The Makings Of A Registered Dietitian
Two years after graduating from college with a liberal arts degree and losing 30 pounds, I decided to go back to school and become a Registered Dietitian. Here is my story!
A Corporate Start
Upon graduating from Davidson College with a degree in history and [almost] an anthropology minor, I decided I wanted to work in public relations. The field was “cool” and entry level jobs seemed to require things I had: strength in writing and research, the ability to think creatively and multitask and a people personality. I tried my luck at applying to jobs, but the market was tough and I came in second for multiple interviews to those who had internship experience in PR. Luck did strike, though, because shortly after graduation I landed a job writing for a visitor + travel magazine. The job was great for entry level, but the workplace was not ideal, and a year later I was job searching again. I nailed an interview at a cool firm and became an Account Executive. The job was cool – I got to plan events, met chef Sara Moulton and planned the implosion of the old Charlotte coliseum.
But all-the-while I yearned for a job that gave me a bit more flexibility. I hated that I was required to be at work from 8:30 to 5:30 even when there was little work to do (and on holidays when all of my clients and coworkers were gone) and I felt chained to a cubicle. When I’d venture out for doctors appointments or meetings, I’d slip into coffee shops and see people working on laptops or chatting away and always wondered what they did for a living. My only goal for my next job was to have the freedom to work on my own time, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. I liked public relations, I just didn’t like working in an office. I was also bored a lot of the time, and the other younger people in my office were in other departments, so I didn’t get to interact with them much. I think had I worked in a different office I might have loved public relations, but instead I found myself unfulfilled.
During this time I was losing the weight I’d gained in college. The summer of my wedding, I had just reached my goal weight and was learning as much as I could about nutrition. I read nutrition books (Superfoods HealthStyle and Fit From Within were favorites) and yearned to share with others the knowledge I’d gained throughout my weight loss. Whenever nutrition counseling came up in conversation, people told me I had to be a Registered Dietitian or I wouldn’t get very far. At this point, I started researching. The nutrition field is so broad I realized dietitians worked in many industries beyond hospitals and long term care centers – I could have my own practice, write articles for famous magazines, have a Food Network show (long shot!), work in a gym, and more. The options in the field were endless, and I could piecemeal a career together.
Choosing A Program
My initial instinct was to research nutrition programs. But after some quick Googling, I realized there weren’t any in Charlotte. I pondered a degree in kinesiology and even had a few weeks when I decided I should go the personal training route. I even ordered the books for the ACSM exam! But after thumbing through them I realized that it was not muscles or movement I was really into, it was weight loss, food, cooking and healthy living.
I knew there was a nutrition program at UNC-Chapel Hill, so I emailed the head of the department there to learn more about what it would take to become an RD. She was the one who actually told me about Winthrop, a university just over the North/South Carolina border about 30 minutes from my home that had a didactic program in dietetics and an internship too. I had not bothered to include South Carolina in my search for programs assuming I would have to move to go out of state, but it was closer than I realized. I was thrilled to learn I might be able to become an RD where I already lived. I immediately emailed Winthrop and set up an appointment with the director to see what it would take to become an RD.
1) A bachelor’s degree – check
2) 2 years of nutrition courses, plus lots of chemistry
3) A dietetic internship (which Winthrop had, although admission was not guaranteed)
4) Pass the RD exam
This was no “nutrition certificate” quick fix. This was a second degree.
Winthrop required that I enroll as a graduate master-seeking student since I already had a bachelor’s, so I would be working towards a Masters in Nutrition and my RD at the same time. The way Winthrop’s program works, all of the nutrition courses are prerequisites of one another so you can’t do it any faster than 2 years – including two summers of summer school. But a big plus of the program was that I could take the sciences and nutrition courses at the same time rather than taking a bunch of science perquisites before I could get to the subject that I was really info: nutrition. That was a HUGE plus. I knew it would be an intense two years to fit all of the nutrition and science courses in at once, but it would be worth it. On top of that, the masters would take a year beyond, but at least I would be an RD and could work somewhere part time in the field by that point.
Making A Decision
Chemistry.
Statistics.
Biochem.
Organic.
Yuck.
I flip-flopped back away from the idea of committing to the program. I had just gotten married and just could not see myself studying Biochem and Organic in the evenings. The program was going to take 2.5 years, including a 6-month, unpaid dietetic internship. My life as a sophisticated corporate account executive would completely change. But a few weeks later work was particularly boring and I decided it was dumb to think I was 24 years old and “too old” for undergrad chemistry classes. It was nutrition! My favorite topic. And I was still excited about the possibility of a career helping others get healthier. The director I met with said that tons of adults go back and get their RD and I wouldn’t be the only married “adult” in Chem 101. She also said many of the students in their program came from liberal arts backgrounds. The fact that there would be others just like me was very comforting.
About that time I took a beach trip with my family and they all seemed supportive of the back-to-school idea. So I decided to do it. I was too late for fall semester registration, so I set my goal on January 2008.
During the fall of 2007, I took my first nutrition course in the evenings at Queens University. It was essentially nutrition 101, and it was a once-a-week evening course that I went to after work. Among a class of nursing students, I was the only nutrition-degree-seeking student. Life was busy at my PR day job, but I was already on a life-changing high. In December of 2007 I gave 3 weeks’ notice and became a student again.
Post: The Kat’s Outta The Bag
Post: My first chemistry class January 2008.
Rethinking The Budget
Many people ask me how I was financially able to quit my job and go back to school. Without getting too personal, Matt and I had been saving and I intended to get a part-time job to help pay the bills. And thankfully there were two of us to support each other. We definitely were worried about money, but we had already calculated our base living expenses and knew we could get by so long as I had a supplemental income while I was in school. We were very lucky to not have any student loans from undergrad and we both owned our cars. Our living expenses at the time were very low.
And recently, I had started KERF!! Shortly into my first semester back to school I got a BlogHer ad on my sidebar. At first the ad was just a nice bonus, but then KERF grew and so did my income. My blog became a nice part-time job, and considering it was in the nutrition field, I kept at it. A few freelance projects fell into my lap that also helped make ends meet. I worked hard on the blog, and it was really nice to have a part-time job that was flexible – my long-term goal! Time went on, I gained readers (little by little – there was never a big breakthrough spike) and my income grew to match. Over the course of my time in school, KERF slowly went from a little hobby to a big job.
The Courses
Post: First day of classes!
Post: Packed lunches + study sessions
Classes were overall interesting, challenging and at times, fun. About half of the nutrition program is science (chemistry, physiology, microbiology and the like.) I was able to take some of these at a community college to reduce my commute (and the cost!) but Winthrop required us to take all of the nutrition courses in their department. I really enjoyed the nutrition courses – topics such as Nutrition Through The Lifespan, Food Science, Sports Nutrition and more - but the chemistry was the biggest waste of time ever. I asked if I could skip the first chemistry class that I had essentially taken in high school, but I was told I couldn’t without passing the final exam – which I knew I couldn’t do since the topics were so specific. So I memorized the periodic table – again – and took tests on solids, liquids and gases – again – and wasted a semester with an A. Chem II was even worse!!! It wasn’t until Organic and Biochem that I finally felt like the chemistry courses were providing a nutrition foundation. Having gone through all of the semesters and having taken the RD exam, I can now say that all of that general chemistry stuff had nothing to do with anything else! And let’s not even get me started ranting about the labs. Mixing chemicals for hours and hours and hours taught me nothing about nutrition that I couldn’t have learned in a 10 minute lecture.
Post: Making soap in organic lab
[I look happy here but I was probably not!]
Here’s a map of my course work. It indicates which courses transferred from Davidson (thank goodness those counted!), which I took at the community college and which I took at Winthrop and when:
January – July 2010: Dietetic Internship!
August 2010 – RD Exam
The hardest class I took over the course of my program was Microbiology, with Organic and Physiology in second and third place. [Micro was my one and only B and the professor was a turkey!!] The Nutrition courses were challenging in my program, but they weren’t impossible. The workload was tough, but the actual information wasn’t difficult to understand. Remember, if you’re going into nutrition, it should be your favorite subject! The science is hard, but you just have to survive. It’s the nutrition courses that matter most.
Post: The 12 Hours of Chemistry
Post: Study sessions in the hammock
Post: Meals on campus
An example week workload I found in an old post:
I’ve got a ton to get accomplished today for the upcoming week, which includes:
- a major Micro test (that I am totally unprepared for)
- A Micro lab test too – both on Wednesday night.
- a major meal plan assignment due for Foodservice (I gotta finish this today or I’m screwed)
- 2 short papers and a set of questions for Nutrition in the Lifespan
- Homework (20 questions) in Organic
- A quiz in Organic on Friday
- Organic lab prep
- Organic written lab report
- And all the usual textbook readings
- Plus we have a benefit auction on Thursday night!
