The forest / Dietitian
A dietitian trained in the US, laughed at by her boss in Malaysia for being “some kind of titien”: the true story of a nutrition professional
The short answer
She was a gifted student who went to the United States to study to be a dietitian, and even worked with a cancer society there. Because of her family’s situation she came back to Malaysia, only to find that her professional title carried almost no weight. To make a living she sold medicine and moved through several jobs, and finally ended up teaching people how to sell at a company that sells health products through social media resellers, where her boss, who only finished secondary school, mocked her to her face.
Someone whose story makes my eyes sting
Of all the healthcare people I know, she is the one whose story stings the most.
She was the kind of person who had always been brilliant at school. Later she went to the United States for further study, to become a dietitian. While she was there, she even worked with a cancer society.
If the story ended here, it would be a beautiful CV.
Because of family, she came home
But life is more than a CV.
Because of her family’s situation, she had to come back to Malaysia. There were not many choices, and no time to plan slowly.
She thought that coming home with an American degree and experience, she could at least find a job worthy of what she had learned.
Only after coming home did she find the title carried no weight
Reality slapped her in the face.
Many people have no idea what a dietitian is, and often treat her as an ordinary “nutrition consultant”. Overseas it is a respected professional role. In Malaysia there are few suitable jobs, and many companies simply don’t have the position.
It is not that she isn’t good enough. The market just isn’t ready to catch her yet.
Taking any job while looking for a better one
Money was tight at home, and she couldn’t afford to wait.
So she swallowed her pride and started by selling medicine. Then she moved from one job to the next, hoping each one would be a little better.
Every time she changed jobs, she told herself: “Just hold on a little longer. It will get better.”
That one sentence
Her latest job was at a company selling health products through social media resellers. Her job was to teach the resellers how to sell.
One day, her boss said to her face:
“Look at you. So what if you studied in America? Some kind of ‘titien’ (he couldn’t even say dietitian), and you still end up working for me. I only finished secondary school.”
When she told me about it, her voice was calm.
But it hurt to hear.
Life left her no choice but to smile
In that moment she didn’t argue back. She just smiled.
Not because she didn’t care, but because she couldn’t afford not to care about that salary. Her family still depended on her, and bills don’t wait.
When you live under someone else’s roof, you learn to bow your head.
What she lacks has never been ability
A professional who once worked with a cancer society in the United States ends up bowing her head to a boss who can’t even pronounce the name of her profession.
This is not her fault. She is in the wrong place.
Malaysia has many more dietitians, nutritionists and healthcare people like her, who come home full of expertise and cannot find a place that understands their worth.
If this is you, I want to tell you: you don’t have to keep smiling with your head bowed. Your story deserves to be heard.
Clara
