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Which path should I follow?

I am currently at a decisive stage of my education. At 22, I am about to complete my undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of the Andes a discipline I value and enjoy. However, Medicine has always been my true passion and the ultimate goal I wish to pursue.

I am considering two possible paths:

Pursuing Medicine: Starting this journey after graduating in Nutrition. I am aware it is a long road of approximately 6 to 7 years, but it would allow me to become a physician with an exceptional foundation in nutrition.

Specializing in Nutrition: Deepening my expertise in my current field to enter the clinical and professional world more quickly.

While time is a significant factor, my desire to serve through medicine remains strong. I am now looking to define which of these paths will lead to my greatest professional fulfillment

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Keith’s Answer

Very different paths that have significantly different demands. Becoming a physician requires another 7-10 or more years of education and training followed by years of growth in your chosen area of medicine. The rewards are probably greater than a doctorate in nutrition from a monetary standpoint and from an autonomy perspective. But the cost in time getting there is substantial, so my primary advice is to be as certain as possible before committing to the medicine path.
In the U.S., if you decided late in the medical education to not complete it, the financial obligations would already be very large with no likely prospect of an income to fund that.
If you love teaching and helping others learn the science of nutrition, you will be contributing at an earlier stage of life.
The most important thing is to choose what motivates you to want to get up each day with purpose. If you do that, you will have made the right decision.
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Vanessa’s Answer

A degree in Nutrition and Dietetics is an ideal foundation for emerging, high-impact careers in integrative and culinary medicine where one can impact patient health. Healthful food is the cornerstone for many chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. Culinary medicine combines evidence-based nutrition science with the art of cooking, so that food is tailored as valuable tool in the toolkit of treating and preventing chronic diseases. Integrative medicine aims to treat the whole person, often focusing on the root causes of disease rather than just symptoms. You may also want to consider areas which would allow more dedicated time to nutrition counseling such as a Master's or areas noted here:
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN): The primary, licensed professional for Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) in hospitals, clinics, and outpatient offices.
Clinical Nutrition Manager: Working with dietitians to improve patient outcomes in hospitals.
Integrative Health Coach: Working with physicians on lifestyle changes, including nutrition and exercise.
Diabetes Educator/Specialist: Helping patients with diabetes manage their condition through tailored meal plans and lifestyle changes.
Corporate Wellness Consultant: Developing, managing, and delivering wellness programs to reduce employee disease risk.
Public Health Nutritionist: Working for government or non-profit agencies on community-wide health improvement initiatives.
Some links attached

Vanessa recommends the following next steps:

https://www.integrativepractitioner.com/nutrition/2022-01-14-q-a-how-culinary-medicine-can-be-incorporated-into-clinical-settings/
https://nunm.edu/2026/01/what-can-you-do-with-a-masters-degree-in-nutrition-nunm-students-make-it-their-own/
https://careerrecon.com/integrative-and-functional-medicine-lifestyle-medicine/
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Hwal’s Answer

Jorge,

I'm a primary care internal medicine PA. If you're not yet familiar with the PA profession, I would encourage you to check out the PAs Do That website to learn about what PAs do and PAs in different medical specialties:

https://www.pasdothat.net/

I'm from Australia where the PA profession as we know it doesn't yet exist, and I ultimately decided to go to PA school instead of medical school because of the rigorous training, and for the fact that I could start practicing sooner than if I decided to go to medical school. Here's a list of steps to become a PA, on the American Academy of PAs website:

https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/08/6-steps-become-pa/

Let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.

Good luck!

Hwal
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