The Dietitian

Togy Passe

Florida International University

Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

Master of Business Administration with a healthcare concentration

Mantra: “Your health is priceless.”

Languages Spoken: English, French, Haitian Creole

Internships: Oakwood University

Student Organizations: Haitian Student Organization (HSO)

Most challenging courses: Survey of Organic chemistry I and II

Many people often confuse the role of a Registered Dietitian with a Nutritionist. Even I thought they were the same professional roles. However, a registered dietitian focuses on various aspects of food and nutrition. To become a registered dietitian, one must complete a year of internship at a healthcare facility after completing a bachelor’s degree. A national examination must be taken after the training to practice as a registered dietitian. A nutritionist focuses on providing excellent food service delivery to its clients. They work in many areas, such as hospitals, schools, and clinics. If you are interested in discovering more about these fields, click the link below.

https://www.eatrightpro.org/about-us/what-is-an-rdn-and-dtr/what-is-a-nutrition-and-dietetics-technician-registered

Togy began his education as a Nursing major. He was working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at the time and truly wanted to help people and save lives. After taking a few nursing courses, he realized that only one stood out (Intro to Nutrition). This course gave him some first-hand nutrition information, which sparked his interest. At this moment, he decided to switch majors and study nutrition and dietetics.

Culture and Health: Cultural relations are related to food, hypertension, and diabetes in the Haitian community. Food preparation and ingredients used (salt and spices) are the most influencing food choices. Another factor is the portion sizes (e.g., rice and beans compared to vegetables. These factors contribute to the high rates of health issues such as hypertension and diabetes in some Haitian communities.

Skills: Patience and customer service. Educating the patients is the utmost important task, as they want their needs met, and it is vital to serving patients with the best care possible.

Memorable Experience: ICU Unit: encountering patients that were to the point of dying, and then those patients made a better turnaround. Those are experiences that you truly cannot forget.

Advice: Being passionate is critical! It is essential to love what you do regardless of the income associated with your profession.

Future Goal: Getting a Ph.D. after completing his master’s degree.