In May 2025, a group of seven final-year Dietetics with Nutrition students from the DN121 cohort from IMU University had the remarkable opportunity to complete a one-month placement at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taiwan. This valuable experience offered an opportunity for us to observe and understand how dietetics and healthcare practices are implemented in a different country, broadening our perspectives on international healthcare systems and nutrition care approaches.
Seven Final-year Dietetics with Nutrition Students in this Placement
- Jean Ann Sau Jing En
- Jim Mee Sha
- Cheang Yee Shan
- Esther Ooi Wen Hui
- Goh Sher Lin
- Chia Yuanyin
- Tan Chien Chien
Broadening Our View of Dietitians' Role
Our recent placement at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) in Taiwan further motivated our professional development into becoming effective dietitians. We witnessed a level of integration, structure, and clinical involvement that broadened our view of what dietitians are capable of — and made us reflect on how we can grow into that role as future Malaysian dietitians. At CGMH, dietitians are not only responsible for meal planning and nutrition education, but also take part in multidisciplinary team discussions and are actively involved in ward rounds, ICU care, and treatment planning. This experience showed us what it takes to be a clinical nutrition expert, and how we contribute to improving patient care.
Becoming the Kind of Dietitian We Aspire to Be
One of the key things we observed in Taiwan was how dietitians are ready for round table discussions and meetings. They contribute confidently, back their decisions with sound evidence, and follow through with close monitoring.
We do envision ourselves being more proactive, more clinically involved, and striving for deeper specialisation. Whether in chronic disease management, critical care nutrition, or preventive care, we hope to develop the skills to play the essential role in the patient journey.
Learning from Taiwan’s Distribution of Dietetic Support
Dietitians at CGMH are evenly distributed across departments, allowing them to focus on timely interventions and personalised care. As a result, patients receive close monitoring, and dietitians can collaborate meaningfully with other healthcare team members.
Good multitasking skills and balancing workload enables effective patient-centred care and professional growth which is part of being a dietitian. It has encouraged us to think about how we should manage and prioritise our time efficiently when we start out as fresh graduates.
Raising the Profile of Dietitians
Dietitians strive to improve their visibility through a variety of means. During this placement, we saw how they actively educate patients, participate in public events, contribute to hospital initiatives, and are often introduced to patients early in their admission process. They communicate their role clearly and confidently to the healthcare team and the public.
As future dietitians, we also have a responsibility to help shape how the public views our profession. Whether through education, outreach, or how we carry ourselves at the workplace, we want to be someone who builds trust and awareness around what dietitians do.
Inspired by Innovation and Collaboration
One of the most eye-opening aspects of our experience was seeing how dietitians in Taiwan are engaged in local innovation. For example, we learnt that CGMH produces their own oral nutrition supplements (ONS) by mixing existing ONS to tailor to specific clinical needs and preferences. This not only supports sustainability but also reflects how deeply dietitians are involved in advancing patient care.
This has inspired us to stay curious and open to research in our practice. Being a dietitian doesn’t stop at just providing care — it extends into creating new solutions, participating in studies, and collaborating with different sectors to move the field forward.
Looking Ahead: Bringing the Lessons Home
As we start our journey as dietitians in Malaysia, we also hope that we continue staying engaged with learning, advocating for our patients, collaborating with our team, and stepping forward with confidence.
International exposure like this reminds us that growth begins with mindset. It has widened our perspective, deepened our purpose, and strengthened our commitment to becoming better dietitians — ones who are ready to contribute meaningfully to our evolving healthcare system.
Thoughts Shared