Key data
Job description: Dietician
Company: University Hospital Graz
** I’ve worked here since:** 2018
What I do:
- Planning nutritional therapy for in-patients
- Nutritional advice for at home
- Providing food to patients
Why I love my job:
- Contact with other people and hearing some interesting stories
- Complex issues which require creative ideas
- The gratitude shown
What I don’t like so much about my job
Nutritional therapy is not yet considered to be a relevant aspect of medical therapy by everyone. As a dietician, a degree of perseverance is therefore often required.
Important skills in my job:
- Empathy
- Independence
- Multi-tasking
My biggest accomplishment so far:
I particularly enjoy supporting patients by providing the right nutrition adapted to their needs to help with their recovery, for example after an operation. Regular visits mean that successes often stick in the mind along with a pleasant memory of the positive effects of nutritional therapy.
How I found my current job:
The vacancy was advertised during my internship. You tend to build up lots of useful contacts as a result of the many internships you have to complete during your studies. These contacts have already helped some of my fellow students secure a job after their Bachelor’s.
What I learned for this job during my studies:
The Dietetics and Nutrition course at FH JOANNEUM provides future dieticians with the specialist expertise they need to address various clinical symptoms. Complex case histories require the interlinking of specialist expertise. A great deal of emphasis is also placed on communication and social skills. Creativity too is a part of many of the projects.
Job prospects in my field:
Since nutritional therapy is gaining in significance in my opinion and the emergence of nutrition-related illnesses, such as metabolic disorders and intolerances, is on the increase, the profession of dietician is definitely forward-thinking. New structures, such as the primary care centres in Austria, are generating new professional fields. The important thing is that dieticians as a professional group remain strong and active.
I am:…
- a team player
- empathetic
- curious
About my job:
The Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition was unforgettable, educational, and fun. The small number of students and numerous projects which can be completed as a group gave rise to a very pleasant working environment within the year group. Having fun while working together makes it easier to remember complicated information. Over these three years, you really grow together as a year group. The numerous internships and projects during the course provide a chance to establish lots of useful contacts and get to know some interesting people.
I am currently studying:
After my Bachelor’s, I decided to complete the part-time Master’s in Applied Nutrition Medicine at FH JOANNEUM in cooperation with the Medical University of Graz. This provides dieticians with an opportunity to further develop their scientific knowledge. Both doctors and dieticians attend the course, which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between the two professional groups.