One of my favorite ways to study was to take notes on my computer in Powerpoint (I was lucky to have a handful of professors that allowed laptops) and then print out the slides as flashcards. It was such a time saver!
One big surprise I had going into the program: foodservice. Did you know 1/3 of the material is foodservice? Meaning: the temperature of refrigerators, the history of employee management, how to wash dishes, how to prepare and preserve food for the masses. I didn’t know that until the first day of my first foodservice class. To those who are very interested in the clinical side of nutrition, foodservice can be a total drag. And it was! Very pointless at times. Yet, here I am, the owner of a bakery using all of the foodservice knowledge daily. How ironic! But be forewarned: nutrition is not all about vitamins and calories! There’s a lot of other stuff that the ADA makes you learn for the RD exam that is often out of date or so broad of a scope that there really should be multiple kinds of RD. I didn’t mind the foodservice so much because it came so easy to me being well-versed in the kitchen and all.
Post: Study sessions!
Post: Food science experiments + here
Post: Food Composition lab
I survived one summer of summer school where I took 3 courses at once that took up my whole day – including a chem lab at night. I was in class from 8am to 9pm Monday – Thursday. It was INTENSE. But I survived. I did homework on Fridays. I played on Saturday and I prepared for the week on Sunday.
Post: ALL DAY [AND NIGHT] SUMMER SCHOOL BEGINS
The courses got harder as I neared the internship, but they also got more practical. My second summer I worked with an RD who owned a private practice in Charlotte. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. Since a private practice was my goal going in, I was happy to know I really liked working with clients. And I loved the flexible hours!
I enjoyed my time at Winthrop and made some good friends. We had fun bringing potluck lunches and studying together. My courses prepared me well for my internship and even more so for the RD exam. It was convenient and inexpensive to attend (since I got in-state tuition for being a Charlotte resident). Some of the professors were excellent; others not so much. And some of my complaints about the experience were out of Winthrop’s control (like all the general chemistry). I found most of the courses challenging (I got all A’s in my nutrition courses!) and felt I learned a lot. Had it been more intense, I think I would have felt overwhelmed juggling my adult life at the same time. I can’t even imagine having kids and doing this! But people did in my program and they survived. Every semester I seemed to have one killer class (usually a science!), two medium (the nutritions) and one much easier class. My one big gripe was that I felt at times that the school was a bit out of date. I’m not sure if this is a reflection of Winthrop or the ADA as a whole, but often I felt the blog world and our food trends and the latest research in women’s magazines were 10 steps ahead of the game.
The Beginning Of The End: The Internship
I only applied to Winthrop’s internship because I felt I had a pretty good chance at getting in and didn’t feel I needed to spend time or money on other applications unless I did not get accepted to Winthrop. My grades were excellent, and I knew they gave a bit of an edge to Winthrop students. My backup plan was another internship elsewhere a year later if Winthrop’s didn’t work out, but luckily it did! I was very fortunate to bypass the official match because I was admitted as an early admission candidate. (Basically it meant I was in a honors spot 
) That was a big WHEW and I was so thankful to have the weight off my shoulders.
Post: First day of my dietetic internship
My internship started in January 2010 and went through July 2010. I was placed in four different rotations that covered the 3 major categories of nutrition (foodservice, community, clinical):
- Rowan-Salisbury School System (a rural school district an hour from my house)
- Mecklenburg County Health Department
- LiveWELL Carolinas (a wellness corporation at our major medical center)
- Carolinas Medical Center – Main Campus
I knew going into the internship it was going to be a huge undertaking. KERF had become a full-time job at this point, and I was blogging my heart out 3 times a day – plus doing multiple freelance projects at one time. We were also working on opening the bakery! And selling our house and moving. And I was training for my first half marathon. It was a really busy time. I was able to blog my breakfast very quickly in the mornings, lunch from my iPhone or photographed as I packed it up the night before, and dinner at home. I was miserable inside, but I did my best to not let it affect my outward personality and those around me. I managed to eat well, exercise most days and keep all the balls I was juggling in the air.
School Foodservice
I enjoyed working in the schools, and the staff in Salisbury was very fun to work with. I enjoyed kids, but I also felt very crushed by the limitations of school foodservice systems. It was an eye-opening experience. I considered this rotation “the dark ages” because I spent two hours everyday commuting to the job in the dark. It was winter, and it was cold and dark all the time except when I was at work!
Post: A month of healthy cafeteria food
Post: Vegetables for kids
Post: School lunch iron chef
Post: Lunch Lady Leftovers
Post: My last internship cafeteria meal
Community: Health Dept
Post: Day One at the Health Dept
Post: A day at WIC
My rotation at the health department turned out better than I had been expecting. I was impressed by all of the projects they were working on – all kinds of community gardens and programs to make healthy eating and exercise more accessible. My time there was short, but I felt the projects I did made a great use of it. The presentation I gave on Real Food is one I still use today!
Community: Wellness
Post: Day 1 at LiveWELL
LiveWELL was part of my community rotation and I helped the team there with programs for the employees of Carolinas Medical Center. Our major project was a weight loss support club that did weekly weigh ins, nutrition materials and tracked success. The program was great but I felt a bit out of the loop. The people were great though, and I liked the versatility of the job. I also had the most freedom in this rotation, and I really appreciated that.
Clinical
Post: Day One as a clinical dietitian in training
My final rotation and the most challenging, intense and long was clinical at CMC – Main hospital. It’s Charlotte’s major trauma center and so we saw a huge variety of patients. I enjoyed clinical a lot more than I thought I would. It was definitely my weakest subject going in (and is not Winthrop’s strong point either) so I worried I would be unprepared. I’d say I kept just barely afloat the whole time, although I don’t think I really excelled in this rotation. There was a lot to learn, and knowing in just a few months I would be moving to open a bakery left me a bit unmotivated. I rotated with the other RDs through the floors of the hospital – from cardiac to trauma to the ICUs. I enjoyed writing notes and the organization that came with clinical, but it also required lots of concentration and focus, which was hard for me. During clinical I also lost my grandmother Younger and had to take an emergency trip to New Jersey, and also squeezed in trips to New York for OpenSky and Charlottesville for the bakery. As a result of the unexpected travel, I had to work several weekends in a row with little rest. There was just too much going on by this point, and I was ready for my internship to be over!
And just as fast as it began, it was over. A look back.
The Final Test
After I finished my internship, I took a much needed vacation and headed to the beach for a week. Later that month we moved to Charlottesville, and I couldn’t wait to finally put 100% effort into my blog, my freelance work and the bakery.
I did not end up finishing the Masters in Nutrition that I set out to do. Moving to Charlottesville and opening the bakery took priority over staying in Charlotte for another year to get a masters. The classes that I had remaining were all research, stats and a thesis, and I just didn’t think they would add much to my career. Plus I knew I’d be working for myself, and as I like to say, myself does not require a masters degree to hire myself : ) It would have been nice to finish, but, to the disappointment of my mother, I don’t think spending thousands more dollars would have been worth it.
To prepare for the RD exam, we took the Jean Inman course during our internship. I came away with a binder of notes. And reading notes is not how I learn material! I’m a flash card girl, and I knew I needed flashcards to sort out what I knew and what I didn’t know. I bought a set of RD In A Flash cards (which look like the site is now down?) from a friend and got to studying. I worked through all 500 or so cards a little bit each week, but I wouldn’t say I studied that hard. I felt I had a really good foundation and just needed to memorize some of those tricky numbers, formulas and rules in each of the topics. As the time got closer to take the test, I picked up my studying a little bit, but I didn’t give it more than a few hours each week.
The day before the test…I was at a blog conference! I went to BlogHer and had a few days in Hillsborough before I flew out again to attend the Healthy Living Summit. Since the RD exam wasn’t offered in Charlottesville, I decided to take it at a testing center in Greensboro. I studied all day the day before and then the big day was here. I kept it a secret from KERF just in case I didn’t pass!
The exam wasn’t hard, but it wasn’t easy either. I felt like I was pulling the answers out of a single lecture from a single course a year ago! But somehow, the answers came naturally. The test felt really random to me – meaning the questions that kept popping up in the study materials that I had spent hours memorizing weren’t there, but a bunch of really odd questions were. That doesn’t mean they were hard questions – they were just unexpected. I was really nervous during the test, but all of a sudden:
CONGRATULATIONS!
2.5 years of work paid off!
Post: Becoming an RD!!!
