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Nutrition internship vs outpatient dietitian

The differences between nutrition interns and outpatient dietitians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a nutrition internship and an outpatient dietitian. Additionally, an outpatient dietitian has an average salary of $62,717, which is higher than the $36,506 average annual salary of a nutrition internship.

The top three skills for a nutrition internship include patients, nutrition education programs and nutrition education materials. The most important skills for an outpatient dietitian are patients, medical nutrition therapy, and patient care.

Nutrition internship vs outpatient dietitian overview

Nutrition InternshipOutpatient Dietitian
Yearly salary$36,506$62,717
Hourly rate$17.55$30.15
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs48,20410,972
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a nutrition internship do?

Nutrition interns are individuals who are on the job training for the tasks performed by licensed nutritionists or dieticians. The interns provide a nutrition care process that includes prescription of parenteral and enteral recommendations and analysis of laboratory values. They prepare a case study presentation that applies evidence-based guidelines and nutrition care process research. It is also part of their responsibilities to provide nutrition services, meal plans, and lesson plans.

What does an outpatient dietitian do?

An Outpatient Dietitian is responsible for providing medical nutrition therapy, such as nutrition assessment, nutrition support, patient intervention, and education. They also identify the educational needs of others, develop formal educational training programs or classes, and teach or instruct others.

Nutrition internship vs outpatient dietitian salary

Nutrition interns and outpatient dietitians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nutrition InternshipOutpatient Dietitian
Average salary$36,506$62,717
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $53,000Between $38,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between nutrition internship and outpatient dietitian education

There are a few differences between a nutrition internship and an outpatient dietitian in terms of educational background:

Nutrition InternshipOutpatient Dietitian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorFood And NutritionDietetics
Most common collegeUniversity of Maryland - College ParkUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Nutrition internship vs outpatient dietitian demographics

Here are the differences between nutrition interns' and outpatient dietitians' demographics:

Nutrition InternshipOutpatient Dietitian
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 18.0% Female, 82.0%Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 10.1% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between nutrition internship and outpatient dietitian duties and responsibilities

Nutrition internship example responsibilities.

  • Research foods available in VT grocery stores that meet the WIC criteria for eligible food products in VT.
  • Complete nutrition assessments and design interventions for hospital patients and long term care facility residents.
  • Enter recipes and analyze nutrient levels of school lunches via USDA approve software program, NutriKids.
  • Create agendas, identify potential speakers and topics, connect communities and individuals to USDA resources and programs.
  • Research on various topics such as corporate wellness, exercise, food allergies, and other health relate concerns.
  • Create diabetes educational handouts for an outpatient clinic.
  • Show more

Outpatient dietitian example responsibilities.

  • Manage the anemia status of patients by reviewing necessary lab data and initiating or adjusting medication doses.
  • Perform nutritional education, complete comprehensive assessments, calculate patient needs for nutrition support and determine patients at risk for malnutrition.
  • Create educational lesson discussing hypertension prevention, risk factors, MNT.
  • Monitor patients' nutrition status, laboratory values, diet tolerance, and motivate them to adhere to dietary/medications recommendations.
  • Provide clinical nutrition coverage as needed for medical-surgical, telemetry, intensive care unit, behavioral health and rehabilitative floors.

Nutrition internship vs outpatient dietitian skills

Common nutrition internship skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Nutrition Education Programs, 9%
  • Nutrition Education Materials, 5%
  • RD, 5%
  • Diabetes, 4%
  • Food Safety, 4%
Common outpatient dietitian skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy, 11%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Nutrition Services, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%
  • Healthcare Professionals, 4%

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