Health Careers
Dietitian
Professional Activities
Registered Dietitians provide nutritional advice and training to individuals and groups. They promote sound nutritional practices to improve health and treat disease. Registered Dietitians may specialize in administration, clinical therapeutics, education, community nutrition, and research.
In rural Alaska, most dietitians have some clinical, administrative, and educational responsibilities. Many work in hospitals where they manage the food service and provide consultation to physicians and patients on the special nutritional needs of patients. Others work for regional health corporations or governmental agencies and develop educational plans to improve the nutritional habits of the community, especially school children.
Other facilities that dietitians are employed in Alaska include school districts, clinics, health clubs, private practices, nursing homes, food service management, WIC offices and public health departments.
Educational Requirements
Individuals considering a career in dietetics should have an interest in food, including food preparation, food science, agricultural science, education, and food-related health issues.
- Graduation from high school with coursework in math, science, and English.
- Completion of a four-year Bachelor’s degree in dietetics or nutrition in an American Dietetic Association approved program.
- Students then complete a six to twelve month clinical, food service and classroom internship program in dietetics accredited by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). This internship prepares them to take the national registration exam.
- Some students enter a coordinated program that combines a four-year Bachelor’s degree with the internship.
- Some students combine the internship with graduate school. These programs are generally at least 18 months in length and lead to a Master’s degree.
- A Registered Dietitian (RD) is an individual who has met the education and experience requirements of the ADA and has passed a registration exam.
Academic Programs
The University of Alaska Anchorage has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition. Two emphasis areas are offered: Community Nutrition or Nutrition Science. The Community Nutrition emphasis prepares students to work in general health and wellness positions or for advance study in public health or related fields. The Nutrition Science emphasis prepares students for research or advanced study in nutrition or the medical field. (Note: Neither of these options provide students the requirements to become a Registered Dietitian (RD).) For more information, contact:
University of Alaska Anchorage
Division of Culinary Arts and Hospitality
Kendra Sticka
Phone: (907) 786-4935
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/ctc/programs/academic/culinary/academics/dietetics.cfm
The UAA Dietetic Internship prepares pre-professionals for eligibility to take the National Registered Dietitian exam. The UAA Dietetic Internship offers unique experiences through its concentration in “Alaska Native Culture and the Alaska Healthcare Delivery System.” For more information, contact:
University of Alaska Anchorage Dietetic Internship
Carrie King, MS, RD, LD, CD
Division of Culinary Arts and Hospitality
Phone: (907) 786-1362
Fax: (907) 786-1402
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/ctc/programs/academic/culinary/dietetic-internship.cfm
UAF’s Interior Aleutians campus now offers a Rural Nutrition Services program. This program is a culturally relevant multidisciplinary course of study that combines Nutrition Science, Alaska Native Knowledge, Behavioral Health, and Outreach Skills. For more information, contact:
Interior Aleutians Campus
P.O. Box 756720
Fairbanks, AK 99775
Sarah McConnell, Program Manager
Phone: (907) 474-6080
Fax: (907) 474-5561
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: http://www.uaf.edu/iac/programs/rural-nutrition-services/
Contacts
State Contact:
The Alaska Dietetic Association
AKDA President’s email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.eatrightak.org/board_public.html
National Contact:
American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (800) 877-1600
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web site: http://www.eatright.org
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on November 14, 2011