RD Ever After
Most people think RDs have to work in hospitals, nursing homes and other clinical places, but really the field is very broad! That’s what appealed to me most about it years ago, and that’s what I love about it now. When I decided to become an RD a few years ago, I never would have guessed that I would be a professional blogger and writer. While my blog is not focused on the specifics of nutrition, I consider it to be a celebration of healthy food and an example of how to love healthy eating, something that as an RD I’m proud to do. Similarly, I never could have predicted that Matt and I would be bakery owners! Our bakery’s focus is on whole grains and real food, and as the voice of the Great Harvest Cville, I’m glad to have RD behind my name as I stand behind our products.
Since becoming an RD, I’ve had a few people ask me if I feel bad that I “wasted my degree.” Not true!! I’m using it in a very creative ways – from blogging to writing to speaking. Perhaps in the future I will take on clients, seek more local opportunities, or write a book proposal. Had we not opened the bakery, I might have sought out a private practice online like some of my colleagues have done, but KERF and the bakery are taking up so much of my time that I think time is better spent focusing on them. And as my mom says, education is never wasted!
So You Want To Be An RD?
- Start by researching programs in your area. Email the directors and find out the course plan, cost and admission requirements for each school. Figure out if it’s a possibility.
- Eatright.org has a nice information page on Becoming an RD as well as search tools to find programs in your area.
- Prevention RD has a great Q+A written by several RDs (including me!) about their experiences in their programs and their fields
- Learn more about the field by contacting some RDs in your area and seeing if you can shadow them for a day.
- If you’re already in a program, get any work experience you can in the field. Work in a hospital as a diet tech or see if you can intern at a private practice. It will only help you get ahead and get into an internship.
A List Of RDs Online
[ Please email me if you’d like to be added!]
- Lauri (my friend from Winthrop!) writes Red Head Recipes
- Heather of With A Side Of Sneakers runs the online practice Neal Nutrition
- Estella writes Weekly Bite
- Molly writes RDExposed
- Alysa writes InspiredRD
- Caitlin writes Feed Between The Lines
- Sandi writes EdiblePotential & CafeDietitian
- Fellow Davidson grad Ann runs Dunaway Dietetics
- Erin writes Wholesome RD
- Rebecca of Elite Nutrition writes Rebecca Thinks
- Kelly writes The Pearce’s Kitchen
- Kim writes A Spoonful of Sass
- Janel writes Eat Well With Janel
- Kristina writes Love and Zest
- Katie writes Healthy Heddleston
- Allison writes PickyEatingRD
- Lindsay writes Eighty Twenty
- Ella writes Ella RD In LA
- Jessie writes The Happiness In Health
- Nicole writes Nicole’s Nutrition
- Amari writes Eat Chic Chicago
- Malory writes Raw Summer
RDs In Training
- Kelsey (my friend from Winthrop!) is almost done with her degree and writes Bites + Bowls
- AnneP @ fANNEtastic food
- Emily @ Eating Chalk
- Jen is Green
- Courtney @ A Little Food Court
- Amelia @ Cream Puff To Health Buff
- Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin
- Rebecca @ Pressing On
- Amy @ Vitamin Amy
- Holly @ The Frozen Pineapple
- Meg @ Meg’s Food Reality
- Amanda @ The Nutrition Kitchen
Thanks for reading!
{ 156 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow – I can see why this post took you so long to
write, its a mammoth essay!!
Good to learn how much work went into your rd degree- well done!
Frankly, I found organic chem labs insanely boring, and I majored in chemistry! Love this write-up about what it takes to get your RD. Very insightful!
This is SUCH an awesome post- I love how comprehensive it is about the whole RD process, and I love reading your story from start to finish! {Well not, finish…you know what I mean;)}
I still remember [nervously] writing my first email to you almost 3 years ago to talk about becoming an RD and meet up (we just ended up eating bahaha). Thanks for writing this up so I know JUST how many science courses I’ll have to take if I ever want to become an RD
.
This post is so motivating for me. I have embarked on a journey to earn a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and my biggest fear is getting so overwhelmed then fizzling out. If you can do it, so can I. I love how frank and honest you are about the whole process of going back to school and earning a second degree. It can be rough but in the end it will be worth it and that is what keeps me going. Thank you so much for putting it all in perspective.
Hi Kath! Great post, you have done so well! I remember reading during your study days and thinking “how does she do it?!”. I’m studying some basic Nutrition courses at the moment and but don’t think I will go down the Biol/Chem path myself. Thanks for writing this!
Thank you so much for this post! I’m thinking of going back to school to eventually become an RD, and with a Bachelor’s in Sociology/Women’s studies, I have a lot of work to do! Loved hearing your story.
Hey Kath! Thank you so much for sharing this! As a new blogger and a soon-to-be Master of Nutrition/RD-pursuing student, your post gives me comfort that it can indeed be done. You are such an inspiration! Thank you for all you do!
This is an awesome post, Kath! You really put a lot of work into it and I will be passing it along to a good friend’s sister of mine who recently became a RD
I think she would enjoy it as much as I did!!
GREAT post! My sister is on the road to becoming an RD, and is taking all of her prerequisites right now, while working full time. I know she’d be tickled if you checked out her blog..just in the beginning stages, but it’s great so far, and I know she really loves doing it! http://littlefoodcourt.wordpress.com
This was really interesting to read. I love hearing about other people’s courses in life to get where they are.
Great post! I am a RD with a Masters in Nutrition and just finished my MBA. I work in the food industry and absolutely love it! Education is never wasted and you can do so much with a degree in nutrition.
I love this! I am also an RD, so reading this took me down my own memory lane of becoming an RD. What a crazy ride
I work in an outpatient dialysis center now and love it! I’ve also worked for an eating disorder center, hospital, and nursing home. I feel where I’m at now is a good combination of all of those. I would also love to be able to work for myself but just don’t have the funds to start that up just yet. It’s nice to know that’s always an option though
Thanks again for sharing!
kath, this was a fascinating read. hearty congrats to you for all you accomplished: getting through all the course work, the internships etc, but also just following your heart when you needed to. thanks so much for all the time you put into sharing this information. and all the best in the future!
You are an inspiration! Many people would have stopped during those rough times you experienced or would not have pursued the degree at all. But you knew what you wanted to do and you didn’t let anything stop you. Be proud of yourself!!!
Did you have to take chemistry to learn about different foods and what they consist of?
Terrific post & Oh. My. Gosh did you work incredibly hard!! I’m entering my 1st year of grad school this fall for my MS in Public Health Nutrition, & I’m really nervous, excited, & anxious! I’ll definitely keep in mind just how much effort you put forth for your degree & RD certification. You are an absolute inspiration to all! Thank you for this post!!
AWESOME POST!!!!
Oh, man! Looking back over all the hard work is crazy!! I still can’t believe I ‘had the smarts’ to pass chemistry
Even though I don’t really use anything from those Chem classes….
It was ALL worth it though!!!
This post was awesome! I’m currently taking pre-reqs to go back to school to be an RD, (I have a bachelors in communications so I’m starting from scratch) and I’m doing it part-time. It feels like its going to take forever but this post reminded me that it will be worth it in the end. Thanks for this!
Thanks for this honest and insightful summary of your journey to becoming an RD. I am currently at a 9-5 job and crave the flexibility on a non-traditional desk job. I’m very interested in the food world and am looking into how I can put those two together. Yet another thing to consider…
This is a fantastic ‘story’ – and Congratulations!! I’m about to start my master’s degree in nutrition, and my goal is to be an R.D someday. This post was really helpful for us future dietetics students out there, thanks so much for taking the time to put it together!
Thanks for the great insight into your journey from college grad to RD. Not only is it interesting and helpful for those seeking a similar path, but it’s also wonderfully written,capturing your unique laid-back tone. It’s always inspirational to read the stories of people who make a big change to pursue the life they want. Congratulations on where you’ve ended up!
Thanks so much for this post! I am stuck in corporate America here in Charlotte, NC as well, and nutrition+fitness has been my hobby and passion for almost two years now… but thinking about giving up a paying job to go back to school is so overwhelming to me right now. I’ve been debating it for a long time and this post really helped, especially given that it is directly relatable to what I could do (at Winthrop)… thank you
Thanks so much for this very indepth and awesome post! Your journey so far has been amazing. I think what really impressed me was that you were able to balance it all. Even when it was rough (and miserable) you still did what needed to be done, so kudos to you.
Thank you so much for this post! I have been researching about what it would take to be Dietitian and this post was VERY helpful! Congrats to you. I read your blog often and I’m so very proud for you and your husband!
