Top 21 Dietitian Interview Questions In 2024 [With Answers]

Health is wealth. There were times when our ancestors fed on uncooked food and ate everything in its raw form. Certainly, we have evolved a hell lot!! and have come really far from those times.

Nowadays, we have so many choices of food and various alternatives of even the staples, such as wheat, milk, and soya. We are living in an era of luxury, however, this choice has acted more as a bane than a boon.

Bad eating habits and wrong choices of foods have led to several eating disorders in human bodies. These are treated by a dietitian who guides, monitors and prescribes the daily diet of his patients. Being a respectable medical professional, a dietitian is able to make a fortune through his or her knowledge and advice.

Hence, prepare hard for your upcoming interview session and read all the frequently asked interview questions.

21 Best Interview Questions To Study

1. Differentiate Between Meiosis and Mitosis On At Least Three Different Parameters.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These two processes of cell division can be differentiated on the basis of the following parameters:

Parameters of Difference	Meiosis	Mitosis
Type of reproduction	It is a type of sexual reproduction	It is a type of asexual reproduction
The genetic formation of cells	The cells formed under the process of meiosis are different	The cells formed under the process of mitosis are identical
Effect on the chromosome count	The number of chromosomes is reduced by half	The number of chromosomes remains the same and are neither increased nor decreased

2. What Causes The Carrots and Tomatoes To Be Red In Colour?

Sample Answer

Sir, tomatoes get their red color due to the presence of a natural compound known as Lycopene. On the other hand, Carrots get their red color due to a substance known as B-carotene. Both of these are carotenoids and are natural pigments. These give colors to different fruits and vegetables.

3. What Are The Four Nitrogenous Bases Present In Human D. N. A (Deoxy-ribo Nucleic Acid)? How Do They Differ From R. N. A (Ribose Nucleic Acid)?

Sample Answer

Sir, the human D. N. A is a double-helical structure and comprises four nitrogenous base, which are:

• Adenine
• Guanine
• Cytosine and
• Thymine

On the other hand, R. N. A is a single helical structure and shares three nitrogenous bases with the D. N. A. However, it does not have Thymine, and instead, it has Uracil.

4. Describe About A Time When You Were Burned Out and Were Feeling A Lot Of Workplace Stress. How Did You Manage This Situation?

Sample Answer

Sir, a dietitian in itself is a challenging profession and has to attend to several patients every day. When performed on a daily basis, this leads to stress and anxiety, wherein a person feels burned out.

There is no shame in accepting the fact that I have also felt the same on several occasions while working. I remember a situation when my employer’s hospital required me to stay back and work for 2 extra hours every day so as to manage the huge influx of patients.

After 10 days I felt burned out and was getting stressed. However, I quickly busted my stress by:

• Performing the deep breathing exercises at the start, middle, and at the end of my shift
• Engaging in meditation every morning
• Encouraging myself with confidence-boosting mantras

5. Explain The Common Features Of Fungi, Which Commonly Infects The Food Items and Water.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, The basic features of fungi are:

• The cell wall of fungi is made up of Chitin
• The body of fungi is made up of Hyphae
• The hyphal networks present in the fungi are known as Mycelium and hence, the body of fungi is also known as Mycelium
• Fungi stores its reserved food as Glycogen

6. What Are The Two Categories of Vitamins On The Basis Of Their Solubility?

Sample Answer

Sir, Vitamins can be divided into two parts on the basis of their solubility, these are:

• Water-soluble vitamins: Vitamin B and Vitamin C are the two water-soluble vitamins. The human body needs a regular supply of these minerals as they get are evicted from the body through urine.
• Fat-soluble vitamins: Vitamin A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins and are stored in human muscles in the form of fats. A regular supply of these minerals is not needed as they are not easily evicted from the human body.

7. In Your Professional Career, You Must Have Come Across Several Patients That Constantly Complain Of Fatigue and Pain In Their Muscles. Can You Explain The Medical Reason For This Event?

Sample Answer

Yes, sir, I have met several clients that constantly complain of muscle fatigue and request optimal diet plans to feel better and get relieved of the issue.

