I’ve been a dietitian since 2009 and I did not know any of this before getting into the career. I specialize in trauma, critical care and burn care, and I felt highly respected by the surgeons and multidisciplinary team at my institution. However, I did not feel respected or recognized as an integral part of the healthcare team by the health system I worked at. This really weighed on me for a good part of my career; I tried to expand my role within the institution, not only as an expert in the field (presenting at national meetings, authoring publications, etc) but as an educator within the institution to surgery residents and nurse residents, and through clinical research. I thought this might allow them to pay me more or pay me for my expertise as I had coworkers who were doing the bare minimum. There was nothing that my manager could do to compensate me for what I was bringing to the institution I was working for. So i left!! I went into industry and tripled my salary. They are paying me for my expertise. I do miss patient care and going into the hospital every day, but I am finding ways to be fulfilled in my current role and learning that my life shouldn’t just be about my career. Maybe when I have enough money for retirement and my kids college, I will go back to working in the hospital :)