Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian in Idaho

Created by NutritionED.org Contributor

Idaho

Follow the step by step process or choose what situation that best describes you:

  1. Finish Your Registered Dietitian Education in Idaho
  2. Apply to a Dietetic Internship (DI) in Idaho
  3. Pass the CDR Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians
  4. Apply for Licensure as a Dietitian in Idaho
  5. Maintain Your Licensure and Registration as a Dietitian in Idaho

Job Information in Idaho

As of April 2022, the Commission on Dietetic Registration reported a total of 721 Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) in Idaho. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dietitians and nutritionists in Idaho earned an average salary of $57,150 as of May 2021. Early career professionals earned about $38,250 during this time, while those with extensive experience earned about $79,460.*

Registration through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and licensure through the Idaho Board of Medicine Dietetic Licensure Board are necessary in order to become a registered, licensed dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who can legally work in Idaho.

Licensed, registered dietitians may find employment opportunities at many locations in the public and private sectors in Idaho, including sports medicine, community colleges, universities, clinical research, public health, child nutrition, hospitals, health and wellness clinics, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, schools, food companies, diabetes and cancer care and prevention, and pharmaceutical companies.

Becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist in Idaho requires obtaining the right education, gaining necessary and valuable experience, and passing an examination to display what you have learned retained from your education and experience. Only then will the Idaho Board of Medicine Dietetic Licensure Board grant you a license to practice as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in Idaho.

 

Step 1

Finish Your Registered Dietitian Education in Idaho

The Idaho Board of Medicine Dietetic Licensure Board requires that all registered dietitian nutritionists complete education and experience under an approved program, such as those under the auspices of the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). The CDR requires that all educational and internship programs be accredited by the Accreditation Council on Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

ACEND-Accredited Programs Leading to a Registered Dietitian in Idaho:

    • ACEND-Accredited Educational Programs Leading to Registered Dietitian (RD) status in Idaho:
          • Coordinated Programs in Dietetics (CP) – This program includes both education and experience, fulfilling the entire CDR requirement. In Idaho, CPs include:
          • Didactic Programs in Dietetics (DPD)-This program offers solely coursework, which means the internship portion of the CDR requirement must be satisfied after the DPD. In Idaho, DPDs include:

The following bachelors and Master’s programs offer career-focused instruction delivered by trained nutritionists with experience in the field. Find out more what each individual course of study offers through the locations below.

Featured Nutritionist Programs

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Step 2

Apply to a Dietetic Internship (DI) in Idaho

The CDR’s next requirement is for you to complete a Dietetic Internship (DI) at an ACEND- accredited location. In Idaho, DI locations include:

  • Idaho State University, Pocatello
    • Approximately 18 students enroll in this DI each year
    • Matching occurs each April
    • 16 months, full-time, degree program
    • Master of Science in Nutrition issued at end of program
    • Emphasis on Community
    • Offered at Pocatello/Twin Falls and Meridian campuses
    • 1200 hours of supervised practice

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Step 3

CDR Registration Examination for Dietitians

The next hurdle you must clear in your track to become a registered dietitian nutritionist in Idaho is to pass an examination. The CDR requires that all prospective Idaho registered dietitian nutritionists pass their Registration Examination for Dietitians. Study and review guides by the CDR, namely the Comprehensive Study Outline and Study Guide and the Registration Examination for Dietitians Handbook for Candidates, can help you in preparing to take this crucial examination. The exam is about 180 minutes long, taken on the computer, and consists of 125 to 145 multiple-choice questions on foodservice systems, food and nutrition sciences, nutrition care for individuals and groups, and management of food and nutrition services and programs. It is imperative that you answer at least 125 questions in order for the computer to score your examination. You may not skip questions, go back to change your answers once submitted, or review answers you previously submitted during the exam.
The exam costs $200, payable to the CDR when you register online to take the exam. Once your payment is received, you will receive an email from Pearson VUE Exam Centers, the hosting test center, requesting that you schedule the date, place and time of your exam. Idaho centers include:

  • Boise – 9183 W Black Eagle Drive

Do not forget to bring a printed copy of your scheduling confirmation email from Pearson VUE Exam Centers with you on exam day. You will also need a photo identification government-issued card, such as a driver’s license, in order to be admitted to the exam center.
You will learn your exam score as soon as you have finished taking the exam. A scaled score of 35 (on a scale from 0 to 50) is necessary to pass the exam. If you fail the exam, re-take it 45 days later. Apply online through the CDR for permission to re-take the exam.
Once you have passed the CDR Registered Dietitian examination, you may use the credentials RD (Registered Dietitian).

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Step 4

Apply for Licensure as a Dietitian in Idaho

The Idaho Board of Medicine Dietetic Licensure Board requires you to apply for a license to work as a registered dietitian nutritionist in the state. This may only occur once you have completed the mandatory education, experience and examination to become a Registered Dietitian (RD) through CDR. Follow these steps to become a RDN in Idaho:

  1. Download the Application for Dietitian Licensure and complete it in its entirety.
  2. Enclose a passport-type recent head shot of yourself, about 3” x 4”.
  3. Have the application notarized when you sign it.
  4. Enclose a fee of $100 via check or money order payable to the Idaho State Board of Medicine.
  5. Have the school in which you received your Registered Dietitian education complete the Certificate of Professional Education (included in application packet) and have the school representative mail the form directly to Idaho State Board of Medicine, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0058.
  6. Have the Internship Director from your Registered Dietitian internship complete the Certificate of Dietetic Internship/Pre-Professional Program form (included in application packet) and mail the form directly to Idaho State Board of Medicine, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0058.
  7. Ask two persons to provide you professional recommendations. Give them the Certificate of Recommendation form (included in application packet) and have them complete it and mail it to Idaho State Board of Medicine, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0058.

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Step 5

Maintain Your Licensure and Registration in Idaho

Maintaining Your Idaho Dietitian License

If you are issued your initial Idaho RDN license before March 30 of a year, you must renew that license by June 30 of that year. If you do not receive a RDN license until after June 30, you do not have to renew it until June 30 of the next year. Idaho RDN licenses must be renewed on an annual basis. You must submit a completed Request for Renewal form along with the renewal fee specified on the form and a copy of your current CDR registration card. Idaho does not require you to complete continuing education in order to renew your license to practice as a RDN.

Maintaining your CDR Registration as a Registered Dietitian in Idaho

The CDR does require you to complete 75 hours of continuing professional education (CPE, and the hours are designated as CPEUs for CPE units) every five years, at which time you must renew your registration as a dietitian. Opportunities for CPE are available through searching the CDR’s online CPE database. You will also need to complete a portfolio to maintain your CPEUs and to help you discover what CPE you should be taking. This is explained fully in the CDR’s PDP Guide  .

Earning Specialty Certifications in Dietetics and Nutrition in Idaho

Some licensed, registered dietitian nutritionists in Idaho opt to seek specialty certifications in specific areas of dietetics and nutrition. These satisfy the CDR’s CPE requirements and also help to increase your marketability as a licensed, registered dietitian nutritionist in Idaho. Specialty certifications recognized by the CDR that fulfill the entire 75 CPEU requirement every five years change periodically, but as of 2017, include:

View how to become a nutritionist in Idaho here.

*2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures and job growth projections for dietitians and nutritionists reflect state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Salary statistics representing entry-level/early career = 25th percentile; senior-level/highly experienced = 90th percentile. Data accessed April 2022.

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