polititiques du Programme de l'inscription (en anglais)

Established: 
Reviewed:
Revised:  March 23, 2012, May 4, 2012, March 2014, November 2014, June 2016, June 1, 2018

Policy Statement

The academic and practical training requirements are set out in subsection 6. (1) of the Registration Regulation 72/12 of the Dietetics Act, 1991. Where there is doubt that the non-exemptible requirements necessary for the issuance of a certificate of registration are met, the Panel will conduct an assessment to determine whether the applicant has completed academic and practical training programs that reflect Canadian national accreditation standards as a determination of substantial equivalence.  The objective of the assessment, therefore, is to identify the substantial differences in academic and practical training that would impede safe and effective dietetic practice in Canada.

The Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP, 2013) delineate the entry-to-practice standard or minimum requirement for registered dietitians in Canada and is the tool against which applicants are assessed. The Panel’s assessment is intended to ascertain whether the applicant has the necessary knowledge to demonstrate the academic and practical training performance indicators outlined in the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP).   

Procedure

To assess the equivalency of the applicant’s academic and practical qualifications, the Panel will ordinarily consider the following:

1. Review of Academic Equivalence

1.1 Level of Study - The applicant’s academic study must at minimum be equivalent to study at the bachelor’s level in Canada. An applicant will ordinarily be refused if their education is not deemed to be equivalent in level to a Canadian bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree.

1.1.1 For education completed within Canada, the panel will consider undergraduate and graduate level courses, for which credits were awarded to the applicant, and which were completed at a university or college with degree-granting authority within Canada. Courses completed in Quebec at a CEGEP or pre-university College will also be considered. This includes transfer credits, and credits which were awarded through a prior learning assessment and recognition process.

1.1.2 Unless exempted under this policy, applicants whose education was completed outside of Canada must submit a Course-By-Course evaluation from World Education Services (WES) Canada, which will provide information about the equivalence of the level study (i.e., equivalent to high school, college, undergraduate, or graduate level study).

1.1.3 Applicants who completed education in the United States (US) are not required to submit a WES assessment if the degree was from a university with Regional Accreditation. Education from US universities without Regional Accreditation must be assessed by WES Canada.

1.1.4 If an applicant submits an assessment from WES US, College staff will contact WES Canada to confirm whether the assessment aligns with WES Canada’s standards. If WES Canada identifies that the WES US assessment does not reflect WES Canada’s standards, the applicant will be required to submit an assessment from WES Canada.

1.1.5 If the applicant has been granted admission to a recognized Canadian or US Graduate program for which a bachelor’s degree is among the admission requirements, the level of the degree will be considered equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Canada, and the applicant will not be required to have the level of their degree assessed by WES Canada.

1.2 Academic Content

1.2.1 The Panel will consider the content of all courses confirmed to be at a bachelor’s level against the national competency standards for accredited undergraduate programs in Canada. The Panel will use its best judgment in determining whether the required foundational knowledge and academic content has been addressed.

2. Review of Practical Training Equivalence

2.1 A program deemed equivalent to an accredited practical training program in Canada will have the following characteristics:  formal/structured program with evaluation component, supervised by qualified individuals, competency-based with outcomes comparable to those in ICDEP, include all areas of Canadian dietetic practice (Nutrition Care, Health Promotion/ Population Health, Food Services Management) and be of a comparable length of 1250 hour.

2.2 The application will ordinarily be refused and the applicant will be directed to complete practical training as outlined in subparagraph 6. (1) 1. ii. of the Registration Regulation in order to be considered for admission in a subsequent application if:

2.2.1 The applicant has completed no practical training,

2.2.2 There is no evidence of formal structure (e.g. formal evaluation, based on competencies or learning in outcomes, evaluated by qualified individuals)

2.2.3 If the competencies or learning outcomes of the practical training are not comparable to the ICDEP.

2.2.4 If the practical training was less than 875 hours 

2.3Except as outlined in Policy 2-50 (Provisional Certificates), an applicant whose practical training was not deemed to have addressed all areas of Canadian dietetic practice will ordinarily be refused.   The applicant will be directed to complete practical training as outlined in subparagraph 6. (1) 1. ii. of the Registration Regulation in order to be admitted in a subsequent application.

