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PATHWAYs
CAREERS
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PLAN YOUR PATH
This section lays out various pathways you can take to launch your healthcare career. Explore the field of allied health, college options, where certifications fit in, and how to get started while still in high school.
LEARN ABOUT
CAREERS
In the Careers section, delve into different healthcare roles that may pique your interest. Learn more about the roles of a dietitian, nutritionist, community health professional, and medical IT administrator.
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Allied Healthcare Careers
Nutritionist
- Do you believe nothing is more important than good health?
- Is helping people live longer healthier lives something that you have a passion for?
- Are you interested in solving problems locally, globally, culturally, socially, and emotionally?
Consider a career as a Nutritionist
Nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They help people eat healthily. Dietitians are credentialed specialists within the field of promoting healthy food and lifestyle.
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A Nutritionist will:
- Assess clients’ nutritional and health needs
- Counsel clients to develop healthy eating habits
- Develop meal and nutrition plans, taking clients’ preferences and budgets into account
- Evaluate and monitor the effects of a client’s diet
- Promote healthy lifestyles by speaking to groups in the community about diet, nutrition, and the relationship between good eating habits and preventing or managing specific diseases
- Create educational materials about healthy food choices and lifestyle
- Research the latest data about food and nutritional science
What do Nutritionists do?
A Nutritionist plans and helps people lead healthy lives. They evaluate the health of their clients through nutrition assessment and diagnostic laboratory testing. Based on their findings, Nutritionists advise clients on behavior modifications and intervention plans, including which foods to eat—and which to avoid—to improve their health.
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Consider a career as a Nutritionist
Nutritionists provide personalized information for individuals. They help prevent or support treatment of health conditions such as heart disease, autoimmune disease, and obesity. For example, a Nutritionist might teach a client with diabetes how to plan meals to improve and balance the person’s blood sugar.
Nutritionists work with groups of people who have high needs. For example, they might be part of a healthcare team that works with clients who are at risk for heart disease. They will plan a diet with healthy fat and limited sugar to help clients prevent heart attacks.
Some Nutritionists work in community settings to develop programs related to food, health, and nutrition. They may work with specific groups of people, such as adolescents or the elderly. They work in public health clinics, government and nonprofit agencies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and other settings. They may be responsible for buying food and for carrying out other business-related tasks, such as budgeting. They could also oversee kitchen staff in a school or other community setting.
Want to try it out right now?
Plan a week’s menu of healthy foods for your family.
Step 1: Assess the nutritional needs of your family members. Is there anyone who has a medical condition that may require a special diet?
For example, is there anyone with a heart condition or diabetes? Are there any food allergies among family members? Are there dietary preferences, such as vegans or people who are hallel?
For example, is there anyone with a heart condition or diabetes? Are there any food allergies among family members? Are there dietary preferences, such as vegans or people who are hallel?
Step 2: Research the nutritional qualities of various foods. Include foods that your family likes to eat. Include new foods that are healthy and they may like to try.
Make a list of foods that are common ingredients for lots of recipes and assess their nutritional value e.g. olive oil, butter, pasta, chicken.
Make a list of foods that are common ingredients for lots of recipes and assess their nutritional value e.g. olive oil, butter, pasta, chicken.
Step 3. Plan a week’s worth of meals. Can you create a balanced diet? Can you accommodate the special needs and taste preferences of everyone in your family?
Extra Credit:
- Make a shopping list and use an online grocery store to add the prices. Are there ways that you can save money?
- Develop a new, tasty and healthy recipe that you may want to try!
A Day in the Life
Watch these videos of professionals describing their work. Which parts of their work interest you the most?
The Job Outlook
Dietitians and Nutritionists can work in Hospitals, Nursing or Outpatient Care Facilities, or for public institutions like schools, prisons, etc. Some Dietitians and Nutritionists are self-employed in a private practice.
The largest employers of dietitians and nutritionists are:
- Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations..
- About 5,600 openings for dietitians and nutritionists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
- As the population ages and looks for ways to stay healthy, there will be more demand for dietetic and nutrition services
Career Pathways
Dietitians and Nutritionists can work in Hospitals, Nursing or Outpatient Care Facilities, or for public institutions like schools, prisons, etc. Some Dietitians and Nutritionists are self-employed in a private practice.
Dietitian
People who specialize in diagnosing and treating illness through controlling diet
Food Management
Dietitians may plan and manage food programs. They may be responsible for buying food and for carrying out other business-related tasks, such as budgeting. Management dietitians may oversee kitchen staff or other dietitians. They work in food service settings such as cafeterias, hospitals, prisons, and schools.
