Celebrating Dietitians Week 2024

To celebrate Dietitians Week 2024 and supporting the theme "From classroom, to clinic and beyond" we have asked Gemma Fry, Medical Scientific Liaison (Registered Dietitian) and Matt Lear, Scientific Affairs Registered Dietitian about their first role in dietetics and what their advice would be for anyone looking to start a career within dietitics. 

My First Dietetic Role

My dietetic career began 15 years ago. I strated as a Band 5 Rotational post, but since, my career has taken me down a slightly alternative dietetic path.

I have been a principle investigator in a big randomised controlled trial, have worked in new product development for Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP), and most recently, I have moved into my current role as a Medical Scientific Liaison for parenteral nutrition.

Gemma Dietitian Week - 1

"Dietetics isn't a one size fits all journey"

Although these have been somewhat different roles from a skillset point of view, nutrition support and managing malnutrition have always been at the core of my "why". 

I love that dietetics isn't a one size fits all journey and would wholly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone. 

My First Dietetic Role

My first role was in a district general hospital in the Welsh Valleys as a Band 5 dietitian. 

I covered a number of impact wards including elderly care, general medical and a mental health ward. 

Part of my training in this role was covering gastroenterology and surgical outliers with support from the specialist dietitian.

Matt Dietitian Week - 1

My biggest piece of advice

I can give to new dietitians or students coming into the role is that there is always more to learn and that we are all students in our own way - even the most "experienced" in their fields.

Try not to be intimidated by this, but instead, be curious and learn what you can from others. Often, you can be surpirsed by where the most important lessons come from.