I hope to study food and nutrition. Studying food and nutrition will widely impact my growth as a nutritionist as “dietitians and nutritionists typically need a bachelor’s degree in dietetics and foods and nutrition” as well as “study the social impacts of food, including how it affects our economy, psychology, and culture.” After I complete my bachelor’s degree and am fully educated in health science, the next step would be to join a nutrition program. CSULB offers a nutritional program that would benefit me greatly. The program would adapt me to life as a nutritionist as it, “prepares individuals to integrate and apply the principles of the food and nutrition sciences, human behavior, and the biomedical sciences to design and manage effective nutrition programs in a variety of settings.” The program will provide me with a bachelor’s degree necessary to become a nutritionist as well as an overall knowledge of how different factors affect health.
To become a licensed nutritionist, I have to go through the Didactic Program in Dietetics. This program offered at CSULB provides students with “a foundation of knowledge and skills to enable them to be eligible to apply to and to perform successfully in a dietetic internship upon graduation.” (California State University Long Beach).The first step of the program is to complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in coursework accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Upon completing all degree requirements I will receive a Verification Statement, which is a document indicating I am ready to complete a dietetic internship. The second step is to acquire an ACEND-accredited bachelor’s degree which is an internship typically completed in 9-12 months. The process allows me to gain more volunteer time and nutrition-related experience, which allows me to be a competitive candidate for dietetic internships.
The next step is needed if I want more extensive training, then I would apply to be in the Individualized Supervised Practice Pathways (ISPP). The ISPP’s offer the same rigorous experiences and learning objectives as a dietetic internship, but are designed to offer more opportunities for applicants who might not be able to find suitable internships tailored to their needs. The final step is to take the Registered Dietitian or the RD exam. According to the Commission of Dietetic Registration, students in the dietetic internship had a pass rate of 74.8% and a 62% fail rate on the second attempt. Students in the ISPP who had a pass rate of 60% on their first attempt, which demonstrates how successful the internship programs are. When I pass my RD exam I can become a licensed nutritionist, thus making me a strong candidate to be hired. As the rise of healthcare workers increases, so does the amount of recruiters waiting to take more nutritionists into their company. According to the Abbott Nutrition, the whole hiring process takes up to 2- 4 weeks. It is a long process but, ultimately it is important to enter the field now as the “employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. This increase in the employment rate is gratifying, as it will increase my chances of getting hired. In most cases, the job starts off in a temporary position until promotion to a higher or permanent position. This gives me the opportunity to prosper as a nutritionist while improving my communication skills and work ethic. As for the job setting, Nutritionists can be in an environment that can range from hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, cafeterias, and state and local governments. The normal day of a nutritionist can be quite varied and involves a lot of different tasks throughout the day. According to Samara Abbot, a nutritionist and founder of the G&G Nutrition Co., a normal day at the hospital consists of “assessing patients who are at risk nutritionally and providing an intervention” as well as, “managing nutrition support”.
Although some days may seem routine, every day brings on new challenges. There is always someone who is going to want to change their lifestyle or someone with extreme health issues that need to be examined. On the bright side, RD Janna Boloten states that the best part of her job is, “seeing the positive outcomes of our nutrition therapy (care plan). It is a chance to be part of improving a person's quality of life.” This is what I am looking forward to the most in the health field; improving people’s lifestyle and making them feel positive both inside and out. As for work schedules, nutritionist’s schedules can be varied based on the environment they work in. They can work full time or part time depending on the speciality. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “many dietitians and nutritionists worked full time in 2016, although about 1 out of 4 worked part time. They may work evenings and weekends to meet with clients who are unavailable at other times.” Nutritionists can also make custom specializations for athletes and celebrity needs. This could affect the flexibility of hours but will increase the pay rate. The pay rate also depends on their hourly schedule as “the median annual wage for dietitians and nutritionists was $59,410 in May 2017,” while the “lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,910, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,070.” It may seem like the pay rate is small considering other people in the health career make over $100K, but I would be doing something that I am passionate about and provides me with a financially secure lifestyle. If a nutritionist wants to expand or grow in their company, they may choose to get their doctorate degree to get more involved in the field, thus making the annual wage increase. Acquiring a doctorate allows growth to fully become “an expert nutritionist or even an expert dietitian,” all while obtaining “a desire to engage in extensive research and contribute to the existing scientific literature in the field.”
A PhD enhances my chance of more job possibilities such as a nutritional professor, researcher, administrator and/or leader in public health. Moreover, nutritionists receive “a health care plan called TRICARE that provides medical and dental care at little or no cost as well as life insurance and retirement benefits.” The benefits and overall growth you can achieve in the company interests me. It will grant me with the opportunity to provide for my family as well as an opportunity to advance and truly master the different components to health science. All the research I have done has only further inspired me to become a nutritionist. The health program at UCSD and the Didactic Program at CSULB, as well as internships and volunteer experience, will further my knowledge and provide me with the qualifications I need to become a nutritionist. The whole process might be overwhelming but will further drive me to my goal of changing people’s lives for the better. Additionally, the flexible hours, as well as the benefits and opportunities in the field will secure me in the years to come.
Over the years, my passion and love for health and wellness has improved as well as my love for helping people. This inspires me to be a nutritionist for many years to come. As the rate of obesity is rising and elders are in need of a more nutrition-based diet plan, nutritionists jobs are on the rise. I hope to help patients in every way possible to make them feel comfortable and happy with their lifestyles. My goal as a nutritionist will be to lower the obesity rate and to change the world into a more healthy, happy place for everyone.
