Advice

[tee kay]

Hi,

I am new to these forums, and I have found all of your comments very helpful. I think I have the same dilemma as some of the other members...but I was wondering if anyone could offer any further advice. So here goes...I am currently a registered dietitian and I enjoy the profession, but I would like to obtain an advanced degree. I am certain that I do not want to pursue an MD, but I was researching three other possibilities...PhD, PharmD and an NP (nurse practitioner.) I know these seem like very different options, but I was hoping someone could comment on some pros and cons of each. As I said, I have been extensively researching each degree, but after reading the responses from this forum, I think I would benefit from hearing some opinions. The other slight complication is that my fiance is a med student, so I am somewhat limited in school choice etc.

Thanks.

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[LVPharm]

Hi tee kay,

I'm a pharmacy student, so I'm kinda biased here, but all three degrees you've listed will make a fine career on their own, but you'll probably want to find something complimentary to your current expertise in nutrition.

The PhD is, of course, an academic degree obtained through individual, unique research contributing to the field of your choice. Some schools such as Washington State offer Masters and PhD's in nutrition http://www.spokane.wsu.edu/academic/health_sciences/Nutrition/ and this may complement your current expertise, if you should wish to become an "academic dietitian/nutritionist" and do research. Other universities near you may offer similar programs.

Becoming an NP will require you to go through a standard nursing program and then obtain an advanced degree and/or certification to become a Nurse Practitioner. There maybe a significant time commitment here.

Another option I think you should consider:
Physician Assistants fulfill similar roles (ie, see patients, prescribe medications, etc...) with less amount of time training (typically 2 yrs). Some programs offer PA-C ("Physician Assistant Certificate") which may not require an undergrad degree (although currently 2/3 of PA's have a bachelor's) or MS Physician Assistant, which would be a masters degree often requiring you to have a BS/BA. This lists all the programs: http://www.aapa.org/pgmlist.php3 This maybe a more affordable option as far as I know (at least for the PA-C), and as you can see from the list, similar programs are offered in a large number of hospitals/schools.

Finally, PharmD...the only reason to really want to pursue this (in your case) is if you a) have a desire to learn about how medications work and wish to share this knowledge with patients by showing them how to use them effectively and safely, b) want to earn a rather stable and predictable income (at least, currently, everyone is around ~$80,000/yr) in a profession that has a shortage...meaning you'll work hard and long... and c) are comfortable doing repetitive work. Oh, be prepared to go back to a Junior College and fulfill prerequisite courses your undergrad degree did not fulfill (or if it has been more than 5 years since you've obtained the degree, you may have to take them over depending on the pharmacy program you'll apply to ). Then pharmacy school will take you another 4 years for regular programs, and 3 years for accelerated programs (like mine).

In summary, a graduate degree (Masters or PhD) in nutrition to complement your dietitian background maybe the best "fit" for you if you wish to continue working in the nutrition/dietitian field...but if you desire to work in a more medical role, your clinical background may be viewed upon favorably by some of those PA-C programs.

Hope this helps!

 

[tee kay]

LVpharm,

Thank-you for your reply, your advice was very helpful!! The reason that I did choice NP over PA is... where I live there is a 2 year accelerated program for non-RN's. There is no PA program in my area.

Now for pharmacy...I am intrigued by pharmacy, I have a close friend who is a pharmacist and I have shadowed her a few times. But you are right, it would take about 6 yrs to complete. I graduated 2 yrs ago, so my pre reqs would still be valid...but I would still have a while to go before I could even apply.

Thanks again, you gave me a lot a great points to think about and I hope all is going well with pharmacy school!!

Thanks!