Thanks for writing all of this up! I’m not an RD, nor do I want to be, but it was fascinating
Great write up about your journey! I remember when I met up with you for coffee & a walk in Charlotte and you talked about how you were not looking forward to the clinical rotation at all. It looks like life worked out perfectly!
I have my last two finals next week (one being micro–I can’t wait!) then I’m finished with academics. Wahoo!! I have a 3-month internship to complete this fall as part of my curriculum, then I will be applying for my DI this winter.
You wouldn’t want to sell/rent your flashcards, would you?
I already sold them to someone else!
Thank you so much for writing this! Last year I quiet my corporate job to go back to school, and as I think about the 2 more years of school that I need to complete my certification and masters in education, I wonder if I made the right decision. It feels so lonely sometimes, but it is nice to know that others like you have successfully gone through similar journeys!
Congratulations on your degree! I am glad that you went for it! You’re never too old for some additional education
I really enjoyed reading this post in detail! It could be because I’m a career counselor at a liberal arts school, but I enjoyed learning more about your journey. You are a great example of what I try to teach my students about every day. I think Davidson’s alumni magazine needs to write about you!
Thank you so much for writing this! It’s absolutely the most informative post abt this subject that I have read. I’ve only recently decided to pursue a degree to become an RD (I’m 25, a little late in the game) and have been looking for this type of information! Such an inspiration.
This is great Kath! I am starting my Coordinated Program in August (my first year was Didatic and just classes, now I’m doing my internship and classes all at once for the next 2 years) and (re)reading about your experiences is getting me scared and excited!
Wow, what an amazing and comprehensive post. This will be helpful to anyone who is considering a nutrition degree. I love that you talk about how broad the RD field is. I have found that since the boom of social media, the field has become even broader. I couldn’t have imagined the opportunities I have found through social media when I was just starting out as an RD. I am very thankful though because I knew from the beginning that a clinical position wasn’t for me. I am enjoying connecting with other RDs and seeing how everyone is creatively using their degree. Thank you for including my blog link, I really appreciate it!
Glad you shared this, Kath!
I’ve been on and off looking into becoming an RD, but never fully commit…mostly due to money, which is a bit sad
Maybe one day…!
This is a great post about becoming an RD and brought back many memories! In many ways, it describes my own journey (even down to being a Davidson grad – there are several of us in the field now!). I am now in private practice and it gives me the flexibility I need/love as a mom. Social media is great and I’m slowly growing my own blog: Eat to Nourish, Energize & Flourish (http://www.dunawaydietetics.com/category/blog-posts/). I have found your blog incredibly helpful and inspirational. Thanks!
Hey Ann! thanks for stopping in
I’ll add you to the list!
Thanks so much for this post! I am going into my senior year of college and am thinking about nutrition, but the science classes scare me (I have a liberal arts background, too). It’s also a time commitment I am not fully ready for. It’d be nice to make some money and not have to live @ home:). The program would have taken you 4 years, right?
Winthrop’s courses are during the daytime, so I don’t think it would be possible to work during the day full time, but you could definitely take half the course load and and it would take closer to 3-4 years
I really admire your story and it was fun to read. I can relate to the desk job and wanting more. I found my “more” in another way too. I also had the realization that 24 is too young to be unhappy and you have to find a way to change it! I find the RD path so interesting and many days wish I did it too! I love how you made the degree your own and can always have the knowledge and skills.
Such a great post! I am in my first post-college job and I, too, feel the inklings to do something I am more passionate about (for me, it would be baking/pastry arts). It was really great to hear your journey and you’re quite the inspiration!
I didn’t know you went to Winthrop, my first job was there as a counselor in the athletic dept. I was only there a year before moving to Cville. It was an interesting experience for a girl from Connecticut to move to South Carolina!
No way! Maybe we were there together!?
I think I might have a few years on you- I was there was aug 02-aug 03 and then I moved to cville.
Wow, what a long road you’ve been down, Kath! It must feel so great to look back on this and see all you’ve accomplished.
Definitely NOT a wasted degree. Being an RD gives you a lot more credibility in your blog and sets you apart from other food bloggers….nutrition info from an RD!!
Hi Kath!
I’ve been following your blog daily for months now, and I’m so glad you did this post! Our stories are very similar, and I am in almost the same situation you were in. I’m graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree this Saturday (!) in Community Health Education. I’ve known for a few years that nutrition was my main interest of health, and I was pretty sure I wanted to be a Registered Dietitian. I thought I could just go to graduate school and get a Master’s Degree in nutrition, because the university I’m getting my undergraduate degree in doesn’t have a dietetics program. I didn’t know I had to have the DPD requirements before I could apply to a graduate Dietetics Internship.
In January, I researched schools and found a program I liked, and I went and talked to a professor/advisor. Then I found out that it will take me almost 4 more years to complete the DPD, get my Master’s Degree, and complete the Dietetic Internship. I was pretty upset because I so did not want to do 4 more years of school after already working hard for 4 years. But, I’ve decided that it’s really worth it, because nutrition is my passion and I want to be a Registered Dietitian. I did an internship this summer as a requirement for undergraduate health degree at a wellness center where 4 other dietitians work, and I loved it!
So, in a few weeks I’m going to start doing the DPD requirements just like you did (Organic, Biochem, Microbiology, and nutrition courses). It’s going to take a few years, but eventually I will be a Registered Dietitian too! I’m glad you posted your story, and at the perfect time too, it’s given me a boost in my motivation, and I know I’m not alone in this route that I’m taking.
I’m interested in how you work for yourself, and write articles for magazines and do freelance stuff…how did you initially get involved in that? I think I would like to work in community nutrition eventually, but also do some freelance stuff on the side, so I would appreciate any advice! Thanks so much, Kath, and I LOVE your blog!
-Caroline
I’ve been lucky to have my blog as a way for editors to find me. But if you’re just getting started, find out (via websites) who the editors are and introduce yourself via email and send them a writing sample and a list of ideas you have for articles. Chances are they need content as much as you want to write.
Good luck to you!
Wow! You have an interesting path to becoming an RD – I love hearing of all the roads that lead people to dietetics
Your posts on chemistry take me back to the days…AHHH! But, it was worth it!
Thanks for linking to the RD Q&A, it has been so well-received! I would love to be added to your list of RD bloggers
Keep the awesome blogging, girl!
Kath,
I love your blog, and I feel like I have learned a lot about food since discovering your blog. Keep doing what you’re doing because you’re good at it!
Thank you so much for posting this detailed account of your RD experience. I hate science or I would think about doing it myself. I am a math professor instead!
This is a fabulous post. It’s so interesting to read about the evolution of your career! Thanks for taking the time to narrate it in this way.
Thank you SO much for this post… I’m currently in college and I’m definitely interested in becoming an RD in addition to my liberal arts degree somewhere down the line, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle it. Reading this makes me feel SO much more informed and encouraged that even though it will be a lot of work, it is possible! Thanks again!
This is SO HELPFUL Kath. Thanks so much for all the work you put into this post. I will be referring back in the coming weeks!
LOVE this post! So proud of you both for following your dreams.
As someone who has a masters in social psychology and spent 7 years in school for it…I would agree that education is never a ‘waste’ no matter what you end up doing down the road. Sometimes the twists and turns in life are the greatest!
I’m entering my Junior year in my Dietetics program at Michigan State University. I’m so lost as to where I apply for my internship! There’s a good chance I will be engaged or nearly engagement when internships start and I don’t want to be spending 1-2 years away from my fiancee, but he doesn’t graduate himself until December 2012. I feel like that cuts it so close to determining where to apply
How are the job prospects? I read a list (which I always take with a grain of salt) that ranked this in the top ten degrees not to get because of lack of jobs.
As far as I know they are great. I’ve actually seen the RD on the list of the BEST job degrees!! Healthcare has ever-increasing needs. Most of my RD friends found jobs.
Hi Cora! I work a an RD in the Charleston, SC area and we ALWAYS have job openings! I probably get an email 2-3x per month regarding new job openings in South carolina for RDs!
Wow Kath, this is a great bio of your journey to becoming and RD and ultimately, where you are today! When I reached out to you a few months ago for advice on if I could realistically become an RD, I have to admit that I was disappointed in your response (it’s a lot of work, not sure how someone could do it with a full time job, as a single mother, etc), but now that I’ve read this I can completely appreciate your advice and the work you put in to get where you are! I applaud your tenacity and hard work and your strength in getting through it all and coming out the other side happy and successful in your life. You’re truly an inspiration!
Kath, I stumbled across your blog a few months ago when looking for oatmeal variations.
I love your posts!.. especially this one about becoming an RD! I just completed two years at comm college and will be entering a university this fall as a junior to complete the dietetic major. I am so excited to start taking all the nutrition classes! Thanks for the Prevention RD link with all the Q&A. I love the insight from other RDs. (Also, I agree about chemistry- ugh! Haha. 
