A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is to food and nutrition what a medical doctor is to medicine—the trusted professional in their field. An RDN or a registered dietitian (RD) is a board-certified food and nutrition expert.
RDNs Receive Extensive Training and Education
RDNs must earn an accredited bachelor’s degree or master’s degree (soon both will be required). Coursework includes subjects such as food and nutrition sciences, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry.
After obtaining a degree, an RDN-to-be must complete a 1,200-hour dietetic internship or supervised practice program—though many internships are longer. The internship is for dietitians what residency is for doctors. During the internship, an intern receives training under the supervision of a professional in various areas of dietetics such as clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, community nutrition, pediatrics, long term care, food service management, and more.
After the dietetic internship is successfully completed, an individual must pass the national exam administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration to officially become a registered dietitian nutritionist. After passing the exam and receiving their certification, the RDN must additionally become licensed in their state (if applicable).
Learning never stops—every dietitian must complete 75 hours of continuing education each 5-year period. This means an RDN is always up to date on the latest science.
RDN versus RD
In short, there is no difference between a registered dietitian nutritionist and a registered dietitian—it’s merely a preference of what the person wants to be called.
In 2013, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Board of Directors and the Commission on Dietetic Registration granted the optional use of the credential “registered dietitian nutritionist.” According to the Academy, the change was made to “more accurately reflect to consumers who registered dietitians are and what they do…and highlight that all registered dietitians are nutritionists but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians.”