Student experience – Robin

Robin explains what you can expect from the MDiet (Hons) Dietetics course
MDiet Dietetics student, Robin Wileman
Current final year MDiet student Robin talks about her university journey which may be helpful to anyone thinking about studying MDiet (Hons) Dietetics . She explains how the programme is taught, gives insights into her experience so far and provides advice to future students.
 

Picking Â鶹´«Ã½

When I travelled down for my interview, I found Â鶹´«Ã½ so friendly and welcoming, and the lecturers I spoke to all seemed genuinely passionate about dietetics.
Â鶹´«Ã½ is 400 miles away from my hometown in County Durham, but there was absolutely no doubt in my mind when I selected Â鶹´«Ã½ as my first choice on my UCAS application!
BA (Hons) Graphic Communication with Typography - Roland Levinsky Building
 

Gaining skills and experience

The MDiet is a brilliant opportunity to gain even more skills and experience, it places more emphasis on being independent and pioneering and gives you even more opportunities for interprofessional learning and professional development.
There is so much variation and detail you get to experience in the modules on the MDiet course. You are able to explore your own areas of interest within assignments, choosing your own topics and conditions for several of them and you can carry out your own research for your dissertation.
I also love how it sets you up for your dietetic career: I personally feel so much more confident stepping out into my first job as a dietitian knowing I have an additional year of learning and experience under my belt.

I have recently been offered my first band 5 Dietitian job in a mental health and learning disabilities rotational position, which is my dream dietetic job.

 

Balancing theory and practice

The balance of theory to practical work at the University is perfect for the course, there is a great blend of dietetics theory intertwined with much more hands-on teaching sessions to reinforce these skills in practice.
The theoretical elements of the degree are vital in underpinning the more practical aspects of learning: both compliment each other and provide students with a well-rounded plethora of skills to equip them to enter the workplace when they qualify as a HCPC-registered Dietitian.
Practical work at the Â鶹´«Ã½ is a real mix of different skills and learning, which changes and adapts as you progress through the course. This can be a mixture of laboratory practicals, cooking and tasting sessions, as well as role playing with your peers and real actors. Practical work can involve multidisciplinary learning, on top of a whole range of other activities such as practising assisted feeding on each other, getting to have a look at different feeding tubes and equipment, and preparing different fortified foods and nutritional supplements in the kitchens.
Mdiet Dietetics student Robin Wileman talking to another student in a lab
 

A typical week

A typical week studying dietetics at the Â鶹´«Ã½ is varied and dynamic, with a mix of lectures, practical sessions, seminars, and self-taught learning. There are usually regular, structured teaching sessions interspersed with more independent and collaborative learning – roleplaying or case-ba