How to become a Dietitian

Healthy eating and personal wellbeing is booming as an industry. If you are interested in becoming a dietician in Australia, you may have quite a few questions. How do I become a dietician? What qualifications and training do I need? What kind of work will I be doing? This blog post will answer all these questions and more, giving you the information, you need to get started on your journey to starting a business as a dietician.

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‍Step 1: Get a degree in dietetics

In order to become a dietician in Australia, you will need to obtain a degree in dietetics from an accredited university. Dietetics is the study of food and nutrition, and how they impact human health. Dieticians use their knowledge to develop dietary plans that can help people prevent or treat health conditions.

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‍Step 2: Complete an internship

After you have obtained your degree in dietetics, you will need to complete an internship in order to gain practical experience working with clients. Internships can be completed at hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare facilities. During your internship, you will work under the supervision of a registered dietician and learn how to create and implement dietary plans.

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‍Step 3: Register with the Dietitians Association of Australia

Once you have completed your degree and internship, you will need to register with the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA). The DAA is the professional body for dieticians in Australia and sets the standards for practice. To register with the DAA, you will need to complete an application and pay an annual fee.

Step 4: Maintain your DAA registration

After you have registered with the DAA, you will need to maintain your registration by completing continuing education requirements and paying an annual fee. Continuing education requirements vary depending on your level of registration but may include attending conferences or completing online courses.

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‍Step 5: Obtain liability insurance

It is also recommended that you obtain liability insurance as a dietician in Australia. Liability insurance will protect you financially if you are ever sued for professional negligence. For example, if you suggest a particular diet or type of food, and your client feels unwell afterwards, they may decide to sue you. Liability insurance will cover you in these instances.

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‍Step 6: Start your business

Once you have met all the requirements to become a dietician in Australia, you can start your business. There are a variety of settings in which dieticians can work, including hospitals, clinics, private practices, corporate wellness programs, and research institutes. You can contract or freelance at an existing practice or start your own.

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‍Step 7: Sort out your business finances

As a dietician, you'll need to invoice clients, keep receipts, take payments and lodge your BAS and tax. Thriday is a good solution for dieticians who are time poor and loft their craft but hate doing the books. Thriday allows you to automate all your banking, accounting and tax in one-place, saving you time and keeping compliant. Take this quick tax quiz to see how much time you could save by switching to Thriday.

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As a dietitian, there are many different career paths that you can pursue. Some common areas include public health nutrition, community nutrition, clinical nutrition, research, food service management, education/training, consulting services and private practice. As well as working alongside other health professionals such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists in hospitals or community clinics, some dieticians also choose to set up their own business offering private consultations or online services.

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No matter which path you choose to pursue as a dietician there is always something new to learn. Becoming a dietician in Australia is no small feat – it requires dedication and hard work, but it can be incredibly rewarding both professionally and personally. So, if you think becoming a dietician is the right path for you then why not take the first step today? Start researching what qualifications and training programs are available near where you live so that before long you could very well find yourself embarking on your dream career.

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