NutritionJobs’s Dietetic Career Spotlight Interview: Marie Miller, DTR

NutritionJobs: You received your Diet Technician registered (DTR) certificate at Merritt College in 2008 and have worked at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and with Byram Healthcare. Would you consider your jobs traditional or non-traditional?

Marie Miller: 
I would consider both my jobs have traditional aspects but also rather untraditional aspects in terms of what I am able to do under the supervision of an RD.

What does your day look like at SFVAMC? 
Working as a DTR at the SFVAMC, I work very closely with the RD’s. I don’t know of any other place that gives you such lateral experience and amount of responsibility in the field. My regular day at the SFVAMC can include a myriad of tasks such as a comprehensive screening of patients at mildly/moderately compromised nutritional risk, nutrition consults, teaching classes, DT intern and RD intern training, and special event planning.

What do you do for Byram Healthcare? 
Byram Healthcare is a disposable medical supply and services delivery provider. I work within the enteral nutrition aspect of the company. My job entails teaching patients and family members how to use a tube feeding pump. Most of my patients are children, so I usually do the teaching with the patient’s parents. This includes maintenance of pumps, delivering supplies and troubleshooting. Most of the teaching is usually done at bedside prior to a patient leaving the hospital, however, there are instances where I have taught patients in their homes. My employers are located in Bellevue, Washington. I can call the RD during working hours but most correspondence is over e-mail when needed. For the most part, I pretty much work by myself.

What career mistakes did you make along the way? 
My biggest mistake early in my career would have to be my lack of confidence. A lot of places where I have been employed, I was basically considered a glorified waitress- even being called such on occasions! In a lot of hospitals, unfortunately, there is a lack of respect for nutrition professional in the field. When doctors can respect their RD’s, it becomes a trickle down affect. Diet technician can be one of the great assets in the nutrition department. We are more than just the people that get the menus.

What career mistakes did you make along the way?
My biggest mistake early in my career would have to be my lack of confidence. A lot of places where I have been employed, I was basically considered a glorified waitress- even being called such on occasions! In a lot of hospitals, unfortunately, there is a lack of respect for nutrition professional in the field. When doctors can respect their RD’s, it becomes a trickle down affect. Diet technician can be one of the great assets in the nutrition department. We are more than just the people that get the menus.

What advice you have for others hoping to pace a new career path, either for those who are new to the profession or seasoned professionals?
It is exciting to work in the Nutrition field! Through networking I have found that a nutrition professional is more than just a person working in the clinical realm. I know diet technicians that work in WIC teaching breast-feeding classes and formulate diet patterns for menu planning. My advice for those who want to be in the field is to remain determined and diligent. When you work hard for what you love, if it’s truly their passion, it will reward you ten-fold. Have a really good work ethics. Be organized, because you will probably be asked to multitask. Never burn your bridges (the nutrition family is very close knit). Be excited about what you do and truly find the joys in what you do. If you can’t do that, you are probably in the wrong field.