The main careers of clinical nutritionists are private practice, the food and supplement industry, direct patient care in an outpatient setting, university teaching and research. There are many specialties you can choose from, including sports nutrition and human performance. The program prepares students with the opportunity to deepen their skills and knowledge of clinical nutrition. Graduates will have the tools they need to expand the types of clients and cases they work with, including people with complex clinical conditions.
Graduates will have the title of Doctor (Dr.) There are about 400 students who specialize in clinical nutrition at UC Davis. Some developed an interest in nutrition early in life, often because they or someone in their family had a health problem that required a special diet. Others started with a biological science major and discovered an appetite for clinical nutrition along the way. If organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology seem like tasty topics to you, then clinical nutrition specialization might be right for you.
These subjects prepare you for your nutrition classes, where you will learn about diet, diet, metabolism and health. There are also some sociology and food service management courses that will help you prepare to work with the public. Although many clinical nutrition students become DRs, the specialty can also lead to a variety of careers in nutrition, including government-funded food programs, community nutrition, institutional food services, and hospital diet planning. Part-time students pursuing a master's degree in clinical nutrition generally graduate in three to five years.
Clinical nutrition involves studying what nutrients are needed for the body to function and how what you eat affects your health. A full-time student pursuing a master's degree in clinical nutrition can generally complete a program in 18 months. In addition, stakeholders should gain hands-on clinical experience by completing an internship after completing the nutrition degree. Clinical nutritionists analyze a person's diet, along with medical history, to determine how their nutritional intake can affect their health, prevent diseases, or mitigate symptoms of a chronic illness.
You can also open your own clinic and provide nutrition advice and analysis to patients of any age and health status. Graduates of MUIH nutrition programs work in a variety of settings including private practice; inclusive group practices; nutrition clinics; health care systems; hospitals; community, non-profit, and outreach organizations; state and local health departments; school systems; culinary organizations; sports and recreational organizations, and colleges and universities. In addition, students will use their own clients as a basis for formal case studies and publish original clinical nutrition manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Major industries employing clinical nutritionists include private practice physicians, the food and supplement industry, research centers, government agencies, and outpatient clinics.
Meanwhile, certified clinical nutrition specialists and dietitians earn degrees, conduct internships, and obtain licenses that ensure they have the training needed to make use of the most credible, evidence-based research. In addition, they must complete a 56-hour online clinical nutrition training program offered through the board. Securing an internship to become a DR is a highly competitive process, and approximately half of your UC Davis clinical nutrition classmates will take that path within a few years of graduating. .
