It was about this time of year during my senior year of high school that we were challenged to look at 2 or more careers to prepare for college the following year. Thanks to Mrs. Malone, my amazing AP English teacher, I found dietetics as a career. I grew up loving science and learning, so I was preparing to become a science teacher. After looking at the job opportunities for teachers and dietitians, I decided to pursue a career in dietetics with the hopes of pursuing teaching on the collegiate level later in my career.
Today, we will review how you can become a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Notice, that I did not say "nutritionist." Nutritionists are not the same as a Registered Dietitian. I repeat, dietitians and nutritionists are NOT the same.
Technically, everyone is a nutritionist - meaning you do not have to have any schooling to use this title. This would be like someone being able to say that they were a "doctor" without pursuing medical school and their MD. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be seen by a "doctor" who hasn't completed medical school.
Registered Dietitians complete undergraduate education, a dietetic internship, and all who want to sit for the RD exam in 2024 will have to earn their Master's degree. If you want more information about becoming a RD, check out this series where I walk you through each step of the process and give tips on how to succeed in every step.
Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Undergraduate
Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Dietetic Internship
Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Pass the RD Exam
Registered Dietitians have the credentials RD or RDN after passing the national RD Exam. The RD and RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) are the same credentials. The "N" in RDN was added to help regulate the use of the title "nutritionist" and protect consumers. If you want to find a RD in your area, you can use the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website to find RDs and verify credentials. Be an educated consumer. Make sure you know what credentials your healthcare practitioners have. Be safe and healthy!
For more tips about healthy eating and information about becoming a RD, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in:
30 Job Ideas for RDs from A to Z
Dietitians do a lot! The specific role of a dietitian is tied to what area they practice in. If you want even more information about RDs, check out "where dietitians work" and "what do dietitians do?".
Since I love a list, here are just some of the specialty areas RDs can work in and some of the different places dietitians can work . . . from A to Z!
- A = Administration, Academia
- B = Business owner (private practice), Blogger
- C = Consultation, Corporate Wellness, Clinical RD (aka hospital RD)
- D = Disease prevention and treatment (think malnutrition, overweight, kidney disease, heart disease)
- E = Enteral nutrition expert (Example: Tube feedings)
- F = Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (FAND)
- G = Geriatrics, General Pediatricians Office
- H = Health care
- I = Intensive Care Units (ICU)
- J = Jails and other institutions
- K = Kitchen management (or food service)
- L = Label-reading educator
- M = Media relations (Example: news, radio, television, magazines)
- N = Nutrition consultations (Examples: individual counseling, restaurants, etc)
- O = Outpatient RD, Oncology (cancer) RD
- P = Pediatrics
- Q = Quality Assurance (Example: food service, airlines, food manufacturers)
- R = Recipe development (Example: restaurants, cookbooks)
- S = Supermarket RD (grocery tours, healthy eating on a budget, etc), Sports nutrition (Examples: college or professional sports teams, Olympic athletes. You can earn your CSSD a specialty degree for Certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics).
- T = Teacher (Examples: collegiate, masters, doctorate, or preceptor for dietetic interns)
- U = USDA RD (Examples: agriculture, school breakfast program, school lunch program)
- V = Vegetarian or vegan counseling (Example: protein complementing, adequate micronutrient intake)
- W = Weight management counseling, Wellness or health coach
- X = Examine patient for nutritional issues (ex: tricep skin fold measurements, Subjective Global Assessment, etc.)
- Y = Your personal nutrition coach (ex: weight management, triathlon training, Olympic training, etc.)
- Z = Zoology (Examples: veterinary nutrition, develop and analyze pet foods)
These are only some of the examples of where dietitians can work and watch dietitians can do. Do you work as a RD in another area? Please leave additional job opportunity ideas in the comment section below.
For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
Happy Earth Day! Everything seems green, new, and alive in the Spring! I even love the rain . . . it's good for naps (hahaha). And, we all know April showers bring May flowers.
I don't know about y'all, but I go through seasons of change that seem to correlate with the weather. January is a time of reflection and planning for my year. And, Spring always makes me want to clean and have a fresh start. When I think of a fresh start, I think of a blank slate, growth, and new beginnings.
I love the quote "Grow where you are planted." (I'm not sure who originally said this quote. If you know the author, let me know, and I will credit them). I love this because it is an encouragement to do the best you can with whatever circumstances. If you are in a hard place (think rocky soil), you can still grow . . . think about succulents. They grow without much water and in conditions that most plants can not survive.
But, my favorite spin on this quote is "Bloom where you are planted" by Mary Englebreit. My mom loves all of the Englebreit, and I grew up in a very positive encouraging environment with these reminders all around me. I can be very competitive, perfectionistic, and type A. These characteristics can provide drive but may not always be the best things to focus on. One of the things I keep in my office is a tin that says "She who laughs lasts" Mary Englebreit. This was always a great reminder to focus on what is important and enjoy life. I think this is a great spin on "she who laughs last" . . . which is more competitive, mean-spirited, and not a great way to live.
I also love this tin because it has a variety of laughs as the border. It reminds me of the song in Mary Poppins "I Love to Laugh." The characters describe many different types of laughs just like the border of this tin! I sometimes snort when I laugh, which is kind of embarrassing. But, I tell people it's a compliment because I tend to snort when I think something is hilarious. There are many things that make you unique. So, accept them as part of who you are and part of what makes you . . . well . . . you.
I hope this was encouraging to you on this Wednesday. I know many people (myself included) who are "type A" or "perfectionists." People with those characteristics strive for perfection and may not be happy with progress. I hope you are happy with your progress in whatever area of life you are growing . . . your fitness, food choices, or your faith.
A Note to all Dietetic Interns
As you finish up your internship, I hope you finish strong. Remember, your internship is like a long, marathon job interview. I hope you find your niche in the field of nutrition. And even if your first job isn't your dream job, I hope you work hard, learn a ton, and bloom where you are planted.
Hope you have a great week!
