Benefits to support dietitians of the future
We provide our student members with a tailored set of benefits and services to help supplement your course materials, support you throughout your practice placement, and give you a head start with CPD and volunteering opportunities to prepare you for your future dietetic careers.
Student members, log in to access your benefits.
Latest Student Benefits
- Manage your Mental Health for Student Dietitians
- All-student Discussion Forum
- FREE access to Specialist Groups for students! (see below)
We're delighted to announce that our student members can now join two of the BDA's 21 Specialist Groups (and nine sub groups) free of charge (excluding the Freelance Specialist Group), giving them an insight into specialist dietetic areas to support their studies and into their future careers.
BDA Specialist Groups cover areas including paediatric, renal nutrition and older people, to obesity, diabetes, sport and parenteral and enteral nutrition, highlighting the wide diversity of the expert dietetic profession. Log in and join a group today!
It’s never too early to engage with the dietetic community outside of university. It can be a hugely daunting prospect as it’s easy to imagine your contribution or voice will be ill-received because of lack of experience.
The Obesity Specialist Group nominated me for the Student Champion award, which has shown me how valued and appreciated all voices and continuations are - and how open other RDs are to encouraging the development of the next generation, outside of an education setting. I hope it will inspire other students to get involved in specialist groups and other non-university opportunities.
Linsey Cockburn, 2021 Student Champion
Supplementing your course materials
PEN
Unlimited access to the huge evidence-based PEN system (worth £360) is provided as part of BDA membership. PEN keeps dietetic professionals and students up-to-date with the evidence-base and the fast-paced world of dietetics.
Dietetics Today
The Official BDA members magazine, providing latest BDA and professional news, a clinical section, department focus, member case studies and pilots, volunteer corner, CPD reflection questions, upcoming courses and events, and much more.
Food Facts
Our Food Fact Sheets are written by dietitians to help you learn the best ways to eat and drink to keep your body fit and healthy.
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics
The high impact factor BDA Journal, is an international peer-reviewed journal that provides the latest research, reviews, practice guidelines and discussion papers across the fields of nutrition and dietetics. Free online with BDA membership, small charge for printed copies.
Our e-zines
We provide our BDA member community with useful regular e-zines to keep them informed and aware of the latest news, views and research across the profession.
Student Shared Resources
Useful resources developed and shared by BDA student members to be used whilst on placement, and for preparing for interviews
Book Series
Each title in this series is a comprehensive and critical review of key literature in its subject. Trustworthy, internationally-focused, and written specifically to meet the needs of a wide range of professionals. BDA Members get a 35% discount.*
The Manual
Now in its sixth edition, the bestselling BDA Manual of Dietetic Practice covers the entire dietetics curriculum, and is a core text for healthcare professionals to develop their expertise and specialist skills in the realm of dietetic practice. BDA Members get a 35% discount.
Helping you get ahead
Get involved in research
The BDA Research Symposium is the annual event that showcases the breadth of research across dietetics. This year's Symposium will be held in Birmingham on Wednesday 7 December 2022.
Lead your branch
Discover how you can get involved in a number of interesting volunteering opportunities with the BDA, you'll learn new transferable skills, meet new people, add to your CPD and advance your profession!
Join the conversation
Join us, promote the impact and value of dietetics on social media. Interact and engage with us, fellow members and the wider profession to ensure our collective dietetic voice is represented across all major social platforms.
Supporting you
Placement insurance
We provide our full, associate and student members with Professional Indemnity Insurance, which is suitable (and essential) liability cover for dietetic professionals in their day-to-day roles and is a mandatory and legal requirement of the HCPC.
Responding to your needs
BDA student members elect a new representative every summer. Your student representative sits on the BDA Board of Directors and represents the voice of all BDA student members at a strategic level.
After you graduate
Our support for you doesn't stop after you graduate. Don't miss out - upgrade your membership as soon you graduate, to ensure you are safely covered by the right level of professional indemnity insurance and trade union support.
*FREE STUDENT MEMBERSHIP relates to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate first year students only. Second, third and fourth year groups are provided with very heavily subsidised BDA membership (discounted by almost 90% at just £39 per year)