Oakland University’s most common major is focused on nursing and healthcare sciences. It has been a couple of years since the Department of Biological Sciences began offering a concentration based on the world of nutrition and dietetics.
Special Nutrition and Culinary Skills instructor, Sarah Martin, is a registered dietitian with a master’s in clinical nutrition. Martin held an online information session for all OU students who were curious about what education on dietetics would look like. The online session was held on Jan. 31, where an overall dietetic career overview was explained in depth.
“So, dietetics is wedged nicely into the wellness and lifestyle medicine kind of greater good, and it sits within the field of nutrition,” Martin explained. “So, dietetics is just referring to registered dietitian nutrition, and these are considered the real food and nutrition experts that have a degree from an accredited dietetics program.”
Martin also highlighted the various career options that one can take with a degree in dietetics. Working at hospitals in multiple positions, management in food services, private practices, community and public health, sports nutrition and corporate wellness programs were some of the most popular opportunities. Martin explained that “there’s a whole bunch of ways to become a dietitian.”
“The only way to come to it at OU is through the undergraduate program. So, the undergraduate program at OU is a two-year program that sequences the courses to build knowledge and skills.” Martin said.
The info session included what precise steps students should take, how DPD verification statements are necessary for undergraduate programs, how higher education programs may require specific verifications, and that a master’s is necessary to become a registered dietician. Martin also discusses courses that are recommended and required for students’ future success when becoming dietitians here at OU.
Some classes the Golden Grizzlies can try to explore the Dietetics specialization are NTR 1000 Careers in Nutrition, NTR 3100 Dietetics Seminar or NTR 2500 Human Nutrition and Health.
Some required courses are NTR 4200 Communication and Counseling in Nutrition Practice and NTR 4500 Professional Practice and Ethics in Nutrition. The competitive application process for entry includes a minimum grade of a B- in NTR 2500, a 2.8 overall GPA and a personal statement.
Martin also highlighted why dietetics is an incredibly important field of knowledge.
“You know, [in] the way our medical system is set up, we get a lot of prescriptions and a lot of ‘Well, this is your problem, and here’s the pill,’” Martin said. She explained that there are not enough resources on healthy lifestyles or behaviors to help people improve their health outside of pharmaceuticals.
“I think having dietitians and people that are truly educated in nutrition with a true science background, rather than people running around and saying, ‘You need to lose 100 pounds to ever meet your health goals,’ is really necessary for people to improve health conditions,” Martin said.
Sarah Martin was also a guest speaker on Fox 2 News when advertising the Healthology Symposium that took place on March 23, 2023. Martin did a culinary demonstration on how to make a vegetarian, protein-full meal. She also discussed how many procedures she practiced in her NTR 2750 Introduction to Cooking and Culinary Science class she teaches during her time on Fox News.
The online session allowed for more personal questions and personalized conversation with the speaker as any advisory meeting does. Future sessions will be held and are scheduled on the Dietetics specialization page of OU’s website.
