How to become a CDE

Becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator

Certified Diabetes Educators are an integral part of diabetes care and management.

What is a CDE?

A Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) is a healthcare professional with a passion for diabetes education. This professional is an expert in diabetes care, management, and education, and has excellent communication skills.

How to become a CDE

To become a CDE the following requirements must be met:

• You must be a healthcare professional registered with a regulatory body in Canada.
  • Currently the eligible professions include:
    • Physicians
    • Registered Nurses
    • Registered Dietitians
    • Pharmacists
• Have completed 800 hours of practice in diabetes education within the 3-year period before writing the examination.
• Complete the application to write the exam and send it to the CDE Certification Board by February 1^st of the year you wish to write the exam.
• Write the Canadian Diabetes Educator’s Certification Board Exam, which is held annually on the Saturday following Victoria Day in May.

For more information on becoming a CDE visit the CDECB website.

Maintaining CDE Certification

If you are currently a CDE it is important to maintain your certification. Your CDE credentials must be renewed every five years, in one of two ways:

1. Write the Certification Exam
2. Credit Portfolio Certification Maintenance

More information on certification maintenance can be found here.