Working as a dietitian in HK

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  1. #1

    Working as a dietitian in HK

    Hi everyone,

    I'm wondering what the job prospects are like for dietitians in HK? For example, a qualified and registered dietitian with Masters of Dietetics Degree?

    Also, what is the salary to be expected in HK for hospital or community or working for independent companies?

    Thanks for all your help.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205

    Do you have the right to work in HK or would you need an Employment Visa?

    And do you speak Cantonese or Mandarin and read Chinese?


  3. #3

    I'm married to a HK citizen, but I'm not sure if that gives me the right to work in HK though.

    I speak fluent English and Cantonese and conversational Mandarin. I can read/write Chinese.

    Thanks for all your help.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    7,441

    If you are fluent in English/Canto then your options are quite high.

    I am sure you have already found the Dietitians association in HK and suggest to contact them as well as get involved in jobsdb to get some familiarity in the jobs available.


  5. #5

    Hi,

    Yes I've emailed the Dietitians Association of HK, just awaiting reply from them. I've also been tracking the availability of jobs on Jobsdb.com.hk as well, but they usually don't have an approximate salary range on it. I saw some ads from FANCL, Mannings etc. Does anyone know the approximate salary I should be expecting?

    Thanks.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    23,205
    Quote Originally Posted by pharmgirl87:
    I'm married to a HK citizen, but I'm not sure if that gives me the right to work in HK though.
    It does once you have secured a Dependant Visa.

  7. #7

    Hey there,

    Can I ask which country you're coming from? I'm not a dietician but I'm a registered pharmacist from the UK and I'm also currently practicing at a large community chain in HK. I can tell you a little bit about what I see while working with dieticians at my place of work but to me, it really doesn't seem that great. This is only my opinion but the whole general "medical" world is not so great in HK, except as a medical doctor, I feel all other allied professionals are not as respected than in other Western countries and HK people are still learning about these professions.

    I've worked as a pharmacist in the UK for 5 years prior to coming to HK and now my daily job is simply a "seller of medicines", customers do not accept my medical input and they purely only trust "doctors". Dieticians in the community are relatively new and with the large chain that I work in there are only around 10 so far but they are still actively recruiting. The dietician I work with everyday simply acts as another "sales assistant" on the shop floor, but she seems happy with it. Another dietician friend I have at another store graduated in the UK and says she very much prefers it back there. I'm not saying that this is way it will always be, only that it takes time for attitudes to change and it is changing, only very slowly...


  8. #8

    Hi 123Cookie,

    I'm from Australia, and I'm actually a pharmacist as well. I went to HK on holidays a while ago, and from what I have heard, it does seem that allied health in HK is quite average.

    How do you find working as a pharmacist there? I'm considering going to HK and working either as a pharmacist or dietitian, but not sure which profession would be easier to find jobs and salary etc. I'm currently working in community pharmacy in Aus, but I'm not sure how different it would be in HK. As a pharmacist, do you do much OTCs? I know prescriptions are quite rare since Drs can prescribe.

    Thanks for all your help!


  9. #9

    As far as I know, the salary for a registered pharmacist in community is higher than that of a registered dietician and the working hours seem to be better as well. As a community pharmacist, you deal mainly with OTC counselling and minor ailments. Coming from overseas, it will be shocking the little amount of prescription medicines they keep in stock over here. To be honest with you, I don't really enjoy my work as a pharmacist over here but keep at it because of the salary and family circumstances...