I did, however, have an amazing anatomy & physiology teacher, so I’m really interested in the science-y and diagnostic side of nutrition + the body.)
I just wanted to say thanks so much for writing this, I recently decided to change my major to nutrition and become an RD but my only fears were what the process really entails and also what my job options are at the end. I love all of the detail you gave and I know this is the right path for me and I’m so excited to get started (except the Chemistry, but I’ll survive).
Also, I live in San Diego so if you are having a get together on Thursday with other ladies I’d love to meet you all!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this!!!!!!! I have been thinking about going back to school for Nutrition for years. This is great info that is going to help me make my decision. Thank you so much for sharing your journey!!
Great read and success. Thank you for your honesty. I’m very impressed that your blog became something financially able to support you! I can never understand how. But it’s a lucky (and earned) thing.
Wow, this page must have taken some time to create. You should be so proud, and dang those who say you’ve “wasted” your degree – so NOT true.
loved reading your journey, kath, from your perspective. you have so many talents, so many stories, and it’s what makes you a unique, whole person.
Wow – what a journey! Congrats on having all that work behind you. I’m a little curious to know why you referred to the developmental psychology course as “fluff”. Wouldn’t this be where they would teach topics like eating disorders and such? Or conditions that can be helped by diet (e.g. for some people – or many ? – with autism and the gluten-free/casein-free diet)? Then again it could also be the level of scientific/experimental research (sorry that’s the nerd in me) supporting the idea is still referred to as “questionable” and perhaps some universities/colleges hesitate to teach topics not proven by research… but it would be interesting to learn about how that works. Not that you mentioned this is a specific career focus of yours but I was just wondering if any of that (psychological conditions or other disability diagnoses and diet) was a part of the training you received? My training/profession is in psychology and special education, and my training didn’t quite cover this topic. I often think we overlook nutrition as part of a holistic approach to education/intervention – perhaps not so much as a “cure” (as not everything has a real cure) but to at least improve quality of life. Ok I’ve rambled enough!
Oh gosh, I was in no way referring to the field of Psychology as fluff!! I hope it didn’t come across that way.
I would have been SO awesome to have a course on nutrition related developmental psychology. Everything you described – we needed a lot more education in ALL of those topics. But the reason I called it fluff was because I took it at a community college to simply satisfy a requirement and it was all about baby’s first steps and different learning methods and things. There was probably 10 things that related to my field (like infant tongue trusts) so I considered the class a waste of my memorization brain space. I really DO wish we had a nutrition psych class – that would have been incredible to study.
Well Kath, if there are not any nutrition psych classes offered at UVA after your children go off to school, maybe you could be the instructor; or if this is still an untapped class universally in RD programs nationwide, maybe you could write and publish the textbook for this field of study to be integrated into the curriculum.
Thanks so much for writing this! I toy with the idea of becoming an R.D. but struggle with all of the pre-req’s I’d need, and what I would do with my degree afterward – would it be worth all the trouble I went through. This whole post will be such a great resource whenever I decide to finally make the decision.
I appreciate this so much! Your journey is inspiring. I’m a RD in Training, getting ready to start my second year and currently plugging through Organic Chem. I am not a science person and was a bit scared of the huge science load, but like you said, because loving Nutrition and keeping my end goal in sight makes it all worth it. And I actually really liked Microbiology!!
By the way, I think you are making great use of your degree. One of the things I love about the RD field is that it really allows for creativity!
Thank you for writing this post! Now that both of my kids will be in school full time this year I have started to think about “what I want to be when I grow up”, and I keep coming back to RD as my favorite thought. Thank you for all of the information to help me know where to start!
Candy,
I actually went back to school to become a RD when my oldest started kindergarten. It’s funny, they think everyone has homework and has to study for tests! I think parents continuing their education serve as a great role model for their children. Go for your dreams!
Robin
Thank you for writing this, Kath. I never knew what it took to become an RD, until now! Thanks for explaining the process. I think food blogging is a great use of an RD: I trust you more than other bloggers who (no offense to them) pull their nutrition knowledge from random websites or food labels.
wow! you have accomplished so much! thank you for sharing, your story is very inspiring.
I’m an RD in training too! I just have one more year of undergrad to go and then my internship.
It was so awesome to read this post because I could relate to it so much! Especially about hating chem labs haha!
I became an RD after getting my Master’s in Nutrition, while clinical nutrition was not for me as I am now working as a Pilates instructor, I don’t regret my decision to study nutrition for 8 years (including internship). I am looking for an avenue to use my degree currently and hopefully will find one soon! Add me to your list of RD’s please!
CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS!! I have no idea how you did this…I would’ve gone insane!! I just started my first ever ‘real world’ job, and it is such a transition! Ahhh lol
What an awesome and inspiring post! I remember I started reading your blog a few months before your internship, it’s cool to look back at it now. I want to be an RD but I don’t want to work in a hospital. I am happy that being an RD offers a broad spectrum of employment. I’m only going into my second year of college but the college I go to, starts you off right away in Nutrition, and so far I like it. However, this next year is going to be more focused on sciences (Chem, Bio, ect.) Your grades were awesome too! I am taking Chemistry again in the Fall, so hopefully I get it right this time around, I’m taking a more basic one because my high school chem was a joke, so I didn’t get a good foundation. Plus, a lot of the other classes I have to take are based around Chemistry (metabolism). Anyways, thanks for taking the time to post all of that history. I’m excited to meet you tommorow!
When I visited Charlottesville a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed the University of Virginia campus, and I think it would be fun to have my internship there. Of course, I’m getting a little ahead of myself since I have about 3-4 years left, but it’s nice to look (although it’s pretty hard to get into).
Aw, I loved this trip down memory lane! It’s been fun following along on your journey through the years
I remember reading when you were still in PR (and so was I!)… man, that seems like ages ago!
xo
Wow, this was so interesting! Since I have little interest in becoming an RD, the part I really identified with was the beginning of your story when you talked about feeling “chained to a cubicle” from 8-5 even if you didn’t have work! Ugh, so describes my life/job right now… I often struggle with where I see myself in the future, should I go for an advanced degree in my field (that I actually really enjoy… just not the office part so much) or should I do a complete 180 and become a realtor, even though it would be pretty hard to start a career in that right now. I’m really lucky in that I have a network I could use to get involved in that, I just need to DO IT in my spare time! It’s really inspiring to hear all that you accomplished while adult life/events were going on too (marriage, losing your grandmother, trips, etc.) – you’re like the Energizer Bunny! I’m so so so glad you and Matt moved to our little city and fell in love, just like I did 8 years ago
Congrats to both of you on following your dreams!
Hi Kath, wow that was a fantastic read!! Loved it. I just wanted to ask a couple of questions. I am enrolling in a degree in Nutrition next year here in Australia, super excited. Anyway i am really quite nervous as even though my admissions were accepted i am and always have been just awful at Maths, i just do NOT get it! So i was wondering how prevalent is Maths throughout the degree? How many hours did you dedicate study time/ homework per week and one finally question promise:) how much would you estimate a entry level DIetician would earn working in a clinic/practice? Sorry to pick your brain, i am a single mum with 2 kids and need to be financially stable! Thanks so much in advance!
Hey Shelley,
It wasn’t a ton of math. The nutrition math was just basic stuff and the hardest part was probably in the general chemistry courses, but still, more science than math. I studied a lot right before tests – I have no idea how many hours per week because I never counted. Maybe 15? I’m really not all that sure about salaries in Australia, but I think they start around $35-40K here.
Kath,
I LOVE your blog and have been following it for a few years now. I to was a liberal studies major about to take my upper division classes at San Diego State University when I decided to change my major to Nutrition. I was a bit apprehensive in wanting to become an RD due to the politics and growing up with an organic garden in my backyard, but I am so happy I did the RD route! I remember going back to the community college while taking nutrition course at SDSU and taking the dreaded O-Chem course! Then, choosing a dietetic internship and praying to get in… But, I ended getting it! I know first hand what you mean by the RD Exam being odd… As if all the studying you did does not apply… You described the test perfectly… I feel I could give lectures on how to pass the RD exam successfully now. Yes, you are right an RD has so many paths one can take. From a traveling RD, private practice, to working in policy and public health. If you and your husband are ever up in the Napa Valley, California (Yountville), be sure to swing by our wine tasting room located on the main street in Yountville for some delicious wine. Please be sure to try the Carly’s Cuvee Chard and Clark Syrah. If you go in the summer-time be sure to book a “Secret Garden Tour” with my brother, Ryan Hill. The tour details are located on my families website and was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Keep up the amazing blogging on your love for real food and passion for nutrition
All the best!
