Our Resumption of Accredited Practicing Dietitian (RoAPD) pathways are for qualified dietitians who haven't practised for more than 3 years. It gives you a pathway to join or rejoin the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) Program.

Your RoAPD plan will guide you through the learning, mentoring and work you need to do before you can become a Full APD.

Re-Entry Pathways

Three distinct pathways have been established for re-entry into the APD program:

 

Pathway 1. Restart Pathway – Direct Entry to APD

Eligibility:

  • Absence from the APD Program for three or more years.
  • Can demonstrate evidence of Recency of Practice:
    • 150 hours of dietetic practice in the past 12 months, or
    • 450 hours in the past three years.

Requirements:

  • Eligible to resume APD status without additional supervision or exams.
  • Must meet annual APD continuous professional development and recency of practice requirements.
  • Undergo APD Program audit after the first full year back in the program.

 

Pathway 2. Reboot Pathway – Supervised Return to APD

Eligibility:

  • Away from the APD Program for three to five years and cannot meet Recency of Practice requirements (i.e 150 hours in the past 12 months or 450 hours in the past three years); or
  • Current APD at risk of losing the credential due to the potential inability to meet Recency of Practice requirements.

Requirements:

  • Participate in 10 hours of professional supervision within the first 12 months of return to the APD Program.
  • Submit a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Plan for the first year of return to the APD Program.
  • Log all CPD into the Dietitians Australia portal.
  • Meet annual APD continuous professional development and recency of practice requirements.
  • Undergo a mandatory audit after the first full year back in the APD Program.

 

Pathway 3. Retest Pathway – Examination-Based Re-entry, Supervised Return to APD

Eligibility:

  • No dietetic practice in the past five years.
  • Does not meet Recency of Practice requirements.

Requirements:

  • Must sit and pass the DSR Examinations.
  • Participate in 10 hours of professional supervision within the first 12 months of return to the APD Program.
  • Submit a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Plan for the first year.
  • Log all CPD into the Dietitians Australia portal.
  • Meet annual APD continuous professional development and recency of practice requirements.
  • Undergo a mandatory audit after the first full year back in the APD Program.

 

 

Our RoAPD pathway makes sure accredited practising dietitians (APDs) have current knowledge and skills. Even if it's been a while since they worked as a dietitian.

Eligibility for RoAPD

To join the RoAPD pathway, you must be eligible to join the APD Program.

The RoAPD pathway might suit you if:

  • it's been more than 3 years since you practised as a dietitian 
  • it's been more than 3 years since you graduated, and you don't have enough practice hours
  • its been more than 5 years since your have practiced as a dietitian 
  • you've had your APD status removed in the past 12 months because you didn't have enough recent dietetic practice hours 

Applying for RoAPD

Step 1
Complete your Resumption of Accredited Practising Dietitian (RoAPD) application.

Before you apply for RoAPD, you must complete an alternate pathway application.

This will be used to assess which pathway is best for you.

Your initial application must include:

Please complete these forms and prepare your CV.

When you're ready, email your application to apd@dietitiansaustralia.org.au

An invoice will be emailed upon receipt for the non-refundable $150 admin fee to proceed with the assessment.

Step 2
Receive notification of which pathway you will be on and complete requirements of that pathway.

After we approve your application, you'll need to develop a RoAPD plan.  

You have up to 3 months to develop your plan and submit it to us for approval. 

We'll charge you a fee of A$250 to assess and approve your RoAPD plan. 

Step 3
Start using your APD credential

After we approve your RoAPD plan, you'll become a Provisional APD and can start using your APD credential right away. 

 

Continuing professional development

Your RoAPD plan may include requirements such as supervision and a CPD plan.

You can log your CPD including supervision in our member portal

 

Supervision

Supervision is defined as a formal professional development activity whereby two or more professionals engage in reflective discussions to improve practice, service and health care outcomes (Ducat et.al 2015). 

Your RoAPD plan may include a requirement of 10 hours of supervision during your first year of return into the APD program.

 

Meeting ongoing practice hours

When you become a APD, you'll need to meet annual dietetic practice requirements.

All APDs must complete at least 450 dietetic practice hours in the previous 3 years or 150 dietetic practice hours in the past year. You must meet this requirement each time you renew your APD status. 

If you don't meet your ongoing practice requirements, you'll lose your APD status.

About the APD Program

The APD Program is our national credentialing program for dietitians. It gives dietitians recognition and guidance for their:

  • professional qualifications
  • ongoing training
  • practice standards

The APD Program supports high-quality dietetic services in Australia.

Learn more about the APD Program.

Get in touch

If you have questions about becoming an APD via our RoAPD pathway, contact us at apd@dietitiansaustralia.org.au 

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