The primary cause of this muscle fatigue is the formation of lactic acid within the human muscles. This happens due to the fermentation of the products of glycolysis, NADH, and Pyruvic acid. In the absence and/or lack of oxygen, these elements get fermented and lead to the formation of lactic acid.

Lactic acid burns our muscles and leads to their loss, thereby causing a feeling of fatigue and tiredness.

8. Explain The Different Variations Of ‘Vitamin B’ By Listing Out Their Scientific Names and Illnesses Caused Due To Their Deficiencies.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, The different variations of Vitamin B and the various illnesses caused due to their deficiencies are:

Variations of Vitamin B	Scientific Names	Deficiency causes
Vitamin B1	Thiamin	Beri-Beri and Wernicke-Korsakoft Syndrome
Vitamin B2	Riboflavin	Cracking of skin Cracking of tongue and Reddish eyes
Vitamin B3	Niacin	Pellagera and Glossitis
Vitamin B9	Folic acid	Anemia and Neural tube defects
Vitamin B12	Cobalamin	Pernicious anemia

9. Assume A Situation In Which A Patient Is Suffering From Acute Deficiency Of Vitamin A. What Food Products Would You Suggest Him? Explain By Categorizing Your Prescribed Foods Into The Two Forms Of Vitamin A.

Sample Answer

Sir, the deficiency of Vitamin A, causes:

• Night blindness (Nyctalopia)
• Hyperkeratosis and
• Keratomalacia

Such patients must be quickly addressed and recommended a diet, which is rich in Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is available in two forms and the food products also vary accordingly. These forms are:

• Retinol: This type of Vitamin A is only found in animal foods, such as Cod liver oil (major source), Dairy products, and Egg yolk
• Beta-carotene: This form of Vitamin A is present in the chlorophyll of the plants and is converted into Vitamin A, within our stomach. Its sources are, Dark green leafy vegetables, Carrots and Brocolli.

10. Who Is The Father Of Biology, Botany and Zoology?

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, these are:

• Father of Biology: Aristotle
• Father of Botany: Theoprastus
• Father of Zoology: Aristotle

11. What Is Pancreatitis? Prepare A Diet Plan For A Patient Suffering From Pancreatitis. (You MIght Be Given A Pen and A Paper)

Sample Answer

Sir, Pancreatitis refers to a critical situation in which the pancreas gets inflamed. This largely happens due to:

• Intake of alcohol in huge quantities, so much so that it tantamounts to alcohol abuse and
• Presence of gallstones in gall bladder

It is necessary for such patients to follow a recommended diet so that the pancreas is able to rest and consequently recover. Usually, the diet plan depends upon the patient’s preferences and medical history. However, I would like to share this general diet plan with you:

Time of the Day	Meals to be taken
Breakfast	1 cup of Toned Milk (200 ml to 300ml) 1 Bowl of Veg. salad comprising a mix of Onion, Mushrooms, Lettuce, Peas, and Corns
Mid-meal	1 Tender Coconut 1 Bowl of Mix fruits comprising Apple (unskinned), Orange and Banana
Lunch	Lentils, Fish (stewed), Curd, Lime (1/4th), and Wheat bread loaves/ Rice
Evening	Roasted flakes made of rice (strictly not fried) 1 Cup of Tea/ Black coffee made up of Toned Milk
Dinner	Ridge gourd curry/ Ash gourd curry/ Bottle gourd curry with fewer spices and minimal oil Wheat bread loves/ Rice

12. What Is The Primary Difference Between The Two Glands Of The Endocrine System, Which Are, Endocrine Gland and Exocrine Glands?

Sample Answer

Sir, almost all the glands present in our human body, like the liver, pancreas, salivary glands, etc. produce and release their secretions in the human body. These glands are divided into two categories:

• Endocrine Glands: These glands lack any duct (pipe) and release all their secretions directly into the bloodstream.
• Exocrine Glands: These glands possess their own duct and release their secretions into it. These secretions are never received directly in the bloodstream rather these move via the attached duct.

13. Name A Few Trace Minerals and a Few Major Minerals That Are Required By Our Human Body.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

• Trace Minerals (required in small quantities): Iron, Zinc, Iodine
• Major Minerals (required in large quantities): Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus

14. Assume A Situation In Which A Patient Of Yours Wants To Aggressively Reduce His Body Fat and Is Even Ready To Compromise With His Health. How Will You Handle Such A Patient?

