RD Exam Made Easy Podcast

Wow. What can I say! This has been such an incredible journey. When I started the podcast, I had no idea where it would go, how many episodes I'd release, or what the next steps were. I only had one goal: To help RDs2Be get across the finish line and pass the RD Exam I wanted to teach through stories. I love stories. Stories are relatable and they build bridges and connection. It's so much more fu...

I get asked a lot from RDs2Be what study material they should choose. There used to be very few options but now, there are more options which is great. But with more options, it means you have to make more decisions. And that can be exhausting when you're this close to wrapping up this chapter of your educational career.  So I wanted to do a review of the study materials available and give a littl...

No matter what happens in life, things will change. It's inevitable. Often times, things change without you having any control over it. When that happens, you have to be resilient, adapt, and move on.  But not all change is forced. Lots of change happens because people realize they have to make a change and can't continue things status quo. You've likely gone through the stages of change at some p...

Community nutrition is a rotation in every dietetic internship. It may look different for each intern but you need to have exposure and a basic understanding of programs and resources available in our communities that promote and support good nutrition.  As a dietitian, you need to know how to help people who don't have access to good nutrition. Even if you don't work in public health, having know...

It's a lot to balance everything in life. And sometimes things can feel heavy and overwhelming. This is especially true when studying for a big exam, like the RD exam. That's why I felt it was important to be open about how I ended up with mental fatigue and worked through it. And share some strategies you can do to avoid it while juggling so many things at once.  This is what you'll learn in this...

As of 2024, the field of dietetics requires Registered Dietitians to have a Master degree which means a bigger emphasis on research.  Research methods is also part of the study guide for the RD Exam. This is what you'll learn in this episode: A closer look at qualitative and quantitative research studies A breakdown of independent and dependent variables  A review of different types of research st...

Regardless of where you work, it's a good idea to have a basic understanding of developmental stages. Plus this is something that could be asked on the RD exam. This episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast covers developmental stages.  This is what you'll learn in this episode: What to keep in mind of with each developmental stage and how it influences that individuals nutrition and well-being. ...

If you're looking for a quick review of DRI's (Dietary Reference Intakes), the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and Healthy People 2030, this episode's for you.  It's a short and sweet episode to review these concepts that are fair game on the exam. So grab your walking shoes, or plug in your phone for your commute to your next internship site. A little studying note. Reminder that stud...

Eating Disorders are something all dietitians should have baseline knowledge of because you never know when you'll meet someone who needs your help.  In this episode, I have a conversation with Kate Machado, MS, RDN, CSSD, CEDS, from SD Nutrition Group ( www.sdnutritiongroup.com ), who's an expert in Eating Disorders. She knew from day one that working with eating disorders was her passion and she...

Remember learning about vitamins and minerals for the first time? Maybe it was fun and exciting or maybe it was overwhelming - or possibly both. Regardless of how you felt, there's a lot of them. And remembering all them isn't easy.  So I broke them up into two episodes - one on vitamins and one on minerals. In this episode, I cover the minerals - both the major and trace minerals.  Normally, you'...

Do you ever wonder where to even start when pricing food in the cafeteria? Or maybe you're worried about pricing questions showing up on the RD Exam.  Knowing how to price items is challenging. There's a lot of moving parts. You want to make a profit and sell your items but you don't want to price too high where it negatively impacts your sales.  In this episode, my guest Maryanna Staerk shares he...

In this episode, you'll learn about Standards of Practice (SOP) and Standards of Professional Performance (SOPP). As a dietitian, you need to know what your expectations are with regards to working within your scope of practice and what the standards are for direct patient care as well as non-direct patient care.  You've worked so hard to get here. These aren't always the funnest topics to learn b...

In this episode, you're gonna learn about Emergency Preparedness and the importance of having a good emergency plan - just in case there's a disaster. And you'll learn that sometimes, it doesn't take much to activate an Emergency Preparedness plan.  My guest, Lilia Bolgov, is not only a Registered Dietitian, she's one of my best friends and has a lot of experience in emergency planning. She's the...

In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, you're gonna learn about budgets. Not only are budgets and financial management fair game on the exam, they're a big part of working in management.  If you end up working in a management role, you'll learn more about budgets and you'll get hands on experience managing a budget. But in the meantime, this conversation will help break down budgets in...

It's no secret dietitians have perfectionists tendencies. As a dietitian, I know this feeling all too well. It started way before I got into nutrition. And it's been a part of me since I can remember. In this bonus episode, I share a story about how perfectionism kept me awake when I was a little girl. And I talk about what happened when I realized I recently made a BIG mistake and uploaded the fi...

In this episode, you'll learn about PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) which is a great topic requested by a listener just like you. In management, PDCA is used all the time when implementing new workflows. But you can and probably do use PDCA all the time, even in your personal life. You just don't put a label on it.  Chances are, you might be asked about PDCA on the exam. Management is a big section of...

In this episode, you'll learn about some theories of human motivation particularly in the workplace. You'll also learn some important principles regarding management. Management is a big section covered on the RD exam and many dietitians end up becoming managers. So having a good understanding of what motivates people will not only help you on the exam but will help you when you become a dietitian...

In this episode, you'll learn about food borne illnesses. I also give you a play by play from a health inspection I participated in so you have an idea what one might look like, what they look at and why it's important to follow regulatory requirements in the kitchen for food safety.  This is what you'll learn in this episode:  A kitchen walk through The importance of temperature logs for food and...

In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, you'll learn all about pressure injuries. Pressure injuries are extremely costly to people's health. Because of that, health care facilities put a lot of time and effort into protocols and practices to prevent skin breakdown. These are often referred to as "never events".  I also give an important message about fear while sharing an incredibly powe...

In this episode, you'll learn about anemia. It's a popular topic and was requested by a listener. There are many different types of anemia both nutritional and non-nutritional. The focus of this episode is nutritional anemias where you, the dietitian, can work your magic and make a big impact.  This is what you'll learn in this episode:  The different types of anemia Macrocytic, Megaloblastic anem...

This episode is all about texture modified diets. In particular, you'll learn an overview of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) and the role you have when working with these diets. Speech Language Pathologists (SLP's) or Speech Therapists are the experts in assessing patients chewing and swallowing. They recommend the texture modification safest for the patient. As...

In this episode, you'll learn about growth during infancy. Growth charts are used in pediatrics to assess growth and look at trends. This episode breaks down growth charts and reviews Z-scores.  Whether you work in pediatrics, find yourself covering a pediatric unit one day, or need to pass the RD Exam, this episode has a little bit of something for everyone. And my goal is to make sure you're pre...

In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, I talk about perfectionism. It's no secret dietitians are known to have perfectionist tendencies which can be channeled for wonderful things. But at the same time, can hold you back from making progress in your life and career.  As someone who's regularly struggled with perfectionism, I wanted to share my challenges and some of the things I do to h...

This episode is all about inborn errors of metabolism and who better to talk to than Danielle Vice, an amazing metabolic dietitian and a special friend of mine. We have a great conversation about metabolic conditions that might pop up on the exam. This conversation is sure to make you fall in love with metabolics. And at the very least, you'll be reminded why dietitians are so incredible and impor...

In this episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast, you'll learn about diabetes with a fabulous RD who has specialized in diabetes for the majority of her career. And she's amazing at it.  This is what you'll learn in this episode:  The pros and cons of insulin pumps A breakdown of diabetes and the MNT to help keep blood sugar under control Risk factors for developing gestational diabetes An overvie...