A Sailor

"Navy dietitians have opportunities that far surpass what is available in the civilian sector. You have the opportunity to be involved in contingency and wartime operations. You have the opportunity to serve your country in a way that is never available in the civilian sector."


Dietetics/Food Management

Job Overview:

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Classification:
Χ Enlisted
√ Officer
Available in:
√ Active Duty
√ Navy Reserve

As a Navy Dietician, you’ll find cutting-edge work in the health services. Elite specialists at the top of their field. And a position of honor and respect waiting should you choose to join such ranks.

Pay:

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Good health through proper eating. It’s a universal principle that’s especially intriguing for dieticians serving their country in the U.S. Navy. Beyond formulating basic nutrition, these experts routinely innovate ways to help maintain the health of thousands of Sailors and Marines and work directly with patients in need of special nutritional attention.

What will you do?

Join approximately 44 Navy Dietitians who are almost all stationed in hospitals. Supervise inpatient medical nutrition therapy, outpatient nutrition counseling and food service operations. Take on general nutrition education and wellness programs for servicemembers and their families. You could participate in field and shipboard patient care and innovative food service operations.

Additional Insights

  • Navy Dietitians possess requisite skills to function as entry-level clinical dietitians in: patient assessment; medical record documentation; medical nutrition therapy counseling; and the ability to lead classes on weight control, diabetic diets and cardiovascular risk reduction
  • After initial clinical assignments, Navy Dietitians usually progress to Administrative/Food Service responsibilities
  • Navy Dietitians enjoy considerable freedom to select or develop patient education materials to meet the needs of their patient population. Although food service operations have standards and controls similar to other hospitals, innovation is encouraged along with looking at industry benchmarking and best practices
  • New and diverse experiences make Navy Dietetics both exciting and challenging. A dietitian’s assignment may be in a clinical or administrative setting. It may also involve practicing in the field or on board a ship.

Requirements

Basic Requirements

  1. Baccalaureate degree in dietetics, food and nutrition, food service management or public health nutrition
  2. Completion of a dietetic internship or a supervised practice program or Coordinated Undergraduate Program (CUP) accredited by the American Dietetic Association (ADA)
  3. Must be a Registered Dietitian (RD) in accordance with the ADA. Individuals who are eligible to take the registration exam (RD-eligible) may be considered for Officer Appointment if they are academically superior and strong candidates. Note: “Licensed Dietitian” or “Licensed Nutritionist” is not the same as “Registered Dietitian.” Licensure is a state-controlled program; registration is a national program and guarantees more reliable standards
  4. Member must be well within body fat and weight standards

Preferred Requirements

  1. Undergraduate/graduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point scale
  2. Master’s degree in nutrition, dietetics, foods and nutrition, food service management or related area
  3. Two or more years of professional experience as a clinical dietitian enhanced by supervisory responsibilities
  4. Professional references indicating superior clinical knowledge and supervisory/leadership skills

Want to drill deeper? Learn more about other Health Care Opportunities in the Medical Service Corps.

For more information, to talk to a Navy representative or to request a free informative video about the Navy Medical Service Corps, please fill out an information request form. We look forward to hearing from you!

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