CareerView · Career Advice Podcast

Dietitian - Naomi Crosby

·36 min·2 clips

Naomi works at Perth Children's Hospital with children up to 18 in WA who have type one diabetes.

1. CareerView focuses on Naomi Crosby’s path into dietetics and the day-to-day reality of working as a dietitian. 2. Host Niru Deshamal interviews Naomi Crosby, an accredited practising dietitian who has worked in hospitals and research institutes, so she can answer student questions about training and career options. 3. The episode asks what dietetics is for: how to choose the field, how to qualify in Australia, and what the job actually looks like once you get there. 4. Naomi says she grew up in Adelaide, attended Adelaide High School, and spent five years doing leadership, sport, theatre, sciences, musicals, and cabarets. 5. She says her teenage career ideas were medicine or musical theatre, and one teacher even told her, “that would be a waste. You should go to the UN.” 6. Naomi says she did not think about her career very practically in school and instead stayed present in each year level and tried to do her best. 7. She says the first turning point came in first year of her dietetics course, when she still asked herself whether the field was for her. 8. Naomi says placements and reflection helped her decide, because she could ask “what did I learn from them?” and “what did I teach them?” after each client interaction. 9. She says asking lecturers and networking were part of the process, and she describes classroom questions as something that often helped other students too. 10. Naomi says the main Australian pathway is an accredited qualification approved by Dietitians Australia, with course audits every three to five years. 11. She says her own route was an undergraduate degree at Flinders University, followed by full-time study, while a master's pathway can take six years overall. 12. Naomi says the master's pathway can help with academia and PhD options, while also adding Hex debt, time, and the need to consider scholarships or part-time study. 13. She says one of the most valuable parts of university was practical cooking work at Sprout Cooking School in Adelaide, including food preparation and community cooking. 14. Naomi says seeing people taste basil for the first time or pick cherry tomatoes from a community garden showed her what dietetics can do in real life. 15. She says universities can specialise differently, naming chronic disease, diabetes, and IBS as examples of distinct research strengths. 16. Naomi says university size changes the environment too, because larger institutions may offer medical students, pharmacists, physios, and optometrists, while smaller ones can feel warmer and more focused. 17. Naomi’s tone is reflective and practical, with direct answers, concrete examples, and repeated advice to ask questions and network. 18. The episode uses an interview format with student-submitted questions, and Naomi answers with numbers, job examples, and personal stories from placements and work. 19. People considering dietetics, health science, or allied health careers will get the most from this. 20. People wanting a short, non-clinical career overview may skip it. 21. Naomi says she currently works as a clinical dietitian in paediatrics at Perth Children's Hospital, mainly with type one diabetes and children up to age 18 in WA. 22. She says a typical day can start with an 8.30 AM handover, emails, inpatient and outpatient consults, documentation, team meetings, and professional development. 23. Naomi says some days involve up to 16 patients, which can be draining because dietitians are often understaffed and must manage safety, ethics, and admin. 24. She says the hardest early challenge was “imposter syndrome,” because new graduates face patients who want clear answers after only 45 minutes. 25. Naomi says her through-line was remembering that “food connects us,” especially when patients become excited about meals instead of stressed by them. 26. She says the field has many options outside hospitals, including cooking classes, educational resources, social media, private practice, government work, and food service. 27. Naomi says the main perks are working with food, flexible leadership cultures, travel opportunities, and a profession that welcomes creativity. 28. She says dietetics is female dominated, but she wants more men in the field and values workplaces that support stretching, rest, and work-life balance. 29. Naomi says career progression from P1 to P2 often takes two to five years, while P3 roles may come after 10 to 20 years and involve more management. 30. She says her own five-year dream involves media, theatre, and a medium-sized business that uses food, performance, and community engagement to change how people think about health.

As heard by us

A practical look at dietetics that stays close to the work itself.

CareerView frames the discussion around the questions students actually bring to dietetics, and Naomi Crosby answers with practical detail rooted in her own work.

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Why you'd press play

Want a clear look at dietetics before you commit?

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