Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management teaches the role of therapeutic diets in the treatment of chronic illnesses and other nutritional disorders, highlighting the principles of the nutrition care process as applicable in a primary care setting. You will learn key nutrition assessment techniques and intervention strategies that will assist you in providing comprehensive health care to your patients. The course teaches the foundations of dietary guidelines and how they can be applied in general practice to better manage chronic diseases, malnutrition, weight loss, and other conditions.

This course is the first part of the three-part Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management. The education pathway is Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management, Advanced Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management and Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management.

Professional Certificate of
Medical Nutrition Management

Advanced Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management

Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND COURSE REQUISITES

The Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management is tailored for medical practitioners who wish to gain a better understanding of nutrition management in order to improve patient outcomes, especially for those patients with conditions commonly seen in general practice, such as obesity, diabetes, pregnancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer and eating disorders.

The course is suitable for general practitioners, degree-qualified nurses who work under their supervision and International Medical Graduates. The course assumes no prior knowledge or training in the field.

Professionally recognised qualifications and prior studies may be recognised for entry into this course if the learning outcomes match exactly. Please ask a HealthCert Education Advisor for an individual assessment of your prior qualifications and experience.

COURSE CONTENTS

How dietary guidelines can be used to guide treatment
Approaches for the management of chronic disease: Mediterranean, MIND, vegetarian, high protein, low GI
Myths and fads: keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, 'I quit sugar'
Organics, coconut oil, superfoods
Vitamins, minerals and supplements
Gastrointestinal health
Malnutrition in older adults
Talking with patients about weight management
Bariatric care

Course participants will:

Have the opportunity to replay video lectures from medical experts.
Participate in discussion of patient cases, evaluate and make decisions.
All presentation slides available for download.
Participate in course webinar prior to the examinations and ask questions.
Receive unlimited and ongoing access to free alumni learning resources, video lectures, and discussion forums, as well as invite-only events and special offers after completion of the course.
Receive ongoing support post-course through webinars and case review.
Have the opportunity to participate in optional clinical attachments at dedicated nutrition clinics.

COURSE OUTLINE

Module 1: How dietary guidelines can be used to guide treatment

Module 2: Approaches for the management of chronic disease: Mediterranean, MIND, vegetarian, high protein, low GI

Module 3: Organics, coconut oil, superfoods, myths and fads: keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, 'I quit sugar'

Module 4: Vitamins, minerals and supplements

Module 5: Gastrointestinal health

Module 6: Malnutrition in older adults

Module 7: Talking with patients about weight management

Module 8: Bariatric care

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COURSE

Prof Liz Isenring

Program Head, Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice, Bond University

Associate Dean of Research, Bond University

Professor Liz Isenring is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian passionate about improving the quality of life of patients and their carers via evidence-based nutrition. Liz is Head of Program for the Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice, and the Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University. She is recognised internationally as an expert in nutrition during treatment for cancer and for older adults. Liz has held several leadership positions including in AuSPEN, Dietitian Connection and MASCC, has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers and received more than $3 million AUS in research funding.

Dr Heidi Staudacher

Dietitian & Postdoctoral Researcher, Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University

Dr Heidi Staudacher is a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University. Her chief research interests include the pathophysiology and dietary management of functional gastrointestinal and mental health disorders, and the interaction of diet with the microbiome in these disorders.

Heidi was a NIHR Clinical Doctoral Fellow at King’s College London between 2012-2016 and during her PhD conducted a large randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of a low FODMAP diet with probiotic co-administration on the gastrointestinal microbiota, symptoms, dietary intake and quality of life. She has published several key papers in the field of dietary management of irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr Ingrid Hickman

Principal Research Fellow, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Mater Research Institute-UQ

Dr Ingrid Hickman is a Principal Research Fellow with the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Mater Research Institute-UQ in Brisbane, Australia. Ingrid’s work specialises in investigating the metabolic factors that contribute to obesity-related chronic disease, particularly the role of diet and exercise as potential treatment options for chronic liver disease.

Ingrid collaborates nationally and internationally with multidisciplinary teams to deliver scientifically robust evidence for better management of obesity-related disease. The focus of her research team is to translate medical research findings into improved evidence-based practice for clinicians treating people with obesity-related chronic disease.