I sure hope we can get to Napa again soon! Glad to hear you felt the same way about the exam
I loved reading about your journey! Thanks for including me in your RD list!
Have you paid your CDR dues that are due yet? I bit the bullet a few days ago. Those 2 letters cost a pretty penny!
Yup – a pretty penny for sure
It was cool to read this! I love hearing about how other people decided to become an RD. When I went back to school to study nutrition I felt so old even though I was only 23! Ridiculous, I know. Your lab photos made me laugh because they reminded me of how much I hated lab and how much stuff always went hilariously wrong. It was worth it, though.
I love this post! My mother-in-law just turned me onto this blog and I’ve been following it everyday now! I have almost the exact same journey as you. Got a degree in psych, got a marketing job, realized I needed a career change and started over to get my RD. So I decided to get my PhD/RD combo and people don’t realize how much work it is just to get your RD. Thanks for that post!
Kath,
I am so inspired by you and your story! I am an avid reader of the blog, although I only post every now and then.
I wanted to share that you have been my inspiration to go back to school to get my Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics and become an RD. When I read your post, I felt like I was reliving my own decision to go back to school— orgo -chemistry fears involved! I am inspired by you everyday. I hope I will go through the process with as much dedication and commitment to eating well and exercising! You are amazing 
Hi Kath,
I loved reading this! As a recent college graduate in nutrition and dietetics, your blog and journey has definitely helped inspire me to choose this career path. I was accepted into an internship at the Yale-New Haven hospital this fall of 2011 and I feel like my hard work for 4 years is paying off already. Good luck to everyone who is working towards this goal.
Kath, thanks for putting the story down for your readers. It is helpful and inspiring. I am amazed at how much you get done on a daily basis (the bicycling part alone! ha! ha!) , much less all that you got done to obtain your RD degree 2 -1/2 years!! Congratulations for going for something you love to do! and escaping the cubicle life! Sounds like you are where you are meant to be right now! Please continue your blog as it is one I look forward to reading!
LOVE this post- it’s taken me from the time you put it up until now to read because I kept clicking on all the links and getting distracted! Very helpful for people thinking of going into nutrition as a career
Hi Kath! I am returning to school to become an RD, and loved reading about your journey to becoming an RD. I can’t wait to escape the cubicle life.
I was wondering if you are going to the FNCE in San Diego in September? I just registered as a student. If you are there I’d love to say hi!
Cheers!
Unfortunately no, I can’t afford to go that far this year
Maybe next year in Boston
What an inspiring post! I’m about to graduate with a history degree, but I’ve started thinking about becoming an RD. It looks like a long road, but worth it! Thanks for this post. I’m sure I’m going to be referring to it a lot.
It was so great to read your road to becoming an RD. I am about to start my dietetic internship in less than 2 weeks and it is great to hear about another school’s program. I feel like you represent everything an RD should be and I love your blog! Thanks for sharing your story. And I agree, gen chem has nothing to do with anything in nutrition!
wow. what a nice read. I think your story is an inspiration to many of us who want to get into dietetics; and is a motivation for those who are already pursuing their goal of becoming an RD. As for me, I finished the didactic program 6 yWears ago, has been working in wic since graduation, and decided to do my internship this coming year. It starts next month and i’m super nervous, especially about clinical.
Those of us going to FNCE in San Diego should meet up. I’ll be there!
This is a great and informative post, and it’s clear that you worked really hard on your journey! Congratulations!
I’m certain that my viewpoint is biased since I’m a chemistry by training and teach at the college level, but I’ve read your mentions of what a waste of your time general chemistry was a few times and felt compelled to comment.
First, as an academic it saddens me that any class is considered a waste, though I know it’s a prevalent thought of students. I’d like to hope, though, that I have more to offer as an instructor than just the information in the book. After all, I wouldn’t be needed if students could learn it all from the text!
Second, I’m disappointed for you that your general chemistry experience was not one that highlighted its importance to your field. Chemistry is defined as the study of matter, and matter is defined as everything you can see, touch, taste, smell, etc. So chemistry is sort of the study of everything! And the relations to food and nutrition are huge! In fact, there are entire courses on food chemistry. Chemistry is what determines whether you use baking powder or baking soda (both produce carbon dioxide, but one needs an acid to do and the other already has the acid present in the form of tartaric acid (aka cream of tartar). It’s why a chicken marinade recipe I have that is oil and vinegar based contains an egg (as an emulsifier because oil’s predominate intermolecular force is London forces in the long chain fatty acids and vinegar’s is hydrogen bonding; the proteins in the eggs have parts with both types of intermolecular forces and can dissovle both). It’s why tomato (acid) in metal is a bad idea (that’s just electrochemisty). Refrigeration is necessary to slow reaction rates that cause spoilage–that’s the same kinetics you studied in general chemistry.
Third, if you saw the value of biochemistry, then please consider that you wouldn’t have understood biochemistry without the foundations of general chemistry and organic chemistry. It may not seem valuable at the time, but you have to start with the basics!
This is a great and informative post, and it’s clear that you worked really hard on your journey! Congratulations!
I’m certain that my viewpoint is biased since I’m a chemistry by training and teach at the college level, but I’ve read your mentions of what a waste of your time general chemistry was a few times and felt compelled to comment.
First, as an academic it saddens me that any class is considered a waste, though I know it’s a prevalent thought of students. I’d like to hope, though, that I have more to offer as an instructor than just the information in the book. After all, I wouldn’t be needed if students could learn it all from the text!
Second, I’m disappointed for you that your general chemistry experience was not one that highlighted its importance to your field. Chemistry is defined as the study of matter, and matter is defined as everything you can see, touch, taste, smell, etc. So chemistry is sort of the study of everything! And the relations to food and nutrition are huge! In fact, there are entire courses on food chemistry. Chemistry is what determines whether you use baking powder or baking soda (both produce carbon dioxide, but one needs an acid to do and the other already has the acid present in the form of tartaric acid (aka cream of tartar). It’s why a chicken marinade recipe I have that is oil and vinegar based contains an egg (as an emulsifier because oil’s predominate intermolecular force is London forces in the long chain fatty acids and vinegar’s is hydrogen bonding; the proteins in the eggs have parts with both types of intermolecular forces and can dissolve both). It’s why tomato (acid) in metal is a bad idea (that’s just electrochemisty). Refrigeration is necessary to slow reaction rates that cause spoilage–that’s the same kinetics you studied in general chemistry.
Third, if you saw the value of biochemistry, then please consider that you wouldn’t have understood biochemistry without the foundations of general chemistry and organic chemistry. It may not seem valuable at the time, but you have to start with the basics!
Hey Carrie! I didn’t mean that chemistry in general was a waste – just me taking it a second time! I learned all the same things I had already learned (to expand my mind) in my AP chem and lower level Davidson chem classes – again. It was just a waste of time to have to repeat all that memorization that I have now forgotten.
Second, I totally realize how much the body’s processes have to do with chem. I would have LOVED to take a course just on food chemistry. But instead we were doing the same old experiments that really had nothing to do with nutrition other than that they were in the same field. Yes, taking those courses MAY have enhanced my understanding of nutrition, but I can guarantee you I could have taken biochem and organic without the first two refresher courses! Because they were so different.
So I guess I just wish the chemistry had been more relevant to my end goal. That would have made it more meaningful.
I guess my point is that general chemistry shouldn’t be about memorization. I completely agree that’s a waste! It should be concept driven, and about making connections and building foundations. I never ask my students to memorize anything–I want them to learn it! And for rote things, they get to make themselves a crib sheet. I realize my attitude toward it is not the case in all classes, and that’s what makes me sad.
We will just have to agree to disagree on the need for the general chemistry to understand organic and biochemistry
Well you should sound like a very admirable teacher
The one I had was a complete turkey!
I do agree that you need to know the periodic table and electrons for organic : ) But doesn’t everyone know that from high school?
I’d like to add a couple points of perspective:
o Although Kath graduated Davidson with a history degree, she was among her high school’s star performers in math and science and headed off to college to major in biology and shortly afterwards changed to math. History came much later when — as she has related to me — Davidson ran out of degrees for her to consider and her time was up to pick a major. I mention this because Kath was more than capable of handling all those science prerequisites for her RD/Masters of Nutrition. If you really are a humanities person, i.e., you are not science/math oriented or capable, you may find that following a path similar to Kath’s much more difficult.
o Kath is more organized, driven, and has more energy than most I’ve met. This certainly comes across on her blog every day. For others considering a similar path, keep this in mind and weigh whether or not you have the passion and drive to achieve a similar change in your life’s trajectory,
o Kath, even I didn’t appreciate what you have accomplished to get your RD until I read this post. Congrats on achieving your goals and ambitions.
