They Wore Their White Coats on Dietitians' Day…

Students of Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, experienced the excitement of wearing white coats. The white coat ceremony, held within the scope of June 6 Dietitians' Day, attracted significant interest from department academics, students, and parents, especially from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan, Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. Students experiencing the excitement of wearing their coats took an important step on the path to their professional lives. Within the scope of the ceremony, Exp. Dyt. Olcay Barış held a talk titled “About the Profession with Olcay Barış.”

The white coat ceremony held at Üsküdar University NP Health Campus İbni Sina Auditorium drew significant interest from participants.

At the ceremony, Lecturer Kübra Şahin delivered a welcome speech.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan: “Nutrition has been the most important subject of debate throughout history”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan, Head of Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, spoke about the historical process of dietetics. Arslan said: “Today is a very important day. It is a day where two beautiful days come together. June 6 is Dietitians' Day, and it is also the day when you, our students, will wear your white coats, which are the most important symbol of ethical and moral values and the principle of equal service before entering the profession. That is why we, like you, are experiencing the excitement of today. From the beginning of human history, every living being has faced certain issues such as reproduction, shelter, and nutrition, and undoubtedly, among these, nutrition has been the most important subject of debate throughout history. With the advancement of time, nutrition is becoming a branch of science in parallel with advancing technology. Thus, a professional group emerges that creates personalized nutrition plans tailored to the individual, their lifestyle, and their relationship with diseases, in accordance with the rules of nutritional science, and provides education to individuals for the implementation of these plans. Dietetics first emerged in the United States in 1899. In our country, under the leadership of our profession's doyen and founder, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Baysal, the Department of Dietetics was opened at Hacettepe University in 1962. In fact, dietetics in Turkey began in 1966 with Hacettepe University's first graduates, and since then, our profession has undoubtedly become very popular.”

“Information pollution regarding our profession has occurred…”

Arslan pointed out that dietitians are individuals who can intervene in the entire process that could endanger human health by eliminating nutritional pollution; “I believe, according to the 2023 Ministry of Health data, the number of active dietitians in our country was around 31,000. I think this number has increased even further in 2024. So, what is a dietitian? A dietitian is a title given to individuals who successfully complete a 4-year education in the Faculty of Health Sciences or Higher Education Schools of Higher Education Institutions. Unfortunately, today, there is a lot of information pollution regarding our profession, from unqualified sports instructors to artists and models, who inform the public about nutrition without receiving this education. At this point, very important roles fall to us. We are very important individuals who can intervene in this entire process that can endanger public health by eliminating this nutritional pollution present everywhere food and nutrition exist—in public and private sectors, the food industry, and educational processes. These coats you will wear today are the most important symbols that convey the importance of health and disease processes with the knowledge you have acquired,” she said.

Exp. Dyt. Olcay Barış Held a Talk

Within the scope of the ceremony, Exp. Dyt. Olcay Barış, one of the significant names in the field, held a talk titled “About the Profession with Olcay Barış.” Barış shared insights from his life with prospective graduate students, covering private hospital experiences, career ideals, and goals. Barış drew attention to the transition from theory to practice, and to ethical values in scientific and professional life within Nutrition and Dietetics education. Emphasizing professional ethics and principles, Barış made important reminders to the students.

Exp. Dyt. Olcay Barış, who underlined potential obstacles in professional life and methods to overcome them, also mentioned the World Health Organization's definition of Dietetics.