Julianne Niswander

My name is Julianne Niswander and I am a senior in the Medical Dietetics program. I have lived in Bluffton, Ohio, and attended Bluffton University for two years prior to coming to Ohio State. I came here because of the Medical Dietetics program and also because I wanted to be part of the Buckeye Tradition! The challenging coursework, integrated supervised practice, and small class sizes are a few of the components that attracted me to this program. Medical Dietetics mainly focuses on preparing students to become registered dietitians and to be future health professionals. There are also many opportunities to become involved in the community and research. My goals after graduation are to pursue my career as a registered dietitian and attend graduate school within the next year or two. My professional interests include neonatal and pediatric nutrition, disease prevention, and the roles that both lifestyle factors and genetics play in the development of diseases.

Jamie Spendal

Hi! I’m Jamie Spendal, from Cleveland, Ohio. I am currently a senior in the Medical Dietetics program, graduating in Spring 2009. First of all I chose Ohio State because of its location in Columbus, Ohio. The access and availability for health professionals in this area is phenomenal. In high school, my dream career was Physical Therapy. I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do and nothing else would ever make me happy. Well, I needed to pick an undergraduate major before I could begin my PT education. I looked in the School of Allied Medical Professions because I wanted to maintain a medical focus in whatever I was learning my first four years. I looked in the catalogue and loved the sound of the Medical Dietetics program. Before that moment I had never heard of a dietitian or knew exactly what avenues were possible with this degree. However, since going through the program I have done a 180, and am solely concentrating on my future as a Registered Dietitian. Everything, from the professors, course work, internships, and interactions with classmates, has made me so passionate about the things I can do with this education.

Lauren Kiracofe

Hi, my name is Lauren Kiracofe. I'm from Lima,Ohio where I have lived most of my life and attended Bath High School. I knew I wanted a career in health care, but I didn't know what field I wanted to study. While in the process of changing my major for the third time I came across the Medical Dietetics program at Ohio State. Instantly I was intrigued and amazed that as a Registered Dietitian one could work in a variety of settings. I was also very interested in the fact that it is a coordinated program and allowed me the chance to complete all the requirements for the Registered Dietitian exam while completing my Bachelor's degree.

Now as a graduating Senior I couldn't been more happy with my decision. I believe that the Medical Dietetics program has prepared me for my future as a Registered Dietitian. My career goal is to work with children and provide appropriate nutrition or become a diabetes educator, two areas while are particularly appealing to me.

Lindsey Bradley

Hi, my name is Lindsey Bradley, and I’m originally from Newark, Ohio. I spent my first year of college at OSU’s Newark Campus and then moved to Columbus once I heard about and was accepted into the Medical Dietetics Program here. I had talked to my counselor at the Newark Campus, telling her about my interest in nutrition and health and she recommended the program to me. She gave me an application to fill out and send in, telling me that they only selected a certain amount of students per year. I cannot describe how excited I was to hear that I was accepted into the program! Since then, I have never doubted or second guessed my decision to work towards becoming a dietitian (or my decision to be a Buckeye!). Every day in class, I’m surrounded by classmates who enjoy nutrition and dietetics as much as I do and it is wonderful to have such a great support system. It is also a great relief that my internship is included with my classes as the program finds and places me at sites to ensure I meet the requirements set by the American Dietetics Association. The Medical Dietetics Program is a small, close-knit community of present and future dietitians, I’ve grown quite close to my classmates and professors during my time spent at OSU and know that I’ll keep in touch with them after I graduate.

Katie Liberator

My name is Katie Liberator and I am from Canton, Ohio where I attended Canton Central Catholic High school. My dad is originally from Columbus and we made several trips to sight see in Columbus during my childhood. These visits made my decision to come to Ohio State very easy. I fell in love with the city and campus and did not see myself going anywhere else. My freshman year at Ohio State, I was undecided. I have a lot of family members that work in the health care field and knew I wanted to do something in this area. While exploring various majors, I was attracted to the Medical Dietetics program because of the many options I had with a degree in this field. I am very happy with the decision I made of choosing this major and cannot wait to get out there after graduation to apply what I have learned.