Hiring new graduates into your private practice can bring energy, fresh perspectives, and enthusiasm. But when it comes to setting service fees, many private practice dietitians fall into the trap of lowering fees for new graduate clinicians. While it may seem like a fair approach, reducing fees can create significant challenges—for the practice, the clinician, and the profession.
Let me help explain the real costs of supporting new graduates and why it’s essential to charge the same fees, regardless of experience.
More Than Just a Consultation: The True Costs of New Graduate Positions
Hiring a new graduate isn’t just about handing over a client load. It involves considerable non-billable time and additional resources. New graduates often need:
- Extra time to prepare for sessions and build clinical confidence.
- More time to produce reports and ensure recommendations align with best practices.
- Additional mentoring and supervision, which means senior clinicians must carve out time for review and feedback.
- Professional development courses to accelerate their growth and competencies.
These elements aren’t optional—they’re essential to a new dietitian’s success. However, they come with costs that can’t be offset if service fees are reduced. Without the revenue to cover these necessary supports, new graduates risk falling behind in their development, which can negatively impact their performance and confidence in the long run.
Why Lowering Fees Doesn’t Add Up
Charging less for new graduates may seem reasonable at first. However, the reality is that the costs associated with their role often match or even exceed those of experienced clinicians. In addition to time-consuming supervision, new graduates require professional development and administrative support to get up to speed. These investments are vital not only for the new hire but also for the sustainability of the practice.
Lower fees also send the wrong message to clients, implying that the service offered by new graduates is of lesser value. In reality, new graduates bring fresh knowledge, enthusiasm, and up-to-date skills that are just as valuable to clients as years of experience. Setting lower fees can diminish the perceived worth of dietitians, creating long-term challenges for the profession as a whole.
Maintaining Fees = Supporting Growth and Excellence
When service fees reflect the true value of the care provided, it ensures that the business has the means to invest in the training, mentorship, and development needed to support new graduates. This structure helps create a thriving, confident workforce, ensuring that early-career dietitians grow into competent, independent professionals.
Setting fees that cover the real costs of running the practice allows dietitians to:
- Afford supervision and mentoring without cutting corners.
- Provide high-quality care by giving clinicians the tools and time they need to prepare and reflect.
- Avoid burnout, helping both new graduates and experienced dietitians feel supported and successful in their roles.
By maintaining fees, practices can set the tone for long-term success—for both the individual clinician and the practice.
Let’s Change the Narrative
At Elevated Dietetics, we’re committed to helping private practices succeed by setting sustainable fee structures that reflect the real cost of delivering excellent care. Reducing fees for new graduates may seem like a short-term solution, but it limits their ability to grow into the practitioners our profession needs. With the right systems and support in place, new graduates thrive—and so does your business.
Before you consider lowering fees, ask yourself:
- Can your practice afford the time and resources needed to support a new grad without appropriate compensation?
- Will reduced fees limit your ability to offer professional development and mentoring?
- How might lowering fees impact the perception of value for dietitians within your community?
When we set the bar high—both in expectations and fees—we raise the quality and sustainability of our entire profession.
Need Help Developing Sustainable Fee Structures?
If you’re ready to build a strategy that supports both your practice and your new graduate clinicians, I’d love to help. Book a free 20-minute compatibility call with me, and let’s explore how we can create a system that works for everyone involved. Together, we can make sure that your business thrives—and so do your team members.
👉 Click here to book your free call
With the right structure, fees, and support, hiring new graduates becomes an investment in your practice’s future—one that benefits everyone involved.
Looking forward to supporting your success,
Jodie Sheraton Director,
Elevated Dietetics
