The generous support and passion of my teachers is what has kept me going.

I always loved food and was interested in a job related to "nutrition," which is what led me to aim to become a registered dietitian. I decided to enroll at Otemae University because the number of students in each class was small and Faculty of Health and Nutrition had just been established as a four-year university when I enrolled, so I felt that there would be a lot of support for finding a job. After enrolling, while studying for the national exam, I worked as Director of the "Venture Club," which participated in factory tours of food manufacturers and local food-related events. Looking back, the opportunity to learn about the process of food production and hygiene management in factories was a valuable experience, and I still use it in my current job. As Director, I also had many opportunities to be relied on by the members, and through this experience, I realized that "leadership" was one of my strengths, which was a big event in my life.

The "1on1" with my homeroom teacher also gave me a push. When I first enrolled, my teacher told us, "Some people do what they want to do as a job, while others do a job that suits them. There are all kinds of people, so it's better to discover your own axis regarding work while you're a student." Since I had been playing sports since my school days, I was interested in "sports nutrition," which manages the nutrition of athletes, when I enrolled. However, through my practical training at nursing homes and hospitals, I realized that "rather than supporting healthy people, I would like to first acquire knowledge to be close to sick people." When I told my teacher about this in our "1on1," he agreed, so I was able to decide the path I should take with confidence.

What moved and touched my heart during my university life was the strong desire of the teachers to "make sure I pass the national exam". I felt this strong desire from all of my teachers during my time at university. To be honest, there were times during my long university life when I couldn't concentrate on my studies. However, thanks to the teachers who always told me the points that I absolutely had to keep in mind for the national exam, I think I was able to spend four years with a good balance. During class, instead of listening to the teacher's lectures one-sidedly, they created an atmosphere where I could ask questions on the spot and valued communication with the students. In addition, Otemae University has a "National Examination Preparation Support Room" where teachers who are well-versed in the exam are always available to answer questions. If there was something I just couldn't remember, they taught me the tricks to memorization and taught me until I understood the meaning, and I received generous support. I wanted to work in a hospital, so I focused on studying "clinical nutrition", which is about dietary therapy for illnesses, but I had a hard time because there was so much to remember. However, my teacher prepared original study materials for me, and by the time the exam came around, I was in a position where I only had to memorize the materials, so I was able to pass the exam without any problems.

I also made use of the Career Support Center in my job search. When deciding which hospital to work at, I first consulted with them to narrow down my options to either an emergency medical hospital or a rehabilitation hospital. They guided me to information sessions and gave me information on how to visit, which helped me find my current employer. Since the methods for preparing for interviews and essays vary depending on the field, I was able to approach my job search with confidence by receiving advice on each occasion. I am still grateful to the teachers for their enthusiasm.

After graduating from university, I worked at a nursing home for the elderly and a special nursing home for the elderly, and from my third year I have been working as a registered dietitian at my current hospital. The Shotoku Group, where I joined, is a group that provides the medical care and nursing care necessary for the elderly, such as nursing homes for the elderly and special nursing homes for the elderly, in addition to recovery medical care and dialysis medical care. Considering that the number of elderly people will peak around 2040, our hospital is becoming an increasingly rewarding hospital for registered dietitians, as there is a demand for registered dietitians to be placed in the recovery rehabilitation ward. In this situation, I am currently mainly stationed in the ward to manage nutrition. I listen to the eating habits of hospitalized patients and provide nutritional guidance to review their eating habits after discharge and prevent malnutrition. In terms of swallowing, I also work with doctors, nurses and rehabilitation staff to assist with swallowing training so that patients can maintain the same diet after discharge. In addition to managing salt and sugar, I am conscious of making delicious hospital food that patients can eat first.

In the "Nutrition Education" course I took at university, there was a class where we learned how to change the way we communicate depending on the interest level of the other person in nutrition. That knowledge is exactly what I am using now. If you suddenly tell a patient, "You need this many grams of this nutrient," few people will be able to imagine it. In such cases, try to explain it in a way that is easy to imagine, such as "Increase the amount of meat by about three slices" or "Choose this kind of ready-made meal at the supermarket." If the patient is still uninterested, I try to start with a completely unrelated topic to get them to open up. These are the explanation methods that the teachers put into practice for us.
My university professors communicated with me in a way that made it easy for students to talk to me, but now that I am in a position to interact with patients, I want to be a reliable registered dietitian who is always easy to talk to. Some people give up after suffering from lifestyle-related diseases, but I believe that my role is to encourage people to become interested in nutrition as much as possible and to support everyone so that they don't have to hold back on their food.

Since dietitians have a wide range of career opportunities, many people worry about which field they want to use their skills in. I was one of those people, but by entering Otemae University, which offers a lot of support, I was able to meet teachers who were willing to help me and find the future I wanted to pursue.