Giovann E DeAngelis RD, LDN
Clinical Dietitian
Community Medical Center
Scranton Pennsylvania
I became attracted to the field of dietetics when I was seven years old and my brother was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. I grew up attending nutrition classes with my parents, and I always liked the food models that the dietitian used. Nutrition became one of my hobbies.
I shadowed some of the local dietitians during career days in middle school, and I thought it would be fun to one day have my own private practice. I was always very interested in the education part of dietetics. Being able to teach others how to have a healthier lifestyle was a significant part of my choice to become a dietitian.
I decided to attend Marywood University, majoring in nutrition and dietetics. When I was a sophomore, I applied to, and was accepted into the coordinated program at Marywood, which would allow me to complete my internship while going to school. This was very beneficial because it allowed the students to apply the knowledge that they learned immediately in a clinical practice setting, instead of having to wait to apply it during an internship.
Before graduation I already had my job secured at Community Medical Center. This was a nice reward to come after four years of hard work. I accepted this job mainly because a large portion of it required my teaching a daily nutrition class to patients who had undergone a heart intervention such as a stent, angioplasty, or open heart surgery. I also work with diabetic patients, and those who are diagnosed with CHF or have recently had a heart attack.
I love my job at the CMC. The people that you work with can really make or break a job experience for you. The dietitians, nurses, and doctors that I work with have really made my first job a very enjoyable experience.
My advice to students who are interested in the field of dietetics is to first take advantage of any chemistry classes in high school. Even though they won’t count for future college credit, at least you’ll be familiar with the basics. Also, when deciding which colleges/universities to apply to, consider whether or not you would like to do your internship while in school. If you feel more comfortable completing an internship after your education, your school of choice need only have a didactic program. However, if you would like to experience hands on in the field what you are learning in the classroom, you may want to select a school that offers a Coordinated Program. The Coordinated Program combines the didactic instruction with a minimum of 900 hours of supervised practice. Your internship is completed when you finish the program.
Please feel free to contact me for further information.
Email address: giovann_deangelis@hotmail.com
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