RD stands for Registered Dietitian.
A registered dietitian is a certified food and nutrition professional who has met the following academic & professional requirements for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND):
(1) Complete at least a Bachelor's Degree in the US. You can take the required Dietetics coursework either during your Bachelor's (i.e. major in Dietetics) or afterwards (i.e. major in Nutrition Science, take remaining coursework after graduation). The recommended GPA to graduate is at least a 3.0 (most supervised practice programs require a minimum 3.0 GPA, although some programs have lower GPA requirements), although the higher the better. Also, it is very important to be active in nutrition associations (AND Student Membership and school nutrition association) and gain many hours of nutrition-related work and internship experience in the areas of clinical nutrition, community nutrition and food service management.
(2) Successfully apply, get accepted into, and complete a supervised dietetic internship (DI) program that runs typically from 6-12 months. If you are in a Coordinated Program (CP = DPD + DI), lucky you, you get into the supervised program right away! If you are in a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) like many of us, good luck in applying and getting accepted to your internship! :) Some dietetic internships are combined DI+MS or DI+MPH, but most are DIs. The programs which are free/offer stipends are the most competitive, and generally the higher the cost, the less competitive the program is. Dietetic internship programs are usually full-time, so part-time work is highly discouraged. Depending on the program, you may or may not qualify for financial aid (the programs which offer graduate credit/degrees are more likely to offer financial aid). The program itself may cost even more than a year of college tuition (especially if you are out-of-state), so please be financially prepared!
Most of the dietetic internships participate in the online application program (DICAS) and computer matching program (D&D Digital), but some only accept paper applications. Every dietetic internship has their own set of eligibility criteria and application steps, so please study their websites carefully and feel free to e-mail the DI director for any questions you may have. A fellow member of Student Nutrition Association at UC Davis told me that e-mailing the director is also a great way to check his/her resourcefulness; how the director responds to you can speak volumes on how helpful he/she will be as your possible director in the near future.
What do dietetic internship program directors look for? They look for a well-rounded applicant with a strong academic GPA, great extracurricular and work experience, winning personal statement and enthusiastic recommendation letters. Depending on the program, they rank their priorities differently. The applicant pool differs year to year, so your chances of getting in is largely determined by the competitiveness of the other people's applications versus your application for applying to the same program.
What program should you look for? There are dietetic internship programs that may have general focus, clinical nutrition/medical nutrition therapy focus, community nutrition focus, foodservice management focus, or another personalized focus. There are also combined DI + Master's programs, and some DIs offer graduate credit towards a Master's degree. There are WIC internships which offer community nutrition emphasis and give priority for their own employees (and the longer you work there, the better). There are distance education programs, where you coordinate your own preceptors and rotations in your area. Moreover, ISPPs (Individualized Supervised Practice Pathways) allow unmatched applicants and PhDs to qualify for creating a personalized dietetic internship with a director from a CP, DPD or DI.
(3) Successfully pass the national exam for registered dietitians which you have prepared for during the internship, and gain the RD credential! :)
(4) Maintain the RD credential by completing 75 CPEUs (Continuing Professional Education Units) every five years. You can complete at least 20.5 CPEUs by attending AND's annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE). Other ways to earn CPEUs are attending workshops, viewing webinars and completing newsletter quizzes.
(5: Optional) Add more credentials to your name! If you completed a Master's or PhD, you can also put MS, MPH or PhD behind your name. There are other certificates you can earn in your area of practice, such as IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), CNSD (Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian), and CSSD (Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics), just to name a few.
For more information on how to become a RD, visit the AND website.
