Medical Dietetics at Ohio State

[madame_scientist2020]

Hi everyone! I was recently accepted into OSU (yayy!!!). I plan on majoring in Medical Dietetics, and then I plan to apply to medical school after I'm done. I was wondering if any students on here have majored in this at OSU? If so, I have some questions, and I would love to get some insight on what this major is like.

1. What are the advisors/professors like? Generally approachable/helpful, or not so much?
   
   
2. What are the classes like?
   
   
3. What are your plans after for after graduation?
   
   
4. Did you/do you plan on doing an internship? If so, how hard is it to find positions?
   
   
5. Are you involved in research?
   
   
6. Anything else I should know?

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[LizzyM]

Are you aware that this major is meant for people who plan to become dietitians? Are you aware that there is no space in the curriculum for organic chemistry and physics, courses required for medical school admission? Are you aware that dietetics is not seen as a particularly rigorous course of study (whether it is or it is not, it may be viewed with a sneer by adcoms that don't see it as rigorous compared with biophysics or engineering, etc).? Why are you doing a vocational major when you don't plan on practicing as a dietitian?

I have known dietitians who went on to medical school but most had to do a post-bac (more time and money) after completing their dietetics training.

 

[madame_scientist2020]

Are you aware that this major is meant for people who plan to become dietitians? Are you aware that there is no space in the curriculum for organic chemistry and physics, courses required for medical school admission? Are you aware that dietetics is not seen as a particularly rigorous course of study (whether it is or it is not, it may be viewed with a sneer by adcoms that don't see it as rigorous compared with biophysics or engineering, etc).? Why are you doing a vocational major when you don't plan on practicing as a dietitian?

I have known dietitians who went on to medical school but most had to do a post-bac (more time and money) after completing their dietetics training.

Hi there, and thanks for responding. Are you familiar with the OSU Dietetics major, or are you just speaking generally about the major? Because some of the concerns you're raising aren't concurrent with the research I've done:

1. Are you aware that this major is meant for people who plan to become dietitians? Are you aware that there is no space in the curriculum for organic chemistry and physics, courses required for medical school admission?

-There IS room for organic chem and physics classes in the curriculum. Also, from the program's website: "Our medical dietetics program is just the starting point for many academic careers. This major is designed to provide a strong undergraduate preparation for those students who want to pursue a career in research or further education in medicine, public health or nursing."

2. Are you aware that dietetics is not seen as a particularly rigorous course of study (whether it is or it is not, it may be viewed with a sneer by adcoms that don't see it as rigorous compared with biophysics or engineering, etc).?

-My family doctor actually majored in medical dietetics and went on to med school, so it's not impossible.

3. Why are you doing a vocational major when you don't plan on practicing as a dietitian?

-Well for one, from what I've gathered from my own research/the people I've talked to, I think I will genuinely enjoy the field. For two, what if I want to get my RD and be a MD RD like many others have in the past? Thirdly, I've been told that you don't have to have a particular major to get into medical school, as long as you have the pre-reqs, and good grades in the pre-reqs (among many other things of course).

 

[LizzyM]

I looked at the OSU website for medical dietetics and I don't see where you can fit in physics and organic chemistry. Ask the advisors there how many have done this in the past 5 years and how many have been successful in being admitted to medical school.

Things may not be impossible but they also aren't the straightest path. You can major in anything you wish and still go to medical school but when it comes to considering GPA in light of the rigor of the academic preparation, a more rigorous program of study with the same GPA is going to be considered stronger.

Take a look at this table. Specialized Health Sciences would include Medical Dietetics:

https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf

It makes about as much sense to be a RD, MD as it does to be a LCSW, MD or some other amalgam. If you are interested in practicing medicine/nutrition, leave that for your residency/fellowship training.
NBPNS

 

[madame_scientist2020]

I looked at the OSU website for medical dietetics and I don't see where you can fit in physics and organic chemistry. Ask the advisors there how many have done this in the past 5 years and how many have been successful in being admitted to medical school.

Things may not be impossible but they also aren't the straightest path. You can major in anything you wish and still go to medical school but when it comes to considering GPA in light of the rigor of the academic preparation, a more rigorous program of study with the same GPA is going to be considered stronger.

Take a look at this table. Specialized Health Sciences would include Medical Dietetics:

https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf

It makes about as much sense to be a RD, MD as it does to be a LCSW, MD or some other amalgam. If you are interested in practicing medicine/nutrition, leave that for your residency/fellowship training.
NBPNS

Thanks for the links and info, I'll check them out! As for fitting in Org and Physics, org has to be completed as a prereq for the program, and then you get 12 hours of electives that you can take. I'll check with the advisors about their med school numbers, that's a good idea, thanks.