3. Former Members of the College

If an applicant is a former member of the College and, at the time of their original application to the College, their academic program, internship or practicum, was an accredited program or assessed to be equivalent to an accredited program, the applicant will be deemed to meet the academic and practical training requirement, even if the accreditation standards have changed since the time of the applicant’s original application to the College.  If an applicant requires upgrading under policy 3-30, the panel will consider any differences in the accreditation standards when assessing the applicant’s upgrading.  

4. Human Rights Issues

Where the application of this policy would have a disproportionate effect on an internal applicant such that accommodation may be required under the Human Rights Code, the Registrar will bring the issue, usually with legal advice, to the Panel for consideration.

Policy Name:  2-11 Approving Supervisory Dietitians

Established: October 24, 2003
Reviewed:
Revised: March 27, 2004; November 13, 2009; June 11, 2014; July 18, 2014; December 8, 2017; February 3, 2020

Policy Statement

The Registration Committee reserves the right to approve the dietitians who:

• supervise and evaluate applicants completing practical training experiences for submission to the College; and
• supervise temporary members who failed the registration examinations on their first attempt.

The Registration Committee will approve supervisory dietitians based on information that confirms competence and good standing with the College. Dietitians may be requested to supervise:

• placements related to the requirements set out in section 6(1)1, 6(1)2, or 6(2) of the registration regulation (refers to academic and practical training); 
• supervision of a temporary member as set out in section 10.1.i. of the Registration Regulation (refers to supervision requirements for temporary members who fail the exam on their first attempt and wish to continue practicing dietetics); or
• applicants who require upgrading after failing the registration exam for a second time.

This policy does not apply to the supervision of students within accredited dietetic practical training programs.

Dietitians should refer to the College’s Guidelines for Supervising Learners, as well as any policies, guides, or other reference materials for information about the specific documentation and performance expectations for each of the various supervision roles.

Procedure

1. The dietitian who provides the direct supervision and evaluation of the applicant or temporary member during a placement is the Supervisor. The Supervisor is responsible for observing the applicant and temporary member and for providing honest objective feedback about the applicant’s or temporary member’s performance against the relevant standards and/or learning objectives.


2. The applicant or temporary member will submit the following as part of their application for registration:
   • the names and College Registration numbers of each Supervisor;
   • a completed Conflict of Interest Declaration Form from each Supervisor; and
   • a current resume or curriculum vitae from each Supervisor.
3. The following are the criteria that the Registration Committee will use to determine whether to approve the Supervisor:
   • At the time the supervision occurred, the Supervisor MUST:

     i.be a general member with the College or another Canadian dietetic regulatory body;

     ii.have recent experience (within three years prior to the start of the supervised placement) in the area of practice covered in the placement, or provide evidence of continuing education within that area of practice satisfactory to a panel of the Registration Committee;

     iii.be familiar with the College’s Jurisprudence and Professional Practice Resources, relevant legislation, and organizational policies relevant to the particular practice setting; and

   • At the time the supervision occurred, the Supervisor MUST NOT currently be the subject of a referral to:

     i.the Quality Assurance (QA) Committee for non-compliance with the College’s QA program requirements;

     ii.the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC); and/or

     iii.the Discipline or Fitness to Practise Committees.

   • At the time the supervision occurred, the Supervisor also MUST NOT:

     i.have been issued an oral or written reminder/caution/warning from any College Committee within one (1) year preceding commencement of supervision;

     ii.be currently completing a Specified Continuing Education or Remediation Program (SCERP);

     iii.have been the subject of a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity of either the Discipline or Fitness to Practise Committee within five (5) years preceding commencement of supervision;

     iv.have any terms, conditions or limitations (TCLs) on their certificate of registration, except those applicable to all certificates of that class of registration;

     v.have signed a voluntary undertaking preventing them from practising dietetics; and/or

     vi.be in a conflict of interest.

   • If the Supervisor becomes the subject of a referral to any College committee as outlined in 3(b) above, during the period of supervision, the member will be required to cease supervision.
4. It is the responsibility of the applicant or temporary member to ensure that their Supervisor(s) meets all eligibility criteria in this policy. Dietitians must be candid with prospective supervisees about whether they meet the criteria and must not agree to supervise a student if they do not meet the criteria.

Established: July 18, 2014
Reviewed:
Revised:

Policy Statement

The Registration Committee reserves the right to approve the dietitians providing mentorship and guidance to applicants who complete an Independent Practicum.

