Here’s a brief list of what Clinical Dietitians do:

• Nutritional Assessment: Conduct comprehensive assessments of patients' nutritional status, including dietary intake, medical history, and laboratory data.

• Medical Nutrition Therapy: Develop and implement individualized nutrition plans to manage and treat medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and renal disease.

• Nutritional Counseling: Provide counseling and education to patients and their families on dietary modifications, meal planning, and lifestyle changes to improve health outcomes.

• Patient Monitoring: Monitor patients' progress and response to nutrition therapy, adjusting plans as needed to achieve therapeutic goals.

• Collaboration with Healthcare Team: Work closely with physicians, nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals to coordinate patient care and treatment plans.

• Specialized Diets: Develop specialized diets and feeding plans for patients with specific needs, such as enteral nutrition (tube feeding) or parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding).

• Nutrition Support: Manage nutrition support therapies, including tube feeding and intravenous nutrition, for patients who cannot consume adequate nutrients orally.

Here’s how YOU can become one:

1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree: Obtain a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, food science, or a related field from an accredited university or college. Ensure your coursework includes subjects like nutrition science, biochemistry, physiology, and human anatomy.

2. Coursework: Focus on courses that prepare you for clinical practice and nutrition therapy.

3. Complete an Accredited Dietetic Internship (DI):

• After completing your bachelor’s degree, you must apply for and complete an accredited dietetic internship (DI) program. These programs typically last around 6 to 12 months and provide supervised practice in clinical settings.

• Accredited DI programs are competitive, so it's important to maintain a competitive GPA and gain relevant experience during your undergraduate studies.

4. Pass the Registration Examination for Dietitians:

• Upon completing your DI program, you are eligible to sit for the Registration Examination for Dietitians administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Passing this exam is required to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), which is essential for working as a clinical dietitian.

• The exam covers various aspects of nutrition and dietetics, including principles of dietetics, nutrition care for individuals and groups, management of food and nutrition programs, and foodservice systems.

5. Obtain State Licensure (If Applicable):

• Some states require dietitians to be licensed to practice, especially if you plan to work in clinical settings. Check with your state’s licensing board for specific requirements and procedures.

6. Gain Professional Experience:

• After becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), gain professional experience in clinical settings such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, or rehabilitation centers.

• Work under the supervision of experienced clinical dietitians to learn about medical nutrition therapy, nutrition assessment, dietary counseling for patients with various medical conditions, and healthcare team collaboration.

  This is a very brief and general plan. To know your specific academic path for this career please talk to an advisor at the college or program you plan on attending!