Kath’s Dad
Thanks Dad!
I loved reading about your long road to your RD title. I am starting my dietetic internship in just a couple weeks and hope that I am as successful as you in the end. I studied at Winthrop my junior year of college, Spring 2010, through a college exchange program and loved the campus and the area. And yes, I agree, chemistry labs for nutrition majors aren’t that helpful in the long run and include so much work!
Congratulations again! I started reading after you’d become an RD, so it was nice to see all that I missed. I don’t know that I’m thinking of becoming an RD, but I don’t know that I’m not, either… Your “R.D. Me” post gave me a great look at what it’s like to go back to school. Yikes! So thrilled for you and Matt (he was SO helpful!) and I’d love to pop into GH Cville whenever we’re in the area!
This is so informative, thanks a million Kath!
This was an awesome post!
I’m at a turning point in my life ( just turned 40 & my youngest children are finishing up high school &I’m trying to figure out what to be when I grow up)
I attended J&W pursuing a culinary arts degree a few years back with the intention of catering, but realized that was not the path that I wanted to go down.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the nutrition classes that I took & how much nutrition facinates me!
I’m contemplating returning to school to continue my degree, with the focus on nutrition (of some sort) I’m just not sure what to expect…
I’ve spent all morning searching the web for info, and have been a KERF reader for some time now and just happened to click on KERF RD.
I’m still unsure, but you have opened my eyes
this has been a great post for me to read…. thank you..
Wow, what a great post! I’ve been reading along for about 3 years now, and I’m in awe at everything you and Matt have accomplished.
I just completed my didactic program and start my internship in two weeks (eek!). Thanks so much for being so real with your experience. I have to admit, clinical has me a bit anxious, but so did OChem, and I lived through that.
Thanks again for being such an inspiration!
Thank you so much for this post! I recently decided (after a year of consideration), to transfer schools in order to become an RD. This was extremely useful information about what lies ahead, and will definitely calm my mother’s fear that there are “no careers in nutrition”.
A very long over due CONGRATS!!! Will I see you at FNCE this year? I will be dressed as a human strawberry – just don’t pikc my seeds.
Kath! Thank you so much for writing this. I’ve been waiting patiently to read your story. And it was worth the wait! With my own health issues, I’ve become very interested in nutrition, and have really thought about becoming an RD. This post will be a great help to me. Thank you!
I am an accountant going back to school next week to become an RD! This post was so informational and inspirational for me…guess I stumbled upon your blog at the right time!
Thank you so much for writing about this in such detail. Your story sounds very similar to mine, its crazy! I just sent my application to a local university that offers an ADA certification program. I am so excited, but scared at the same time. Your story really makes me feel better, less alone, and more prepared. Thanks!
I am currently studying Applied Nutrition (and Psychology) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California to become an RD specializing in eating disorders. Cal Poly does an amazing job of preparing us and letting us know what is ahead (and our degree is certified by the ADA!), but this was such a helpful guide. I completely agree with you on some of the sciences: They are tough, and sometimes unnecessary. I was in an upper level Chemistry course with Chem majors learning about electro-chemistry. How batteries work didn’t really mean anything to me or my degree, but I had to suck it up. I applaud you for using your degree in a non-traditional way, I think that’s a great thing about being an RD, you aren’t limited to only working in a hospital. Having an official RD behind the bakery would definitely cause me to give it a try
Too bad all the grad schools I’ve looked at require a minimum of a 3.0. When you’re meant to be a nutrition student but stuck with a liberal arts degree, you don’t have anywhere near a 3.0. At least I don’t.
How unfortunate to have a practical mind and a theoretical line of study. Oh, Philosophy, how I despise thee.
Maybe a higher GRE score would override the 3.0? Or you could take some of the science pre reqs at a community college to bring it up?
Hi Kath,
I read your blog daily and I always enjoy checking out your latest recipes and food/life-related musings.
I re-read this particular entry today because I didn’t have a chance to look at it properly when you first posted it. I was SO disheartened when I read that you found developmental psyc to be “fluff”! I did a BSC in university, majoring in psychology, and I find it rather rude that you would patronize others’ areas of interest and study. I too, took biochem, organic chem, physiology, and numerous other “hard” sciences, but I studied the heck out of psychology and I would never have said it was fluff.
Anyway, I love the post regardless. Its very detailed and comprehensive and I’m sure anyone contemplating the R.D. path would find it very useful. I just wanted to point out to you that psyc is hardy fluff.
Hey Emily,
I think you missed my clarification above – ‘fluff’ was a very poor word choice. I of course completely admire (and am in awe of!) the field of psychology. I almost became a psych major in undergrad, and my Intro to Psych class was one of the hardest I took at Davidson.
I called my RD Developmental Psych class fluff because it had about 5% to do with eating/nutrition behaviors and the class was very poorly designed at the community college where I took it. Not dissing the field at all – just that particular class on my particular path.
PS. Just updated the post to take out the poor word choice
Hey Kath- I’m an RD in training… three weeks into my dietetic internship in Boston… here i go!
I hope all is well in c-ville!
GOOD LUCK!
I’ve been meaning to read this since you posted. Loved the full recap since I started reading KERF right around when you started your internship in Jan 2010 & missed all the stuff beforehand. Looks like it was a long road but I love how you’re using the degree today in such a creative way. Do you think (or know) if some of the freelance work you do comes easier now that you have that degree? I assume it depends on who you’re writing for of course, but just curious if that area seemed to pick up after you could put RD at the end of your name?
Some of it does, absolutely
I had never thought to click on this page before, but I’m glad I finally did. I JUST have started going back to school to become an RD – I was basically you, but a year older. I actually had a guy ask me last night what res I live in. I’m 25, married and obtaining a second degree haha. Your story is awesome! I just hope I can pull off the A’s you managed to get!!!
Hi Kathy,
I’ve been reading your blog off and on for some time now and have enjoyed MANY of your recipes! But I just came across this post and it’s almost eery how much I related to what you shared.
I lost 35 lbs senior year of HS – freshman year of college and just did another round of 15-20 lb (depends on the week…) 9 years later to finally reach my goal weight, and I think going through it yourself definitely gives you extra motivation to share your experience/tips with others. I loved science, but majored in Psych with a minor in Gov’t/Law, and then worked in PR for four years. I too would venture outside and wonder what those lucky people typing away in coffee shops did for a living. I yearned for that freedom. I started blogging (about meals & deals in NYC, not a health-related blog) three years ago and my co-blogger and I dream of making it full-time jobs. I went back and forth for months before committing to go back to school for nutrition/RD, only with my family’s support and encouragement. I had to do my prereqs separately, so just this September I finally started my official MS/RD program at Teachers College, Columbia Univ. I am torn between clinical and freelance writing and owning a health-oriented coffee shop and many more options (the choices really are endless!), so this semester at least I’m interning at a major women’s health magazine in the Nutrition department to see how I like that. So far so good! I also went through with the personal training certification and did it for a few months but just had to stop due to time restraints – and for the record, based on your interests I think you made the right decision in forgoing it. And I’m in my foodservice management class this semester, so I can relate to the initial reaction of – um, is this relevant? – to appreciating some of the information learned.
I loved your post and I’m sure it took forever to write, but I appreciate reading it because I really do understand the struggles and commitment and sheer crazy will it takes to go back for this degree, so it’s nice to hear from someone on the other side
And your course load… I would have died! I guess that’s why it’ll take me 4 years in total (unfortunately my DI, if I’m lucky enough to get in, will be a full year). Do you have any recommendations on finding internships at private practices? I’m debating just emailing owners to see if they’d take me on – I would love the experience.
Thanks so much for sharing all of this and good luck with your ventures! Based on your “quick 20 reasons,” Charlottesville sounds perfect! I went on a two week trip to the Pacific Northwest this summer with my boyfriend and we fell in love with Portland, OR. It sounds like it has a lot of similar qualities. Can you please post about pumpkin beer brewing (if you already did I apologize for not seeing it first!). Yesterday my boyfriend and I decided we need to continue sampling more pumpkin beers and we tried one served with a brown sugar and cinnamon rim on the glass…I swear it was like drinking pumpkin pie!
And speaking of pumpkin, I’m off to try one of your pumpkin recipes because I cannot get enough! Or maybe I’ll save it for an early-evening study break!
Thanks again!
Caryn
Hey Caryn!
I would recommend emailing the heads of private practices. You could also suggest ways you could help out (social media/blogging comes to mind?) .