Procedure

1. The Practicum Advisor provides guidance and support to applicants in the planning and organizing of an Independent Practicum. The Practicum Advisor provides ongoing feedback to the applicant regarding their progress and identifies changes in the plan that may be necessary upon review of the applicant’s ongoing performance.
2. The criteria for approving the Practicum Advisor are based on the national accreditation standards for internship programs. The Practicum Advisor dietitian must:
   • Be a member in good standing with CDO or other Canadian dietetic regulatory body
   • Have been practising for at least 5 years
   • Have had previous experience with interns or practicum students
3. The Applicant is responsible for finding a Practicum Advisor and for ensuring that the Practicum Advisor satisfies the criteria set out in section 2. The independent practicum submission must include the name and CDO registration number for the Practicum Advisor.
4. Upon receipt of an Independent Practicum Submission, the Registration Coordinator will:
   • Confirm that the Practicum Advisor is a general member in good standing of a Canadian Provincial Regulatory Body or the Commission on Dietetic Registration in the US, and is not identified as needing remediation by the QA Committee.
   • If the Registration Coordinator finds that the Practicum Advisor has terms, conditions, or limitations on his or her Certificate of Registration, the Registration Coordinator will contact the Applicant. 
   • The Applicant will be responsible for finding a new Practicum Advisor who will review the Applicant’s submission. The new Practicum Advisor will identify whether the Applicant should provide any additional information or complete any additional placements before resubmitting their practicum documents. The practicum submission should include a letter from the new Practicum Advisor summarizing their review of the submission.

Established:  January 23, 1998
Reviewed:  July 6, 2002
Revised:  April 30, 2013, December 14, 2015

Policy Statement

Consistent with the current registration regulation, the competency standards recognized as “acceptable to Council” are the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice v. 2.0 (April, 2013).  

Council recognizes The Partnership for Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP) as the accrediting body for the accreditation of academic and practical training programs in Canada.  
Council also recognizes programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is as equivalent to programs accredited in Canada, where the accreditation award entitles the graduates of the program to sit the licensure examination in the United States. 

Established:  January 2016
Reviewed:
Revised:

Policy Statement

The Registration Committee recognizes the Internationally-Educated Dietitians Pre-Registration Program (IDPP) at Ryerson University as an appropriate program for addressing specific gaps in an applicant’s education or training:

• A 3-credit course in:
  • Communication Arts
  • Quantity Food Production OR Organization and Management of Food Service
  • Population and Public Health Nutrition
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Advanced Human Nutrition
• An accredited internship or equivalent
• A Canadian Orientation and Assessment practicum (COA) (formerly called Canadian Practical Training).

Procedure

Where an applicant has completed the IDPP in order to address gaps identified by a panel of the Registration Committee in a decision made before February 1, 2016, and those gaps relate to all or some of the courses and practical training listed in below, a panel of the Registration Committee may accept successful completion of the IDPP as sufficient to satisfy that decision without further review of the details of the IDPP.

• Communication Arts
• Quantity Food Production OR Organization and Management of Food Service
• Population and Public Health Nutrition
• Clinical Nutrition
• Advanced Human Nutrition
• An internship or practicum that in the opinion of the Committee is equivalent to an accredited internship or practicum in Canada
• A practicum designed to address the professional practice competencies related to the Canadian healthcare system

Established:  May 6, 2000
Revised:  May 7, 2004
Established:  May 6, 2000
Revised:  May 7, 2004, March 17, 2017

Policy Statement

The College considers an applicant’s previous practice for two purposes to assess the currency of their dietetic knowledge and competence, and to determine whether they have a history of good character and conduct. If the applicant’s previous practice was in a jurisdiction with a regulatory body, the College will confirm the applicant’s good standing. If the applicant’s previous practice was in a jurisdiction with no regulatory body, the College will verify the previous practice.   