 

[LizzyM]

Keep in mind that you need a full year of chemistry and a full year of o-chem and a full year of general biology and a full year of physics. I only see two chem courses, is it one semester of gen chem and one semester of o-chem. That leaves you two courses short in chem.

Go into this with your eyes wide open. It is not a good choice if you are hamstrung with required courses that don't quite meet the pre-reqs for med school.

 

[madame_scientist2020]

Keep in mind that you need a full year of chemistry and a full year of o-chem and a full year of general biology and a full year of physics. I only see two chem courses, is it one semester of gen chem and one semester of o-chem. That leaves you two courses short in chem.

Go into this with your eyes wide open. It is not a good choice if you are hamstrung with required courses that don't quite meet the pre-reqs for med school.

Thanks for you concern. It's actually 1 full year of gen chem (chem 1210 and chem 1220), and one semester of org chem (chem 2310). That leaves me with one more org chem (4 credits) to take and one full year of physics to take (8 credits), which I can do with my gen elective space.

 

[SuaveCardigans]

Thanks for you concern. It's actually 1 full year of gen chem (chem 1210 and chem 1220), and one semester of org chem (chem 2310). That leaves me with one more org chem (4 credits) to take and one full year of physics to take (8 credits), which I can do with my gen elective space.

.

 

[DrHart]

OSU graduate who has a sister who went through the OSU Med Diet program here. She doesn't use SDN but I'll give you the best info I can.

1. What are the advisors/professors like? Generally approachable/helpful, or not so much?
   Very close knit major so advisors/professors and students get to know each other pretty well. This is after your intro classes, which at Ohio State can have 250+ students in a lecture (gen chem, bio, anatomy, physio, etc.)
   
   
2. What are the classes like?
   Intro classes are run of the mill. You don't take O Chem or Physics - and your biochem isn't the same as what most pre-meds take. So if your plans are for medical school, you would really need to bust it to fit all the med school pre-req classes in. Major classes are small class size. Some lecture classes are like 3 or 4 hours long I think - this seemed strange to me cause my longest lectures were always 1.5 hr.
   
   
3. What are your plans after for after graduation?
   My sister got hired immediately following graduation as a staff dietitian. Some in her class went to grad school, I think maybe one went to medical school. Most find decent jobs working as a dietitian in either clinical or community.
   
   
4. Did you/do you plan on doing an internship? If so, how hard is it to find positions?
   If you get accepted to the major you complete an internship during your senior year. This is woven into your major - it's also why there is very little room for taking a full year of o chem and physics - because your senior year is mostly interning. Don't forget that most med schools want o chem lab - which at OSU is a 2 credit hour class that includes a 2 hour lecture once a week and 4 hour lab. So the entire o chem series (with lab) is 12 credit hours.
   
   
5. Are you involved in research?
   My sister worked on research for a few years within med diet. Certainly possible and many willing faculty.

Reading your discussion above, I feel like I should make it clear. You condense most of your 4 years into 3 years because your senior year is your internship. A lot of people in this major end up needing to take summer classes, otherwise you wouldn't get done in 4 years (unless you came in with a boatload of AP and PSEO credit). This is a tough major, despite what adcoms may think - you are learning a lot of specialized info. But if your ultimate goal is med school I would pick a major that is a more broad.

If you want to work as a dietitian, this major is really great. Whereas most programs go 4 years - and you have to apply to a 1 year internship after completing your degree before you can get a job - this major includes the internship so you can hit the ground running and get hired right out of school.

I won't say it's impossible to become an RD/MD but as LizzyM says - if you are set on going to medical school, it doesn't make much sense. If you want more info or want me to get my sister on here to answer some questions just PM me. Hope this helps!

 

[buckeyegal1129]

Why do you want to major in dietetics? I'm a current OSU student with some friends in the major and the courses they take aren't the same analysis level as other "hard science" majors. I have had pre-med friends here who major in nutrition but also double major with biology and chemistry. the issue with the major with wanting to go into a professional field is the skills you will learn or won't learn in it (I.e. How to analyze issues from a scientific or medical standpoint). Honestly, if you are just a dietetics/nutrition major here (or anywhere) it really doesn't hold much weight when applying to medical school because of the "softness" of the major courses. If this is something you are interested in, talk to your advisor (basically all advisors at OSU are willing to meet with incoming students) and talk about this and also consider picking up a second major (if you have the ability to) to bring in those more rigorous courses

 

[buckeyegal1129]

And yes, like it was said before, DO NOT TAKE CHEM 2310. Like at all. It's a condensed version of 2510/2520 and won't count when applying to medical school