Here’s a post including Matt’s pumpkin beer: http://www.katheats.com/drinkable-pumpkin
-K
Hey Kath, I just recently started following your blog and other blogs similar, but you have sparked more of an interest than others. I am curious about your thoughts on becoming a RD rather than getting a BS in Nutrition (focusing in sports nutrition)…Also, any tips on getting through chemistry classes while working full time and trying to stay fit? Im a 3rd year college student gearing towards nutrition or dietetics, but seem lost in the differences…Also, what are your thoughts on accredited schools such as http://www.instituteofholisticnutrition.com/our-program/certification/ ….Youre an inspiration and a positive dash to my daily life, glad ive found you! Thanks!
Brooke A.
Hey Brooke,
I think if you really want to work with food recommendations and clinical nutrition you must have the RD. Do I think there are better ways to learn about nutrition? Probably. But in this country, those letters are unmatched with any other degree. If you want to just do something in health and wellness that isn’t giving personalized “what to eat” recommendations, then any of those other routes would be great.
Does becoming an R.D. involve a ton of mathematics? I have taken Algebra, Pre Calc and Statistics, but was not a fan of any of it. Would I be completely in over my head if I looked further into grad. programs in that field?
Nope – only simple math
Thanks..especially for the quick reply!
Wow, thanks for this great article. As someone trying to get a handle around what it takes to be a dietitian, this is a great resource.
This was a fun post to read. I guess since you came from a liberal arts background, you weren’t used to the somewhat harder science courses you took. Trust me though, they get a lot harder especially if you are in a competitive setting and have to take upper science courses where Professors try to weed you out. IMAGINE how hard the workload is to become an M.D….My sister is a Biochemistry major at a large university and pre-meds are ridiculously competitive…the curved grading is horrible to since the average will always be a C in a class of pre-meds who all study constantly. She is taking like four upper science courses along with other courses. I believe she does have an Anthropology and History minor because liberal arts if much easier to get an ‘A’ in and can help balance the rigorous science course load. She also has to volunteer regularly and works in a biological research lab. We are not going to be seeing her for Thanksgiving or Christmas because she’s also studying constantly for the MCAT! After that, she HOPES she’ll get into any medical school and will then seriously have no life except her courses and working in the clinic.
I still do not know what I want to do, but DEFINITELY NOT an M.D…. I have a good study ethic, but I was thinking if I do go into the health field, maybe a P.A. or Physical Therapist degree would be MUCH easier and less stressful to pursue… I like your post because of the info about the R.D. program. I’m interested in nutrition and think that it’s not really a stressful and ridiculously hard path. Much less schooling as well….M.D. takes 4 years bachelors+4 years medical school (with constant board exams etc)+4 to 8 year residency (with more exams!) and I think I would die.
Hey Camille,
Don’t discount all the work that goes into liberal arts degrees. Biochem might be a much more difficult topic, but the analytical thinking, research and time that goes into writing long history term papers is nothing to shrug off as easy! And my nutrition program might not have the time commitment of med school, but some of the courses were pretty darn hard.
I’m a freshman in college from NC and I was considering majoring in Nutrition and becoming a RD. Reading your story was very helpful for me, but do you know any RD’s that work in a hospital or any other clinics? I was wondering what a typical work day is like for them and their average salary.
Hayley,
Check out some of the blogs/websites in the list of RDs online. Some of them do work in clinical.
Hi Kath,
I have enjoyed reading your blog and adventures in becoming an RD. I got my undergraduate a few years ago and currently work at Johns Hopkins doing nutrition research. Getting an internship is so so so competitive these days but im hoping to land one this year. Just wanted you to know you are truely inspiring. Know of any RDs in the Baltimore/DC area?
Melanie
Thanks Melanie! I just know of the RDs in the blogroll above – not sure if they are Baltimore/DC or not though
I’m graduating next semester with a liberal arts degree, freaking out because I didn’t know what to do after graduation. I eventually want to become a Certified Diabetes Educator, but I felt daunted by the health field and the fact that I decided too late to get my bachelor’s degree in a science-related field. I am obsessed with food blogs and nutrition, but it wasn’t until this post that the puzzle pieces seemed to fall in place (and seem glaringly obvious now!) and start the path to becoming an RD. Thank you so much for giving such a realistic expectation… I know it won’t be easy, but i’m glad to know it’s possible!
I’m taking my pre-req’s to get into a dietitian program. I was a chef for years but preferred the nutritional side. I’m not an A student and have to work hard for my grades, or work at them longer if they have math components. I have a small child and work full time also inorder to eliminate student debt. It’s not easy. I’m taking Microbiology now, and it is difficult. The teacher doesn’t make it any easier, he is measley with his points.
Grades are out next week…hope I pass.
Good luck! Micro was one of the hardest courses I took.
Great Job on completing your studies!!!
I am currently a nutrition major at Texas Christian University and I can not wait to be a registered dietitian!! I love following your blog. Keep posting 
!!
Hi there – just found this post, but I was reading your blog through the journey. Very thorough recap! I’m also beginning my journey toward a second degree in Dietetics to become an RD, through Eastern Michigan University (all online courses, except for the science-y pre-reqs). I am taking a little longer than you, as I need to work full-time while I do my pre-reqs. I’m taking them one class at a time, but some of my undergrad courses count (like general chem!). It works out to take them one at a time with the timing of applying for the program, though…just a longer process even though I want to dive right in! I took organic chemistry online through a community college this Fall, with an instructor who was a turkey, too. I’m nervous that I didn’t learn enough in the class to get through the rest of my courses, but I’m sure with hard work, I can do it! I hope the end result works out okay – I’m hearing that jobs are hard to come by in my area, but I have a couple years to go, so maybe things will change still…and I’m finding it’s hard to get a part-time job in the field…I am struggling to get a dietary tech job even! But, I’m keeping at it and hoping this is right. It feels right most days…but…it’s a little scary! I’m starting Biochem in two weeks…here goes nothing!
You’ll be great!! I didn’t find any connection between the chem classes, so there wasn’t really a build at all (unlike what they’d like you to believe!) Nor was there a connection to my nutrition courses. I really felt the chems were a huge waste of time – except for maybe 3-4 lessons of the course of 4 semesters that did help with understanding nutrients. It’s a shame they can’t compress the 4 semesters into one “Nutrition And Chemistry” course.
Good luck!
Just discovered this page, and it is awesome bc it is so thorough to explain to others what it means to be an RD! If you like, I would love to be added to your list of other RDs blogs.
You got it!
There is much irony in this comment as I am literally writing it from my food service rotation over lunch. I have about 300 hours remaining in my internship and then I will be sitting for the exam. Even now, so close to the end, it is wonderful to read other success stories for inspiration. I too went back to school slightly later (at 23) to be an RD after working in public health and could not be happier with my decision.
Is Kath your first or last name?
reason I enquire. is that the surname of Kath is centuries old. and is Prussian in history. at least 800 years old. and that I was born a Kath.
Wow I didn’t know that! Kath is short for Katherine, which is my first name
Loved your journey, thanks for sharing! So as I was lightly reading through some of the comments I noticed a few on chemistry. I am pursuing nutrition and i am getting ready to transfer and now finishing up the required science courses (chem 1, biology, anatomy and physiology, etc…). To be honest chem 1 was very intimidating for me and I had to drop the class and go into a pre chem class. So my question is how much of chemistry and biology do you really use in a day to day as an rd? How heavy are the sciences in the nutrition program? I am so worried because this chemistry 1 class kind of scared me and I am worried that it’s an insight to what the nutrition program will be like… I am really intrigued by nutriton and helping others to be healthy but some science courses aren’t my strongest…
-hc
Heather,
There IS a ton of chemistry. I hated every minute of it and even when I worked clinical in my internship, I didn’t use it one smidgen. MAYBE one time when thinking about drug interactions, but rarely and not something I couldn’t look up. Sadly though, it’s required, and it’s often used to weed out those who can handle the high level nutrition concepts (like vitamin and mineral metabolism) from those who think less scientifically. Chem 1 and 2 were horrible and had nothing to do with nutrition. Organic wasn’t actually that bad, but it was still hard but at least it felt more related to the field. Nutritional Biochem was my favorite because we could apply principles to nutrition directly. I took Chem 2 over the summer at a community college and will say that it was a lot easier than it was at my university, so I’d see if you can take some of them off campus where they would be a bit easier. Good luck!
Wow, you have inspired me! I’ve been wanting to work in the nutrition field but couldn’t figure out where to start! I’m actually moving to Charlotte area in the summer. Thank you for your inspiration!
Kath, I randomly came across your blog and just wanted to say thanks for sharing your journey and some great recipes!