The road less travelled
Dietitians can be found in many places . We were fortunate to catch up with Tracy Morris , lead nutritionist for Fitbit in a recent podcast about careers ‘ outside the box ’.
When Tracy Morris walked into the classroom to begin her degree in electrical engineering , she couldn ’ t have imagined where she would end up . A lover of science and maths , she was dreaming of designing bioelectrical medical devices . Having what she describes as ‘ a quarterlife crisis ’, Morris decided in her second year that engineering wasn ’ t for her and went off to see a careers counsellor . Twenty years , four countries and three kids later , she now sits as lead nutritionist for Fitbit .
That conversation with the counsellor was pivotal - “ I don ’ t think I ’ d even realised that there was such a career as nutrition and dietetics at the time , I ’ d only heard of one dietitian through a friend ’ s mum who was trying to lose weight ”, she says . Learning about the diversity of the profession was the start of a successful career for Morris , who went on to study a Bachelor of Science in her hometown of Johannesburg , South Africa . Continuing her studies in beautiful Cape Town , Tracy followed a well-worn path and headed to the UK upon graduating to work as a locum . It was a valuable learning experience . Working in seven hospitals across England and Wales , Morris gained skills and a new perspective – hospitalbased roles weren ’ t for her . Meeting her now-husband was the catalyst for a move Down Under and a new approach – private practice and corporate health .
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Images courtesy of Tracy Morris Beside : The Morris famly , Tracy visiting Thailand , Tracy visiting Tahoe
© Dietitian Connection 28 Infuse | November 2020