A Guide to Your Nutrition and Nutritionist

Dietician vs. Nutritionist?

What is the difference between the 2 carreers?
and what is the schooling difference??
Between Dietician vs. Nutritionist?

The main thing is that license. To become a dietitian you get a degree in any subject (normally Nutrition but some chose others).

You also have to complete these core classes to receive a certificate saying you’ve completed your DPD’s (eatright.org). These are the background classes that ensure that you know a great deal about the biochemistry of nutrition and how foods help you. *normally you do them as part of your undergrad career.

After you complete these classes, you go for a dietetic internship. They are a 9-12 month internship where you work in multiple areas of nutrition (from a WIC clinic to a burn unit in a hospital to a food management area to learn about planning meals for the masses)

Once you’ve completed the internship, you take a pretty intense exam. Then you are a Registered Dietitian.
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With a Nutritionist, depending on the state, you complete an undergraduate degree in nutrition. I’m a nutritionist in my state going back to complete those DPD classes.

In some states, you have to be registered. Its much less regulated.

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With a dietitian, you can prescribe a diet plan like a doctor would a medication. They have been medically trained to handle diseases, burns, and all sorts of other conditions (amputation caloric needs, cystic fibrosis, etc).

A nutritionist can recommend foods and provide knowledge but have not been medically trained to change your plan.

There is also a difference in the types of jobs you can get. With a dietitian, you are open up to a whole different world of jobs. There are tons of nutrition jobs that require the dietitian license.

Hope that helps!

Why Visit a Dietician or Nutritionist?