Procedure

1. Applicants will provide information about previous practice/registration in their application form.
2. Where the applicant’s previous practice was in a jurisdiction with a regulatory body, the College will confirm the applicant’s good standing. For applicants registered with another Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Body, the College will contact the regulatory body to request that the other regulatory body send a completed Canadian Labour Mobility Registration Verification Form direction to the College.
3. Where the applicant’s previous dietetic practice was in a jurisdiction with no regulatory body, the College will confirm the applicant’s dietetic practice and history of good character and good conduct.
4. An applicant engaging in employed dietetic practice will provide the names and contact information of all previous employers and arrange for the previous employer(s) to send a completed Employer Verification form (Click here to view) directly to the College.
5. Where an applicant engaged in private practice, the applicant will provide
   • a description of the dietetic service(s) provided, which may be written by the applicant
   • dates of the service (to/from)
   • reason for termination of service
   • the average number of hours of dietetic practice per week.
6. Private Practice Verification Form (Click here to view), sent directly to the College from three former clients. 
   • clients can include but are not limited to: hospitals, clinics, agencies, referring health professionals, individuals
   • verification cannot be provided by a family member
   • verifications must be signed and returned directly to the College by the client

Policy Name:  3-30 Assessing Currency for Applicants

Established:  April 23, 1999
Revised:  May 6, 2000; April 17, 2004; May 9, 2008; April 2014; June 1, 2018; February 3, 2020

Policy Statement

The College of Dietitians of Ontario is responsible for developing, establishing and maintaining the standards of qualifications for persons to be issued certificates of registration. The College considers that ensuring the currency of an applicant’s dietetic knowledge, skills, and judgement is in the public interest.

The requirements for ensuring the currency of an applicant’s knowledge, skills and judgment are set out in Section 6.(2) of Ontario Regulation 72/12:

This policy sets out the assessment criteria to be used by the Registration Committee when an applicant has not:

• completed academic/practical training within the three preceding years before the date that the applicant submitted their application;
• practised dietetics for a minimum of 500 hours over the three preceding years before the date that the applicant submitted their application;
• successfully completed a prior learning assessment approved by the Registration Committee within three years; or
• satisfied the requirements in section 6(2) of the Registration Regulation.

These assessment criteria will guide the Registration Committee to determine whether or not to issue a certificate of registration and, if a certificate of registration will not be issued, what type of refresher or upgrading the applicant must complete.

Applications will be assessed on an individual basis, considering the following principles:

1. Current demonstration of knowledge, skills, and judgement as defined in the national competency standards (the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice, or ICDEP);
2. Length of time since last practice;
3. Quality and quantity of efforts to maintain currency while not practicing;
4. Flexibility in terms of options for applicants to demonstrate ongoing competence;
5. The Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE) is a non-exemptible requirement. An applicant who has never successfully completed the CDRE is required to write the exam, regardless of the applicable option required/selected to demonstrate currency; and
6. Once an applicant has successfully demonstrated their currency as outlined in this policy, they must meet all other non-exemptible registration requirements in order to be eligible for registration with the College.

Procedure

Less than 500 hours of dietetic practice over the preceding three years OR more than 3, but less than 10 years since completion of academic/practical training or last dietetic practice

1. Where the applicant has not practised a minimum of 500 hours over the preceding three years, or the gap since the applicant’s completion of academic/practical training or last dietetic practice has been more than three years, but less than 10 years, the applicant will have two options for demonstrating the currency of their dietetic knowledge, skills and judgement:
   • Successfully complete the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE), or
   • Demonstrate a range of continuing education/continuing competence activities which address the national competency standards.
2. If an applicant chooses to write the CDRE and is successful, they will be deemed to meet section 6(2)a of the Registration Regulation.
3. If an applicant chooses to write the CDRE and is unsuccessful, they will be required to complete continuing education/continuing competence activities, as outlined in 1b of this policy.
4. When an applicant chooses option 1b in this policy for demonstrating currency, or is required to complete 1b after receiving an unsuccessful CDRE result, they must provide information about continuing education/competence activities which have been completed to maintain the currency of their knowledge, skills, and judgement with respect to entry-level competence.
5. In assessing the applicant’s continuing education/competence activities, a panel of the Registration Committee will look for evidence that the applicant has sufficiently addressed all of the performance indicators in the national competency standards.
6. If the applicant’s continuing education/competence activities submission is deemed acceptable by a panel of the Registration Committee, the applicant is deemed to have met the requirements set out in section 6(2)a of the Registration Regulation.

Ten (10) or more years since completion of academic/practical training or last dietetic practice

1. Where the gap since the applicant’s graduation or last practice has been 10 years or more, the applicant must complete the College’s Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process. Refer to the PLAR Process for Demonstrating Currency image below.
2. If the applicant successfully completes the PLAR process, the applicant is deemed to have met the requirements set out in section 6(2)a of the Registration Regulation.

PLAR Process for Demonstrating Currency