Sophie Medlin is quite clear about why she loves her job as a dietitian so much.

For her, it is all about making a difference to people's lives, something she describes as giving her "the best job satisfaction".

Sophie has her own practice, City Dietitians, and is the London Chair of the British Dietetic Association.

In this episode of the Career Conversations podcast series, recorded in front of a live audience at our first Inspiring Careers in Food event, she tells us all about her journey to the top.

She is one of the UK's leading dietitians and she is incredibly passionate about helping young people join the industry.

Sophie says the best way to get experience as a dietitian is to go and work in the NHS.

Although many people want their own practice, she says it is important to learn the trade in the national health service, where you will encounter a huge variety of issues.

She thinks that stands you in good stead, should you wish to go it alone in future.

Sophie specialises in gut health and says she was first drawn to it "because it's embarassing and taboo".

"We often see patients who have never spoken about it. De-stigmatising that and giving people help when they need it is magic," she says. 

Listen to the full episode to find out what you can expect from a role like Sophie's, the types of skills you need to be a successful dietitian, and the courses you need to study.

Sophie Medlin, Consultant Dietitian

Sophie worked for many years in hospitals before moving to a career in academia where she was a lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London before leaving to run City Dietitians and work as a consultant.

In her clinical work, Sophie specialised in managing the nutritional needs of people with intestinal problems. She is considered a leading specialist in the dietary management of bowel conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease and the nutritional management of colostomies and ileostomies.

Sophie carried this through to her research which focuses on the nutritional consequences of bowel surgery. Her experience in complex nutrition support sees her overseeing the nutritional management of patients with complex feeding needs such as tube feeding and intravenous nutrition support.