Admissions Open: Is Nutrition a Good Career Option?

Your admissions-related questions, answered.

A few weeks to go before your board results will be declared and then you’ll be officially out of school. Yes, we know of the butterflies you must have in your stomach every time some says “results” and all those admission-related questions that fill up your head. Trust us, we know it all!

And you ain’t got anything to worry, ’cuz we’ve got you covered! The Quint along with its knowledge partner CollegeDekho will answer all your college and career-related queries. Send in your sawaals for some expert advice on [e-mail].

I have studied PCM in class 12 and I’m interested in civil service. I’m unable to choose my graduation stream because my parents want me to pursue B.Tech, but I am not interested in engineering. I’m very confused what to do?

Nishant Tyagi

Dear Nishant,

You have to be a graduate to appear for UPSC Prelims. Keeping that in mind, you have two options:

Option I: B.Tech

Either you pursue B.Tech first and then appear for the Engineering Services Exam (ESE)/Indian Engineering Service exam (IES). Or after completing your B.Tech, you can choose an engineering subject as your main option for UPSC prelims. You can also choose maths, physics or chemistry as your main subject, depending on your strength.

You will anyway have to prepare for the subsidiary subjects, irrespective of what your main subject is. The advantage of this option is that at the end of your B.Tech programme, you will be in a better position to decide if you still want to opt for Civil Services or go on to pursue M.Tech or MBA (as most engineers do). Either way, you will be in a lucrative situation in terms of a career choice. The flip side of this option is that you will spend an extra year completing your B.Tech (a normal UG programme lasts for three years, whereas a B.Tech programme is of four years’ duration).

Option II: A Regular UG Course

You can go for regular graduation (three years’ duration). You are a PCM student, you can opt for physics, chemistry or maths as your honours. A specialisation in statistics is also an option for you. You may even choose to move to economics, political science, etc, if you have the option.

Many Civil Services aspirants opt for a BA pass course at their UG level, so that they study all subjects and are in a better position to choose their main subject for UPSC prelims. However, the flip side of this is that if you don’t fare well in your UPSC exam, then your career prospects suffer a tad bit. But you will have to take that call yourself.

Good luck!

Should I do a DIET course through regular mode and chemistry honours through distant mode or vice-versa?

Sakshi Rajput

Dear Sakshi,

We suggest you go for chemistry honours in regular mode and DIET course through distance learning. Why? Because, after you finish your graduation with a chemistry honours degree, you can still prepare for NET exam and pursue a career in the education field. Additionally, chemistry honours will give you more PG/career options, should you have a change of mind with regard to your career choice.

I am a science student and have given my 12th boards. I am totally confused about further studies. I have read that nutrition is a good option to look at. But still, I need to get more information about it. Could you please help me about what courses I can take for nutrition? Where all can I apply? The future of this course?

Vrinda Sheeju

We will suggest you study a relatively generic course (that offers wider options for you to choose from at a later stage). You can always pursue a PG course in nutrition & dietetics and enter the field.

There is a BSc programme in food science and nutrition that is available at the UG level that you can take up if you want a career in this field. Home science, medicine, science, hotel management and catering, microbiology, biochemistry, etc, are also options that you can explore at the UG level.

At the PG level, you can either pursue a two-year dietetics and nutrition course or a one year post graduate diploma in dietetics and public health nutrition. You will need to complete a compulsory three-month internship in a hospital under a dietician should you choose to do a diploma.

We suggest you to browse through the complete list of nutrition & dietician colleges in India and check out their fees before you make a decision.

Career Options

Some of the career options available to you after completion of a nutrition and dietetics course include:

· Nutritionist or dietitian

· Food or restaurant manager

· Food and health reporter

· Editor, advertising or a marketing specialist in this field

· Catering manager

· Consultant

· Teacher or professor

I gave my 12th HSC Board. I expect a score of 80%. I will score around 63 marks in JEE Mains. I will also take NEET. Should I drop a year if I don’t even clear NEET or should I take admission in LPU university?

Deeksha Bajpai

Dear Deeksha,

With 80% marks in class 12 and 63 marks in JEE Mains, you may have to assess the BTech colleges that you get by referring to the JEE Counselling process.

If you are considering NEET as well, then we suggest that you give NEET in 2018 with full gusto. Don’t doubt that you won’t get through. Dropping a year is not advisable: there is no guarantee that you will crack it next year!

Instead, if medicine is really your calling, then look for options beyond India. Many countries offer excellent MBBS programs with degrees that are valid world over (for you to be able to practice medicine). Indian universities like Jagannath University (with campuses in Jaipur & Delhi) and VELS University (with campuses in Hyderabad & Chennai) have tied-up with Lyceum of Philippines University to offer a five-year MBBS programme, wherein you can study your pre-med in India (1 year) and complete the rest of the course in Philippines.

The degree awarded is valid in all over the globe and you can come back to India and practice medicine as well. All you need is a NEET qualified score to enrol in this programme. This is an excellent opportunity, at a lesser cost (on an average, you will spend Rs 70–90 lakhs studying MBBS in India for five years; whereas, in the second option, you will spend Rs 25–40 lakhs in five years).

There are many countries like Ukraine, Canada, etc, where you can earn universally acceptable medical degrees.

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