Sample Answer

Sir, most patients want instant results. And when the patients are obese, they are even more impatient and want to shed those extra kilos through magic, in the least possible time. They feel that by leaving food altogether, they will be able to lose weight quickly. However, in this quest, they always fail to realize the impact of leaving food on their body.

Thus, as an ethical dietitian, I always suggest such patients to show some patience and lose weight wisely by following the recommended diet. I never rush, and never cave in front of their unjust demands.

15. Share Any Three Minerals Needed In Our Body and List Out The Illnesses Caused Due To Their Deficiencies.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

Name of the Minerals	Deficiency causes
Iron	Anemia, Low immunity, Less formation of Reb Blood Cells
Calcium	Rickets, Osteomalacia, Osteoporosis, Dental problems
Phosphorous	Tetany, Rickets

16. What Are The Scientifc Names Of Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K?

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

• Vitamin D: Calciferol
• Vitamin E: Tocopherol
• Vitamin K: Napthoquinone

17. Name Three Viral Diseases and Three Fungal Diseases In Plants. Also, State The Name Of Respective Viruses and Funguses.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

Name of the Plants	Name of the virus	Viral Diseases
Tobacco	Mosaic Disease of Tobacco	Tobacco mosaic virus
Banana	Bunchy Top of Banana	Banana bunchy top virus
Papaya	Leaf curl of Papaya	Papaya leaf curl virus

Name of the Plants	Name of the virus	Fungal diseases
Potato	Potato Blight (cause of Irish famine)	Phytophthora Infestans
Groundnuts	Tikka disease of Groundnuts	Cercospora
Sugarcane	Red rot of Sugarcane	Falcatum

18. Being A Dietitian You Will Be Required To Manage Several Patients By Monitoring Their Diet Plans, Eating Habits and Also Their Preferences. This Will Keep You Busy and You Will Be Required To Perform Several Tasks In A Single Day. How Do You Prioritize?

Dietitians, like every medical professional, are required to closely observe and monitor their patients. This requires them to maintain their daily eating schedules and give them prescriptions besides guiding them about several eating disorders.

Doing several tasks in a single working day requires the dietitians to adopt a perfect prioritization technique so that they are able to perform all their tasks in a time-bound manner. Thus, through this question, an interviewer requests you to share the prioritization technique using which you are able to arrange/ order your tasks.

19. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

It is common for the interviewers to ask about your salary expectations during the interview session itself. This is largely done to ascertain whether or not you and your interviewer are on the same page. Thus, always give a logical reply to this answer by conducting deep research of the industry to which you belong.

Determine the different salaries offered in your profession and calculate an average salary. Your answer must be based on this average salary. However, you can certainly deviate from it on the basis of your academic qualifications and work experience.

20. Prescribing Diets and Preparing Eating Schedules Is A Tricky Job, Wherein There Are Always Chances Of Things Going Wrong. How Do You Handle Workplace Failures?

Success is an ongoing effort, which is a result of your hard work, patience, and perseverance. You just cannot store it or take it for granted, as it is circumstantial. Failure on the other hand is very common and is experienced by people from all walks of life.

It is an established fact that a failed employee is never able to deliver optimal performance and always lacks in achieving his or her targets. Hence, an interviewer is always interested in knowing the various techniques using which you are able to manage your workplace failures.

21. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

So, everything eventually comes to an end sooner or later. This question marks the end of your interview session and requires you to share your doubts and apprehensions that you might be having in regard to the business organization. Being the last question for the day, it also gives you one final opportunity to impress your interviewer.

Hence, it is recommended that you always attempt this question and ask a few relevant counter-questions that represent your doubt. Read out the sample questions mentioned below for a better understanding.

Sample Questions

• What are the various incentives and allowances that are offered by the company to its employees?
• Please share a list of all the anti-harassment policies that are followed by the company for the welfare of its employees.
• Can you tell a few disadvantages of working at this place?

References

1. https://www.mdpi.com/1435352
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050921024042