Nutrition Therapists
- Clinical dietitians and clinical nutritionists who create customized nutritional programs based on the health needs of clients and counsel clients on how to improve their health through nutrition.
- They may further specialize, such as by working only with people who have kidney disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, or other specific conditions. They work in institutions such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clinics, as well as in private practice.
Additional specialities
Diabetes education, oncology nutrition, or sports dietetics.
The Skills to Pay the Bills
Take stock of the skills you already have to see if a Nutritionist is a good career choice for you.
- You are compassionate. Dietitians and nutritionists must be caring and empathetic when helping clients address health and dietary issues and any related emotions.
- You are a good listener. Dietitians and nutritionists must listen carefully to understand clients’ goals and concerns. They may work with other healthcare workers as part of a team to improve the health of a client, and they need to listen to team members when creating nutrition plans
- You enjoy speaking with people. Dietitians and nutritionists must explain complicated topics in a way that people can understand. They must clearly explain eating plans to clients and to other healthcare workers involved in a patient’s care.
- You have good problem solving skills. Dietitians and nutritionists must evaluate the health status of clients and determine appropriate food choices to improve overall health or manage disease
- You are well organized. Dietitians and nutritionists must prepare and maintain many types of records for multiple clients. Self-employed dietitians and nutritionists may need to schedule appointments, manage employees, and bill insurance companies in addition to maintaining client files.
- You’re analytical. Dietitians and nutritionists must keep up with food and nutrition research. They should be able to interpret scientific studies and translate nutrition science into practical guidance.
Education & Training
Nutritionists and Dietitians need to be licensed by the state in order to practice. These are the general requirements:
Education
Nutritionists typically need a degree in food and nutrition, or a related field to enter the occupation. Many Dietitians have an advanced degree.
Training
Nutritionists typically receive supervised training, usually in the form of an internship following graduation from college. Some schools offer coordinated programs in dietetics that allow students to complete supervised training as part of their undergraduate coursework.
Licenses & Certifications
Employers typically prefer to hire candidates who have a professional credential, such as the Registered Dietitian (RD)/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) designation. Although these credentials are not always required, the qualifications may be the same as those necessary for becoming a licensed dietitian or nutritionist in states that require a license.
- The RD/RDN credential is administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
READ MORE
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Your Path to becoming a Nutritionist
Are you ready to begin your journey toward becoming a Nutritionist? There are lots of pathways available to you - right here in Brooklyn - or beyond.
Start at a 2 year College - like Kingsborough Community College or Medgar Evers College
You can begin at a 2-year college by majoring in Liberal Arts. A Liberal Arts education does not prepare you for one specific job but for many jobs you may have throughout your life. As a community college student, you have an opportunity to learn skills like interpersonal skills, speaking, critical thinking, evaluating.... all through liberal arts courses. Then you may or may not continue your education towards becoming a Nutritionist or perhaps something else. Either way, you have a great foundation for your future.
You can begin at a 2-year college by majoring in Liberal Arts. A Liberal Arts education does not prepare you for one specific job but for many jobs you may have throughout your life. As a community college student, you have an opportunity to learn skills like interpersonal skills, speaking, critical thinking, evaluating.... all through liberal arts courses. Then you may or may not continue your education towards becoming a Nutritionist or perhaps something else. Either way, you have a great foundation for your future.
Here are possible courses you could take to meet the ‘Major Requirements’ for a Liberal Arts degree
To continue your education at a 4 yearCollege like Brooklyn College:
You will take 44 credits in your major that includes:
- At least 7 courses in Health & Nutrition Sciences - for example Fundamentals of Nutrition, Nutrition Counseling or Health Activism
- In addition, you will take several elective courses that define the career track you want to follow - example, Community Health
- 1 Field Work course: Supervised fieldwork in a designated health service agency.
An example. Here’s an example of a student’s course load at Brooklyn College.
- You will also see the term ‘General Elective’. General Electives are credits/courses that aren't part of your major or general education requirements, but that count towards the 120 credits required for your degree. Think of these as courses you can take in any subject that you find interest in.
- You will also see a designation ‘College Option’. This section of your degree can be satisfied by many different courses, but you will work closely with your advisor to complete these courses to closely relate to your career path.
Fall Year 1
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
After Graduation
There are a few steps that you will take that set you on your path to practice as a Nutritionist:
- You will need to complete a supervised clinical experience, such as…
- You will need to pass a professional certification exam, such as the Registered Dietitian (RD)/Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS. For steps on becoming a Certified Nutrition Specialist, go to https://theana.org/certify/CNScandidate/nutritionpros
You may want to consider studying further to earn your Masters Degree in Nutrition
