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I am applying for this course because I am very interested in becoming a dietitian. I have been interested in this career for a number of years. I enjoy chemistry and food related subjects and I am interested in working for the health service. As well as this I am intrigued about how the body works and the influencer nutrition has on this. My A-level in biology covers briefly the variations in dietary requirements as the life cycle takes place. I have enjoyed this subject and would like to study it in more depth. I have completed 1 week shadowing the dietitian's at *******. I enjoyed every minute of it and I particularly enjoyed the dietitian's clinics. The clinic's allowed the dietitian to have one to one contact with the patient. This seems the most effective way to change a patient's behaviour. The majority of patients I came into contact with had some form of diabetes, but I also saw anorexia and obesity. The skills used during these appointments were fascinating. I often saw a cycle of a dietitian who managed to persuade patients who were not thinking about change to change some parts of their diets. These skills are essential in this career and are preliminary taught through the degree and improved in practice. This week was also helpful as it helped me confirm my career choice and therefore my university options.
My A-level subjects are very relevant to this course. The course is split into 2 main areas, academic and clinical work. In the first year the course covers a lot of biochemistry, and I believe my a-levels in biology and chemistry will help me here. The course will also contain numerous calculations especially in working out specific requirements. My mathematics knowledge will help me here. There will be many parts which are new to me and these include behavioural sciences such as psychology and sociology. Modules in professional studies will also be new to me although my work experiences has enabled me to observe some of these skills in practice.
My main career aim upon successful completion of the course is to practise as a dietitian in the UK, for the NHS. I then hope to achieve senior status.
As a person I view myself as organised committed and friendly. I think these are all qualities which will help me in the dietetic world. I am organised because I complete all my college assignments on time, and to a high standard. I like to organise my days in advance so tasks get completed on time, and free time is used effectively. I believe I am committed to my studies. I chose to attend a college with a higher profile than my local college event though this resulted in 90 minutes of travelling per day. I feel I am friendly, and can mix with other people in unfamiliar situations. This is important as communication skills are vital in a dietetic career.
In my spare time I enjoy voluntary work, leisure activities and part time work. I am currently a young Guide leader for my local Guide group. This has enabled me to work towards the Guide Association's leadership qualification. On completion I will, be qualified to be an assistant Guide Leader. The qualification aims at developing skills required in order to run a unit and also develops teamwork and leadership skills. For leisure I am a member of my local gym. This is primarily to improve fitness but it also builds self confidence and I meet new people. I am currently employed at my local Primark store as a till operator. The job has enabled me to develop customer service skills, which will be important in my future career.
As well as these activities I like to take part in my college's enrichment programme. I have participated in IT enrichment and Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The IT enrichment have provided me with OCR qualification in text production up to level 3. I am continuing with these classes in order to obtain the Diploma in Text Production. I am currently working towards Duke of Edinburgh Gold award, and have completed the expedition and residential aspects of this award. For my residential I took part in an International Guide and Scout camp, where I was a staff member working on the catering team. Both exploration and residential helped me incorporate team work but in different scenarios.
University Offers
All course applied for include state registration as a dietitian.
- Queen Margaret University Edinburgh - 180 Points from at least 2 A-levels, including 2 sciences. (Accepted this offer even though i was predicted AAA)
- University Wales Institute Cardiff - 260 Points from 3 A-levels including Biology and Chemistry
- Leeds Metropolitan University - CCD Including chemistry and one other science
- Glasgow Caledonian University - Not sure (conditional offer)
- Surrey University - BBB: include 2 sciences preferably chemistry and biology.
- Nottingham University - Rejected after interview for Msc Nutrition with state registration as a dietitian, accepted for Bsc Nutrition. BCC: Including chemistry and one other science.
