A Master’s led to work in Sweden

As a dietician at the hospital in Hässleholm, Emma Verstraelen helps patients make wise food choices.

Wholemeal pasta, cereal made from oats and a low-calorie pear-flavoured drink. The packets are lined up on the shelf in Emma Verstraelen’s office. She is a dietician at the hospital in Hässleholm and teaches patients how to make healthy food choices.

“It’s a nice job. Many patients need help with their diet, and it’s great to be able to help them feel better and have more energy.”

"Scandinavia is quite advanced in the field of nutrition."

Emma Verstraelen was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, where she studied to become a dietician. When the time came for her internship, she started looking at the possibility of travelling abroad – preferably northwards.

“Scandinavia is quite advanced in the field of nutrition. I also got a good impression of Kristianstad University.”

"We were given the opportunity to delve deeper into topics we were particularly interested in.”

For a few months, she was part of a project at the University centred on finger food – food specially adapted for older people with difficulties eating due to issues with their fine motor skills. During this time, she also learned about the University’s one-year Master’s programme in food and meal science and applied to start in spring 2021.

“I didn’t feel ready to work professionally as a dietician and wanted to study further. I was attracted to the Master’s programme because it seemed very flexible. We were given the opportunity to delve deeper into topics we were particularly interested in.”

“For me, it was actually a bit easier to study the Swedish way, where you work through the assignments as you go.”

She chose to devote much of her studies to health, nutrition and sustainability. She says that the teaching style and the way of studying are quite different in Sweden compared to Belgian universities. In Belgium, she was used to sitting exams for all courses at the end of the semester, while studying at Kristianstad University meant submitting assignments along the way.

“For me, it was actually a bit easier to study the Swedish way, where you work through the assignments as you go.”

Her Master’s thesis focused on attitudes to eating insects and involved comparing Belgian and Swedish consumers. Emma Verstraelen studied remotely, in both Sweden and Belgium. After completing her Master’s degree, she began studying Swedish.

“I was thinking about moving here and knew that I needed the Swedish language to be able to find a job.”

After passing a Swedish test at upper secondary school level, she was able to apply for a Swedish licence as a dietician, and shortly afterwards she was offered a permanent position at the hospital in Hässleholm. Here, she is part of a team with a couple of other colleagues and is mainly dedicated to the patients on the general medical ward and the emergency ward.

“We mostly focus on malnutrition. We check for risk factors: patients’ weight history, BMI and possible eating problems such as reduced appetite. If necessary, a nutritional care plan is drawn up.

Emma Verstraelen says that she gained important knowledge from the Master’s programme that has served her well in her daily work as a dietitian. One of the courses in the programme focused on food choices and the factors that influence consumers before choosing a meal.

“It helps a lot to have an understanding of the complexity of why people eat what they eat.”

“The Master’s programme is very open. So, to those considering it, I would say: Give it a try!”

Emma Verstraelen believes that she has found the right job for her as a dietician in a Swedish hospital, and the Master’s programme at Kristianstad University was one of several crucial steps along the way.

“The Master’s programme is very open. It gives you the chance to deepen your knowledge of the subjects you find exciting, but also to challenge yourself and discover completely new areas. So, to those considering it, I would say: Give it a try!”