Registered Dietitians (RDs) are responsible for teaching good diet habits to people and designing appropriate diets for people with certain health conditions. They work in various settings such as hospitals, clinics, medical offices and community-based health organizations. In many cases, they also do consultancy work, research work and create campaigns for healthy and well balanced diets.
Education and Training
In high school, you need to take classes that deal with science and nutrition. You should have a good base knowledge of things like the food guide pyramid and healthy eating. Make sure you are taking classes that will help you get into a four-year university. The following are the steps you will need to take to become a Registered Dietitian:
- Complete the academic requirements. When considering Registered Dietitian training, the lowest educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree in a food-related course like dietetics, foods and nutrition, food science, nutritional science or food management; or a bachelor's degree in food service management obtained from an educational institution duly accredited by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). This is done through the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE). Subjects include nutrition, biology, chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology. You can get a great education if you enroll in an accredited online school which offers dietitian training.
- Complete an internship program. Internship can either be assimilated into the Dietitian courses at Dietitian schools or taken separately. An internship combined with classroom learning is called a coordinated program, in which you will have to complete classroom discussions and 900 hours of supervised practice at the same time. The second type of program is called didactic program. This will require you to complete your academic requirements before proceeding to a one-year or 1,200-hour internship program.
- Get registered. To be a Registered Dietitian, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, finish an internship program, complete a six- or 12-month CADE-accredited practice program at a food-related facility, and pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) exam. Completion of 75 credits of continuing education every five years is necessary to maintain registration.
- Consider securing a license. Some states require a license to perform dietitian duties. If your state requires a license, know the state-specific licensing requirements.
- Take continuing education units. Once you become registered as a dietitian, you will need to keep up at least 75 hours of continuing education in your field to maintain your registration.
Job Responsibilities
- Promote healthy eating within their community through workshops.
- Teach dieting to people with special diets relating to health conditions.
- Menu planning for health care, child care and senior care facilities.
- Management of hospital based food services.
- Perform consultant duties with food service establishments.
Job Opportunities
Once you choose a specialty such as gerontology, diabetes education, sports dietetics, renal nutrition and pediatric nutrition you will obtain certification in your specialty and then you’re ready to begin looking for a job.
You can find Registered Dietician employment in many settings. You can be hired by a facility in which a dietary plan for a specific group is necessary. Examples are a school, nursing home, penitentiary and healthcare facility. You can also perform consultant services for a sports team, athlete or food service establishments. Additionally, you can perform research work for universities, food manufacturers and food service companies. If you have significant experience in dietetics and nutrition and have advanced education, you can assume a managerial position or teaching post.
Salary and Job Growth
Salaries for these careers depend on employers, scope of work, location and qualifications. On average, Registered Dietitians make anywhere from $48,000 to as high as $88,000 for advanced training and experience. But the median income is around $50,000 to $60,000 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Dietitian employment opportunities are expected to increase by 9% until 2018. The highest growth demand will be in community based nutrition programs and with home health agencies.
Working as a Registered Dietitian can be a very rewarding career if you love working with people to help them take care of themselves through good nutrition. It is satisfying to know that you can help people achieve the best quality of life through good dietary practices.