Dr Jaimon Kelly

Senior Teaching Fellow, Bond University

Dr Jaimon Kelly is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University. Jaimon works in private practice and consults primarily for chronic disease nutrition. He is also an early career researcher passionate about improving patient-centred care in chronic disease, is an advocate for patient-engagement in both the clinical and research setting, and has a strong interest in exploring new ways to deliver dietary education to improve people’s dietary self-management.

Kate Morgan

Academic, Bond University

Kate Morgan has been an academic with Bond University since 2012. Her teaching with dietetics students has focused on food science and nutrition, and its application across dietetic practice. This has involved leading future dietitians on culinary investigations in the food lab as well as informative paddock-to-plate expeditions outside the university.

Kate recently completed her PhD in dietetics education, taking a national approach to exploring key stakeholders’ perspectives on dietetics workforce preparation and preparedness. Through her PhD, Kate authored six peer-reviewed publications and presented the findings of her research at conferences both nationally and internationally.

Prior to academia, Kate was a dietitian in the corporate sector. This involved working with multinational companies to enhance the nutritional profile of their products while maintaining palatability, meeting business needs and effectively communicating credible nutrition information to consumers.

Kate has been an Accredited Practising Dietitian and member of the Dietitians Association of Australia since 2008.

Kathryn Nolan

Senior Teaching Fellow, Bond University

Kathryn Nolan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with more than 20 years’ experience. She has worked in many cosmopolitan, rural and remote areas of Queensland, Australia. Her extensive experience includes both hospital and community positions for Queensland Health as well as a successful private practice within a general practice setting. More recently she became a Senior Teaching Fellow at Bond University.

Lauren Ball

Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University

Early Career Fellow, NHMRC

Associate Editor, Australian Journal of Primary Health

Executive Committee Member, Australasian Association for Academics in Primary Care

Lauren Ball’s vision is that all Australians are supported by a health care system that allows them to reach their full potential in life. This will be achieved by making nutrition a prominent part of the ongoing care they receive in general practice – the first point of contact with the health care system.

Lauren has worked with community members, health professionals, education providers and professional bodies to conduct research on how patients can be better supported in general practice to eat well. She implements interventions and programs so that general practitioners, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, pharmacists and other health professionals feel confident in nutrition and have the skills to best meet patients' needs. She also works with Primary Health Networks to better understand how primary care services can be reoriented to put nutrition and other lifestyle behaviours at the forefront of the health care system.

Lauren has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and attracted over $1 million in research funding from government bodies, non-government organisations and philanthropic foundations. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University and an NHMRC Early Career Fellow. She is also an Associate Editor for the Australian Journal of Primary Health and Executive Committee Member of the Australasian Association for Academics in Primary Care.

Tara Diversi

Business, Communication and Leadership Consultant, Health Leadership Australia

Co-Founder, Sophus Nutrition

Tara Diversi is passionate about combining nutrition, psychology and communication to help clients make positive change to improve their health. She is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with two post graduate qualifications in psychology and an MBA majoring in marketing, which complement her dietetic qualifications. Tara works as a business, communication and leadership consultant with Health Leadership Australia. She is the co-founder of Sophus Nutrition, a platform that combines nutrition with behavioural economics and technology to bring dietetic care into homes of patients across the globe.

Trimester 2 | 2019

Application Deadline:
3 May 2019

Course Starts: 6 May 2019

Exam Open: 29 Jul 2019

Course Ends: 23 Aug 2019

Trimester 3 | 2019

Application Deadline:
30 Aug 2019

Course Starts: 2 Sep 2019

Exam Open: 25 Nov 2019

Course Ends: 20 Dec 2019

Trimester 1 | 2020

Application Deadline:
3 Jan 2020

Course Starts: 6 Jan 2020

Exam Open: 30 Mar 2020

Course Ends: 24 Apr 2020

COURSE FEES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

REGULAR TUITION FEE

Professional Certificate

$1,895

Two-Course Bundle

$3,790

Three-Course Bundle

$5,685

Different payments options available.

EARLY BIRD RATE

Professional Certificate

$1,695

Two-Course Bundle

$3,220

Three-Course Bundle

$4,590

DEFERRED PAYMENT

Professional Certificate

$664 x 3

Two-Course Bundle

$682 x 5

Three-Course Bundle

$600 x 8

Defer your payments over several months.

GP REGISTRARS: Doctors in training who are on a recognised pathway to General Practice Registration through a recognised training provider receive a HealthCert Scholarship.

