Is Becoming a Dietitian Worth it?

I am 32 years old, and I am about to start my career…again. After multiple (failed) attempts to finding happiness in corporate America, I knew something had to change. Instead of looking for a new job in the industry I was trained in, I decided to totally overhaul my life and go back to school for something completely different and foreign to me - nutrition and dietetics.

And while you might think taking organic chemistry at the start of this journey had me questioning my decision for a career change, now that I’m almost at the finish line of this extensive (4-year) process, is when I find myself questioning everything.

For anyone unfamiliar with the path to becoming a registered dietitian, check out this blog post that details the requirements.

I’m a dietetic intern. Here’s some things nobody told me:

I feel lonely.

Starting a career from scratch at the age of 32 is lonely. Has it been exciting? Maybe, at times, but I’m often overwhelmed with just how lonely I feel. Instead of experiencing successes and promotions in my career like many of my peers, I am still working to start my career at an entry level.

I feel undervalued.

Although I knew going into this profession that registered dietitians often feel undervalued in their places of work, I did not expect to encounter so many negative perspectives during my time in school and in my dietetic internship. Dietitians complete an extensive amount of schooling and supervised practice hours, which makes it hard to understand how they can be and feel so undervalued.

I feel frustrated.

10-months of an unpaid, full-time, internship is enough to make anyone frustrated. I don’t have control of my schedule, which leaves me feeling burnt out and anxious much of the time.

I feel confused.

Oftentimes, I find myself confused by my feelings of negativity surrounding my career change. How lucky am I that I had the ability to change my career? How can I feel so overwhelmed and negative about a career that I am just about to start? Shouldn’t I be grateful for this wonderful opportunity that I took advantage of?

I feel hopeful.

My answer to these feelings of loneliness, undervaluation, frustration, and confusion is hope. For so long, I have dreamed of working in a field that excites me, that I feel passionate about. I have visualized a future for myself in which I’ve created something that I’m proud of. I will continue working towards that future because I know that I made this decision for a reason.