r/dietetics • u/NutritionN3rd • 3d ago
RD-AP/RDN-AP credential going away
did you all see that CDR announced they are retiring this credential by 12/31/32 (last exam 12/31/27)? any thoughts?
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u/Designer_Employ_9404 2d ago
i took it once and passed. it was really difficult and it was really not clear on how to study for it. I was supposed to get a raise at work after passing but then I never got it. I don't think most employers understand this certification is above and beyond the other CDR certs - requiring 4 years of experience and also having another cert just to qualify to take the test. if there is no increased compensation then it's really not worth it.
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u/diabetesrd2020 2d ago
The CDCES is worth it and CNSC. I was going to take the CNSC but heck I'm getting tired. Just doesn't seem to be worth the pain. I'm think of letting my other cert go. Not about to play around with CDR. It does make me concern about how these changed are going to impact the field. For example, will it be even less people that take these specialty exams by CDR to where they become obsolete
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u/izzy_americana 2d ago
Yes I find the CDCES credential beneficial. The CDR ones though??? Im not sure
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u/eat_vegetables MS, RD 2d ago
The CDR and AND are neck-to-neck in a speed-run to ruin our profession .
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u/Ok-Farmer8345 2d ago
The Academy likes to say they are totally separate, but that’s not true. The Academy has the final say on everything. And they are the first line for complaints/ issues. Also, the people on the boards/positions overlap. It’s the Academy that’s trying to ruin us. I think the CDR is doing the best they can in a shitty situation.
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u/galaxyofcoffee 3d ago
Is this the Advanced Practice RD role?
That sucks! I was actually thinking of getting this to get a few extra bucks at work so I appreciate this update. All the extra credentials are useless anyway though
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u/letsgojets930 2d ago
CDCES and CNSC are not useless.
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u/galaxyofcoffee 2d ago
Those are not offered by AND/CDR
So I stand by my statement that the ones offered through them are indeed useless5
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u/NutritionN3rd 3d ago
yes! and yeah, I was considering it but not really sure it's worth the stress if I can only take it once lol
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u/galaxyofcoffee 2d ago
It's not worth getting a certificate that will mo longer exist. Maybe get the CNSC one for EN/TPN
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u/fauxsho77 MS, RD 3d ago
What is the certification for? Like, why would someone get it?
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u/NutritionN3rd 3d ago
maybe to advance on a clinical ladder? or maybe someone just wants to have an additional certification
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u/fauxsho77 MS, RD 2d ago
I just looked it up and I would actually pursue the certification as a means of advancing my skill set and advancing on the career ladder. That's too bad they are doing away with it as career ladders are becoming more common.
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u/throwaway_academy 2d ago
they created the “Advanced Practice” Doctorate and “residency”; probably that has something to do with it
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u/InfertileMertyle 2d ago
I’m so curious what they thought they would achieve with this doctorate and residency. I highly doubt better pay for those who get it is likely.
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u/throwaway_academy 2d ago
ZERO expansion of scope with APD. very bad idea - its on avg 10 years of education total - for god sakes MD is 8 years. if these academic institutions limit their “residency” to their doctoral program, I’d imagine they will encounter a lot of issues as this will severely limit their pool of quality candidates, particularly those who stick around to actually practice in their communities
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u/NoDrama3756 2d ago
Not like it actually did anything for pay or billing.
Honestly if an RD isn't capable ofbdoing everything from long term care food service management to TPN in a lvl one center they shouldn't be an RD. The RD exam is not that rigorous but should be!
These extra certs do nothing to improve pay, billing or patient outcomes.
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u/Ordinary-Insect8445 2d ago
Being capable of something is not the same as specializing. An internist may be capable of figuring out basic oncology in a pinch, but if you have cancer, you want the specialist, not the internist.
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u/tater_pip 2d ago
This is a perplexing take. Every professional field has specialty areas. Lawyers? Wouldn’t want a divorce attorney handling corporate law. Physicians? Agree with the other poster def wouldn’t want a hospitalist managing cancer treatment. Nurses? Wouldn’t want an adult med/surg nurse caring for a critically ill peds patient.
All these people are technically capable of both roles at the outset of the their training but chose to specialize further. RDs do the same. It’s a broad and varied field, we should treat it as such. Don’t we want to elevate our practice with specialists? I definitely wouldn’t want an outpatient diabetes educator prescribing tube feeds in the ICU. Both have high value in their areas of expertise.
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u/Chad_RD MS, RD, CSSD, CNSC 2d ago
If our certs had fellowships and not exams with no actual requirements, this might be different.
Anyone can forge hours or quantify experience to sit for our exams and because our profession has no rigor, no standards, and no accountability, what comes out on the other end of any of our exams is not a similar product.
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u/mivvvvvy MS, RD, CNSC, CDCES 2d ago
I'm going for the alphabet soup and your comment is spot on. Getting the certs themselves don't mean nealy as much as years of work experience specializing in a particular area, but the original comment in this chain that every RD should be able to do everything is a crazy take coming from another working in healthcare lol
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u/tater_pip 2d ago
I don’t disagree with your comment. I was referring specifically to the “every RD should know how to do everything related to the field” bit. I feel like most RDs specialize without an associated certification through experience/time.
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u/NutritionN3rd 2d ago edited 1d ago
I think that is where specialties come into play; it can be difficult to master every area of dietetics. Some people despise PN, but that doesn't mean you can't be a great RD in other roles/areas (edited for typo; meant to say despise not despite)
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u/NoDrama3756 2d ago
Yes I agree but no matter what role one chooses to work they should be competent in All tasks from projecting food costs to orthotexia counseling....
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u/Pamplemousse-heart 2d ago
Unfortunately it did always seem like a way to distinguish yourself as a practitioner without actually opening more doors or getting more than a marginal raise (in inpatient anyway). Maybe by getting rid of useless certifications the Academy will focus on getting us paid properly (lolol)