Attention, all Registered Dietitians in the field of eating disorders! GREAT NEWS, which brings some important changes to the CEDRD Certification process:
The Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Competency Assurance Panel has reviewed both the Traditional and Equivalency (with exam) CEDRD certification and ruled that the CEDRD certification satisfies the CDR Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) certification activity type criteria for continuing professional education. Effective June 2, 2015, the CEDRD Certification (Traditional and Equivalency, with exam) will be identified as a CDR-approved certification (CPE Activity Type 550) in the PDP Guide.
The CDR's full approval of the CEDRD Certification has been a long-term goal of the Certification Committee over the past 5+ years, and the iaedp Board of Directors and Certification Committee believe wholeheartedly that this approval strengthens the credibility and enhances the quality of the Certification process. However, progress always brings change, and even positive change can be stressful. Those currently certified as CEDRDs and those seeking this certification need to review the following information addressing the most frequently asked questions:
WHY IS THE CDR APPROVAL NECESSARY?:
1. It legitimizes the CEDRD qualifications and allows all practicing RDs who meet the requirements to list the CEDRD as an official credential after their names and RD/N status on any Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) publication or at any AND event.
2. It strengthens the certification as a whole, and validates the process and recognition that follows.
3. It elevates the CEDRD certification to the same status as the CSSD and other advanced specialization certifications offered by CDR.
4. It addresses the changing professional environment which is moving towards more specializations for RDs as part of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Council on Future Practice Summit objectives.
5.It grants 75 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for alternating five-year CDR recertification cycles (see below for more details)
HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS CHANGED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN CDR APPROVAL?
For the Traditional CEDRD application, the answer is NO. All of the requirements for the Traditional option remain the same.
For the Equivalency CEDRD application, the answer is YES. All of the requirements for the Equivalency option remain IN ADDITION to the new requirement of a passing score on the final Certification Examination (see below for more info)
WHEN DO THESE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT?
Beginning June 2, 2015, all NEW Certification Applications must meet the CDR-approved requirements, which include the new addition of the final Certification exam for all Equivalency applicants.
On or after June 2, 2015, all CURRENT (existing) CEDRDs, regardless of whether you obtained approval through the Traditional or Equivalency route, must sign up and successfully pass the final Certification examination to be eligible for the 75 CEUs for the PDP Renewal process. You will have the option to choose to take the exam or not, depending on whether you want to receive the 75 CPEUs eligible and use those 75 CPEUs towards full recertification of your RDN status. If you do not take the exam, you cannot submit 75 CPEUs to CDR for any future renewal cycle.
Prior to June 2, 2015, if you have already submitted your Traditional or Equivalency application but have not yet received a decision on approval from the Certification Committee, you will be eligible to obtain the CEDRD but you will NOT be eligible to use the PDP CPE Activity Type 550 for the required 75 CEUs every five years without taking the final exam per above rules on or after June 2. You will have the option to take the exam or not, depending on whether you want to receive the 75 CPEUs eligible and use those 75 CPEUs towards full renewal of your RDN status. If you do not take the exam, you cannot submit the 75 CPEUs for any future renewal cycle.
HOW DO I RECERTIFY WITH CDR? WITH IAEDP?
The current IAEDP Recertification process remains the same: 20 hours of continuing education specifically in the field of eating disorders, attendance at an iaedp Symposium once every four years, completion of the renewal application in full, and NO requirement to retake the examination.
Therefore, since iaedp does not require re-examination for the renewal process, the CDR Recertification allows the use of the CEDRD for 75 CPEUs only on alternating CDR recertification periods. Therefore, CDR will award 75 CPEUs every other five year renewal cycle, or once every ten years.
WHAT ABOUT TEST ANXIETY? HOW TO I PREPARE FOR THE EXAM AS AN EQUIVALENT APPLICANT?
No one loves taking an exam; however, if you are a Traditional applicant, you will be very prepared because of the core course requirements you complete. If you are an Equivalency applicant, your experience in this field, which includes treatment team consultations, continuing education opportunities and direct patient care experiences, has prepared you. The final Certification Exam has been created by fellow clinicians who currently practice in this field, and the exam questions cover the core information under Overview of EDs, Treatment Modalities, Nutrition Care and Medical Aspects that any professional working with this specialized population needs to know. All questions are multiple choice or true/false (no trick questions!), 70% of the 170 total questions must be answered correctly for a passing score, and all test-takers can retake the exam a second time without charge if needed.
Additional iaedp support includes the Required Reading List, which lists two required textbooks for each core course category from which questions are derived. The specific topics from these texts on which you will be tested are also listed under each core course for your study preparation: Required Reading List for Certification Exam
Also, to help relieve your testing anxiety, iaedp will be offering a free study guide available June 1, 2015 on the website under Certification, so stay tuned!
The Commission on Dietetic Registration's full approval of the iaedp CEDRD Certification is very exciting and opens the door for the same level of growth and validation as RDs have seen with the introduction of the CSSD exam for sports dietitians. The exam requirement for the Equivalency CEDRD, which elevates this certification to the level it deserves, will lead the way for the other Equivalency certifications offered to therapists, RNs, MDs and creative arts therapists in the future.
For questions regarding the Certification process itself, please contact Tammy at tammy@iaedp.com. Look for the "Certification News You Can Use" Newsletter in your mailbox on the first Tuesday of every month.
