Can You Revise Your CDR Learning Plan? What Every RD and DTR Should Know

Can You Revise Your CDR Learning Plan? What Every RD and DTR Should Know

When building your CDR Learning Plan, you’re making thoughtful decisions about your professional growth. But what happens if your practice evolves, your goals shift, or you find a continuing education course that doesn't quite match the performance indicators you originally selected?

The good news: you can revise your Learning Plan at any time during your 5-year recertification cycle—and in many cases, you should.

Here’s what you need to know about revising your Learning Plan and how to use that flexibility strategically.

What Is the CDR Learning Plan?

As part of the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s (CDR) Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) process, all Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Dietetic Technicians, Registered (DTRs) must create a Learning Plan at the start of their 5-year recertification cycle.

This plan includes:

  • Selected competencies from CDR’s Essential Practice Competency framework
  • Performance indicators that reflect skills, behaviors, or knowledge areas relevant to your current or future role

Once your plan is submitted and approved, you’re expected to complete continuing education activities that directly support the performance indicators you chose.

Can You Revise Your Learning Plan?

Yes. The Learning Plan is not fixed.
CDR allows you to revise and resubmit your plan at any point during the cycle. This flexibility ensures that your continuing education remains aligned with your evolving practice.

Why Practitioners Revise Their Plans

Here are a few common reasons why RDs and DTRs update their Learning Plans:

  • A shift in career direction or responsibilities
    For example, transitioning from clinical work to program management, or adding a focus on leadership or entrepreneurship.
  • Desire to count a completed course that doesn't match the current plan
    If a course supports your growth but isn’t tied to a selected performance indicator, you can revise your plan to include one that aligns with the topic.
  • Expanded or updated professional interests
    Some practitioners revise their plan mid-cycle to explore specialties like sports nutrition, informatics, or food systems.
  • To meet the ethics or health equity requirement
    All RDs and DTRs must complete at least 1 CPEU in ethics or health equity per cycle. If this wasn’t originally included in your plan, you can revise it to ensure compliance.

How to Revise Your CDR Learning Plan

  1. Log in to the CDR Online PDP System
  2. Navigate to the Competency Plan Builder
  3. Select new or additional competencies and performance indicators
  4. Submit the revised Learning Plan
  5. Proceed to complete and log CPE activities that match the updated indicators

There is no limit to how often you can revise your plan, and the process is quick and straightforward.

Practical Tip: Use This Flexibility to Your Advantage

If you come across a continuing education course that’s valuable but doesn’t align with your original indicators, don’t skip it. Instead:

  • Review which performance indicators are supported by the course
  • Check your Learning Plan for alignment
  • If needed, revise your plan to include the applicable indicators
  • Complete the course and log it with confidence

At AllDietitians.com, we list the CDR performance indicators supported by every course and bundle, so you can make informed decisions and revise your Learning Plan if needed.

Final Thoughts

Revising your Learning Plan is not a loophole—it’s a built-in feature of a flexible, practitioner-centered recertification system. As your career progresses, your continuing education should evolve with you.

By staying proactive and adjusting your plan when needed, you can ensure that every CPEU you earn is relevant, aligned, and recognized.

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