So You Want to be a Registered Dietitian: Part 1
Get a bachelor’s degree in nutrition through either a didactic or coordinated program.
- A didactic program will ensure that you’ve taken all of the classes necessary to begin your required set of ACEND-approved internships. Finding, applying, and completing those internships is then up to you.
- A coordinated program combines your classes (undergraduate or post-grad, in some cases) and ACEND-approved internships. Your school’s program will arrange your internships based on existing connections, though you may have some choice within those options depending on your program. This is the route I chose.
After completing your ACEND accredited internships, you must take the Registration Examination for Dietitians, offered through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
- Your various internship rotations will allow you to experience many areas of the nutrition field including clinical nutrition, foodservice, and community nutrition.
I chose to apply to UT’s coordinated program for a couple of reasons:
I double majored in liberal arts and nutrition and spent a semester abroad and applied later than is recommended, putting me a little bit behind already. Therefore, the efficiency of the CP appealed to me. I’m currently victory lapping, though these spring and summer semesters will be spent interning in the field, not in the classroom.
Also, in the summer before my senior year, I shadowed a dietitian for a few weeks. Her assistant was currently in the process of applying to internship programs and often complained of the difficulty. Looking back, I understand that this was just one person’s perspective and I honestly don’t know much about the experience moving from didactic graduate to dietetic intern, but her story definitely persuaded (if not frightened) me into applying.
Beyond that, I just love Austin. I think it’s a burgeoning city for nutrition, and I’m both thrilled and fortunate to be a part of that. This is a city that strives for health, but also appreciates good food. Needless to say, I’m a pretty good fit here.
So, while I’m confident that my experience in my CPD will make me a valuable member of the nutrition community, I encourage you to do some self-exploration to find what’s best for you, should you want to become a dietitian.
That being said, the above is all part of my past journey. I’m currently in my first of five rotations, which happens to be my foodservice rotation. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been placed at Kinsolving, a UT dorm and dining hall. (FYI, this placement was based off my preferences, but other CPD members were placed in grade schools or nursing homes.) In my next post of the series, I’ll tell you more about what’s been going on here, but I think this post should be enough to get you started.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I’m always so happy to hear from other slender students who are thinking about turning their passion into a career!
*note: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has recently introduced an optional title of RDN (registered dietitian nutritionist) in order to expand and popularize the RD brand. While this may blur the lines a bit from my previous Dietitian vs. Nutritionist post, just know that an RD can also be considered a nutritionist, but a nutritionist isn’t always considered an RD. If you want more information about the new credential, read the AND’s complete statement here. For more on the requirements for becoming an RD/RDN, check out the AND’s page on the matter.
