I am interested in becoming a Registered Dietician (RD), but I was wondering if degrees from the US can be transferred and accepted in Italy.

This has been worrying me a great deal, and I'm almost wondering if it would just be easier to go to school in Italy. Does anyone know about the compatibility of American and Italian degrees?

Italy has a completely diferent system to the US re dietitians. They have 3 different categories, all of whihc would be covered under the dietitian term.

Dietista = person with a basic degree or community college qualification. They are basically 'diet aides' and help selecting food choices etc but cannot prescibe diets.

Nutrizionista = More a research type role. These people in italy have done a science degree plus postgrad.

Dietologo = nutritional doctor. Person with a medical egree and then specialist training in nutrition. Usually work in hospitals prescibing diets.

Most anglo saxon trained dietitians would fall into the nutrizionista category, i believe.

I myself am a UK registered dietitian. I believe under EU law I can work here using my british practicing certificate, however it is extremely diffcult getting jobs, the principles and food culture are totally different, not to mention knowing which category my qualifications would fall under. The dietologi I have met here seem to give totally impractical, confusing and often wrong information IMO as well.

If you do a search under health professionals etc threads here you will see other people's experiences of getting registered etc here.

If you have not started any training at all, and wanted to work in italy as a dietitian, it would probably be advantageous to do all your training here. Be warned though it would probably take longer than in the US, be much harder to find a job and the pay would be v low. Obviously you'd need to be completely fluent in Italian as well.

Good luck!

I have a US friend, married to an Italian, with only US dietician qualifications, who has a job in one of the "town spa's" - facials, massage,etc. From speaking with her, her knowledge is more from the point of view of putting people on a diet appropriate for them to lose weight, rather than making sure they are eating healthily. So one friend was put on a low-carb diet for example. She had to get up to date with current trends before starting her job but she didn't have to take any further exams here. Also this wasn't because she or her husband knew someone. It was a new spa opening and they wanted a dietician, right place, right time! She is fluent in Italian though and as the spa is quite upmarket I don't think she is dealing with many non-Italians.

My first reaction was that if a dietician can be linked in with a medical system, most Italians would want that one given the healthcare system they have. Few would want/need to pay "extra" for something they could ostensibly get through a doctor's office/prescription for a medical spa. Having said that, perhaps the non-medical spa, i.e., beauty spa is coming more into fashion and that is an attractive offering.

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So one friend was put on a low-carb diet for example

Bummer in Italy!

They are HUGE here! I can think of dozens here in Florence, plus the health clubs and the mineral spas in the hills. It's a big business. If anything this is what people do before/instead of heading to the plastic surgeon!

I love the Italian word for health spa too: "beauty farm". Sounds like you're going to groomed for the slaughterhouse like a prize pig.

I know several heterosexual (as far as I can tell) men who have gone to beauty farms for a week. If even the men are doing it it must be big business.

A few friends here paid for their husbands to go to the out of town spa's to recuperate after Christmas!!!!

Thank you for all of your help! This is all much more complicated than I expected.

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Originally posted by alyson:
A few friends here paid for their husbands to go to the out of town spa's to recuperate after Christmas!!!!

Recuperate in what way I wonder? From eating too much? If we're talking about stress levels I'm sure it's mainly Italian women who need a trip to a beauty FARM( ) after the stresses and strains of Crimbo.

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Originally posted by Mallory:
Thank you for all of your help! This is all much more complicated than I expected.

Sounds like you haven't been in Italy for long enough.

Everything here is more complicated. It's the worst aspect of Italy, that getting anything done is never easy, simple or logical.

Apart from that, I love the place to death!