Dietetic students' understanding of what becoming a dietitian means.

Purpose: We explored dietetic students' beliefs about what becoming a dietitian means.

Methods: A phenomenological approach to inquiry was used. Thirteen undergraduate students enrolled in a dietetics program were interviewed, and data were analyzed thematically.

Results: The overarching theme was students' expectations of what being a dietitian means and how those expectations change throughout their education. Exposure to a variety of dietitians in practice helped shape participants' understanding of being a dietitian.

Conclusions: For dietetic students to develop a strong identity as dietitians and to strengthen the profession, they must be exposed to practising professionals early and often.