COURSE DELIVERY AND ASSESSMENT

The Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management is fully delivered online. Participants can enjoy the flexibility to study at their own pace, in their own time, within their home or office, and on their favourite mobile device. The modules are set up in such a way that participants are not required to be online at specific times but can view and replay the video lectures at their convenience. The webinars offer the opportunity to join and interact with the presenters online in real-time but can also be viewed later. There are no face-to-face requirements for exams which can be conveniently completed online within three months of trimester end date. With no travel, accommodation or out-of-office expenses incurred, participants can build critical skills and tailor their career while working in a busy practice or raising a family.

There are eight units in a HealthCert professional diploma program. The course is delivered over 15 weeks with 12 weeks of teaching followed by three weeks for revision and final examinations. The course includes online presentations from experts in the field followed by patient case discussions and decision-making. There is a final webinar prior to examinations. You will also receive valuable 12 months' web-based support from the speakers and participate in regular online learning sessions with the opportunity to ask any questions you might have as you implement your learning.

The course includes:

All presentation slides available for download.
Access to additional learning resources, reference materials and video lectures.
Reading list with references to peer-reviewed journal articles to keep up-to-date with developments in the field.

In order to meet the requirements of professional and academic learning, the course assessment includes a professional requirement and two online examinations.

Develop a one-page report/explanation of how you will use the learning from this course in your professional work.

Online assessment

88 knowledge questions based on a scenario of a medical practitioner undertaking special interest training.
- 11 per module
  Example: The medical practitioner believes that 10% of the population … Is he correct? Yes/No

88 authentic scenario based questions based on cases of patient care at a clinic
- 11 per module
  Example: A patient arrives at your clinic with this problem … What should you do? Multiple choice images based on patient cases.

The knowledge-based examination is worth 50 per cent and the application-based examination is worth 50 per cent. The overall pass mark is 80 per cent. It is therefore not possible to pass this course on knowledge alone. Knowledge must be successfully applied to patient cases in order to pass the course.

HealthCert recommends completion of the assessment at your convenience within three months of the completion of the course (or enrolling in the online course).

CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

PCNUT certificate Upon successful completion of the exam, course participants will receive a Professional Certificate of Medical Nutrition Management and 40 RACGP Category 1 QI&CPD points / 30 ACRRM PRPD points.

RACGP: 40 RACGP Category 1 QI&CPD points
ACRRM: 30 ACRRM PRPD points

This professional certificate:

Provides CPD points from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
Provides PRPD points from the Australian Council of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
Is recognised by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP).
Is recognised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (HKCFP). The HKCFP recognises all courses endorsed by the RACGP. Points are calculated differently.
Is a self-submitted activity in Dubai. The number of CPD points must be stated on the certificate. Please contact PLD@dhcr.gov.ae for more information.
Is a self-submitted activity in the UK. CPD events overseas, applicable to a doctor’s scope of practice, may be submitted for revalidation. Please confirm with your Responsible Officer.
Is a self-submitted activity in Canada through the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Category 1 points are reported as certified and Category 2 points are reported as non-certified. Contact mainprocredits@cfpc.ca for more information.
Meets World Federation of Medical Education standards.
Is quality-assured by Bond University.

EDUCATION PATHWAYS

This online three-part program consists of the Professional Certificate, Advanced Certificate, and Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management. Upon completion of the program, participants will be eligible to apply for RPL for the Graduate Diploma in Nutrition with Bond University. This is suitable for medical practitioners who are mainly interested in clinical academic study. Course graduates may also continue their professional development by completing a clinical attachment, which are available on request. These will be on a 1:1 basis providing the opportunity to observe clinical nutrition consultation, planning and decision-making and ask questions of the expert.

Certified clinical attachments pathway

Optional clinical attachments are available on request. These will be on a 1:1 basis providing the opportunity to observe clinical nutrition consultation, planning and decision-making and ask questions of the expert. Clinical attachments are available in Australia.

Postgraduate pathway for nutrition

This pathway is suitable for medical practitioners who are mainly interested in clinical academic study. The Graduate Diploma in Nutrition is studied through Bond University. Medical professionals who successfully complete the HealthCert Professional Certificate, Advanced Certificate and Professional Diploma of Medical Nutrition Management will be eligible to apply for RPL for the Bond University Graduate Diploma. RPL will be granted for NUTR71-105 Nutrition and Chronic Disease Management. Learn more.

A pathway leading to a Graduate Diploma in Obesity and Weight Management with an online provider in the UK is currently under discussion.