Feeling Stuck, Future RDN? How to Reimagine Your Path Without Starting Over
If you're quietly questioning your career path, you're not alone. The landscape of dietetics is evolving, and it's natural to feel a mix of mental fatigue, self-doubt, and quiet ambition.
Many of us believe we need to have it all figured out before we can take action, leading to a fear of making the "wrong" move and wasting our hard-earned time, money, and credentials. But what if there are models out there that offer a flexible path forward, allowing you to build on your existing expertise while exploring new directions?
The Evolving Landscape and New Opportunities
You're likely aware that the Commission on Dietetic Registration has mandated that all newly eligible candidates for the Registration Examination for Dietitians must have at least a master’s degree as of January 1, 2024 (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, n.d.; Commission on Dietetic Registration, 2020). For many aspiring RDNs, this might feel like another hurdle or a push to go back to school when you're already feeling burned out.
When this news came out (or at least shortly after), I was the Dietetic Internship Director at a free-standing Dietetic Internship, meaning that we were not affiliated with a college or university. As a result, my colleague and I had to make decisions about how to incorporate these requirements into our program, but we did not want to make the decision lightly or without input from the people who would be impacted. So, enter my first published research study (Hernandez et al., 2018)!
If you are looking for a pathway to becoming an RDN, consider the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC is a federal grant program that provides vital services like supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and health screenings to low-income families, including pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women, infants, and children up to their fifth birthday (US Department of Agriculture, 2025).
Within WIC, RDNs play crucial roles beyond direct patient care, such as developing educational materials, providing specialized nutrition education to high-risk participants, and managing clinics and local agencies. Did you know that a significant shortfall of RDNs was anticipated by 2020, with an estimated 2,900 FTEs needed in community nutrition alone, which includes WIC? This highlights a critical and ongoing demand for your expertise in areas where you can make a profound community impact.
Building on Your Strengths: The WIC Track Model
One promising model that directly addresses the challenges RDNs face, particularly around higher education requirements and career flexibility, is the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) Dietetic Internship's WIC track in Arizona (Maricopa County Department of Public Health, n.d.). This program was designed to train and retain public health dietitians, especially important given the rapidly growing populations of recent immigrants and minorities in the U.S. that are not mirrored by the current ethnic distribution of RDNs. Increasing diversity among RDNs within WIC is essential for providing culturally competent care.
What makes this model particularly relevant for an aspiring RDN like you who's feeling stuck?
• Work While You Learn: This WIC track allows interns to complete the program part-time while continuing to work at their local WIC agency, maintaining their full salary and benefits. This is a game-changer for those who are afraid of pausing their career or losing income to pursue further education or a new direction.
• Flexibility in Degree Choice: My research team recognized that MCDPH WIC employees who wanted to become RDNs have diverse academic interests. Instead of requiring a specific master's degree (like a Master's of Public Health, which was initially hypothesized to be the most popular), they realized that allowing WIC-track interns to choose their university and degree to meet the 2024 educational requirements would better meet future interns’ needs (Hernandez et al., 2018). You may feel overwhelmed by options, but there isn't one "right" path for advanced education. You can align your master's degree with your evolving interests, whether that's public health, nutrition and dietetics, business, or health administration.
• Stay Close to Home: A common barrier to professional development, especially for minorities, is the need to relocate for supervised practice. This WIC track helps interns stay local by scheduling WIC rotations at their home agency and attempting to schedule clinical and food and nutrition management rotations in their home county.
Beyond WIC: A Model for Your Future
While this specific example focuses on the WIC program, the underlying principle is powerful: your career path doesn't have to be a straight line, and you don't have to start from scratch to pivot. This model demonstrates that organizations can provide accredited supervised practice to employees, making higher educational requirements attainable while fostering diversity within the field.
Instead of viewing the master's degree requirement as a barrier, consider it an opportunity to explore areas of dietetics that genuinely excite you. This could be public health, which offers a broader scope for impact, or perhaps a more specialized advanced degree in nutrition and dietetics, or even business, that deepens your expertise in a particular area.
Reclaim Your Confidence and Direction
You're a high-achieving professional with valuable credentials. Your self-doubt and mental fatigue are valid responses to a demanding profession and an evolving landscape. But know that your competence is real, and there are avenues to find that clear niche and career direction without having it all figured out upfront.
Instead of waiting for perfect clarity, consider exploring programs or models that offer flexibility, allow you to integrate further education with your current work, and empower you to choose a path that truly resonates with your ambitions. Finding mentorship or a safe space for honest professional exploration can come in many forms—from structured programs like the WIC track internship to professional communities that embrace flexible career growth.
Your credentials are an asset, not a burden. How can you leverage them to unlock the next, more fulfilling chapter of your RDN journey? It's time to reimagine what's possible.
Works Cited
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (n.d.). Routes to Meeting Eligibility Requirements for the Registration Exam for Dietitians. Retrieved September 24, 2019, from https://www.eatrightpro.org/-/media/eatrightpro-files/career/become-an-rdn-or-dtr/routestoregistrationpriorjan2024.pdf?la=en&hash=B9061BA4CA6D9C1DABB48FF614E9384BC362B4F4
Commission on Dietetic Registration. (2020, July). Entry-level Registration Eligibility Requirements Update. Commission on Dietetic Registration. https://www.cdrnet.org/Entry-Level
Hernandez, J. L., Weber, L. A., & Horner, S. (2018). Reimagining the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Career Ladder as Requirements Change for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(8), 1355–1359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.04.011
Maricopa County Department of Public Health. (n.d.). WIC Track Dietetic Internship. Dietetic Internships. Retrieved August 6, 2025, from https://www.maricopa.gov/4171/WIC-Track
US Department of Agriculture. (2025, July 7). WIC: USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Food and Nutritition Service. https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
