Practising Fewer Than 500 Hours in Three Years

What happens if a dietitian declares they are practising fewer than 500 hours over three years?

All registrants are required to declare their practice hours over the past three years at their annual renewal. The Quality Assurance program has the responsibility to assess dietitians who have not practised at least 500 hours over the past three years to determine their competence.

Registrants who have not met the 500 hour requirement have three options: 

Option 1: Signing a voluntary undertaking

This option is for dietitians who are not currently practising in Ontario or with Ontario clients. 

If you still wish to maintain your dietitian title while not actively practising, one option is to sign a voluntary undertaking. This is an agreement with the Quality Assurance program, College of Dietitians of Ontario (CDO). By fulfilling the requirements of the agreement, you can ensure that you remain connected to the profession while not actively practising. 

Signing a voluntary undertaking means that you agree to be assessed by the Quality Assurance Committee to ensure you have the knowledge, skill, and judgment to practise competently and safely. You agree not to return to dietetic practice in Ontario or with Ontario clients until you are assessed.

When you sign a voluntary undertaking, you become exempt from Quality Assurance Program requirements, such as:

• completing the annual Self-Directed Learning (SDL) Tool
• completing the Jurisprudence Knowledge and Assessment Tool (JKAT) every five years
• random selection for Peer and Practice Assessment (PPA). 

However, you must still pay your registration fees.

Option 2: Submitting a learning diary

This option is for dietitians who are practising fewer than 500 hours but want to maintain their registration as practising dietitians.

You have the option to submit a learning diary. A learning diary is a record of all your professional development activities over the last three years. You can use these templates to track your activities:

• Learning Diary Template
• Learning Diary Sample

Assessing your learning diary

Two independent assessors will review your learning diary.  The Quality Assurance Committee will decide if you require further learning to maintain your competence. 

If your learning diary is approved

You will maintain your registration to practise. You must continue to submit learning diaries for as long as you declare fewer than 500 hours of practice. You must also participate in the Quality Assurance program, using tools such as the Self-Directed Learning tool.

If your learning diary is not approved

You can decide to:

• complete a competency assessment in your practice area
• write the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam or
• resign your registration with CDO. 

Option 3: Resigning registration

This option is for dietitians who are not practising and do not want to sign a voluntary undertaking or complete a learning diary.

Resigning means that you can no longer use the title of registered dietitian or practise as a dietitian. If you decide to return to practise, the registration requirements and policies in place at the time of re-application will apply. 

Resource List

Policy 5-40: Committee Review of the Learning Diary
Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam
Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP), 2020.