Educating physicians in nutrition - a view of the past, the present, and the future

Article Abstract:

The current status of nutrition as a topic of study in US medical school curricula is discussed, along with suggestions for improving nutrition education in the future. Between 1950 and 1970, medical education in nutrition declined as education in cellular and molecular biology emerged into a highly specialized field. Nutrition fell to the bottom of the priority list. During the last decade, however, research has shifted its emphasis to the immune system (the body's natural defense system for fighting infection), the prevention of chronic diseases, and the role of diet in disease. This has resulted in a renewed interest in nutrition and has underscored the need for well developed medical school courses in nutrition. Part of the response to this increased need has been the development of a program called the Southeastern Medical Nutrition Education Network (SERMEN), designed to improve nutrition education in medical schools in the southeastern US. Fifteen medical schools participate in this program, the goal of which is to identify essential topics in nutrition and to develop the necessary resources and education materials for teaching nutrition. Of the schools participating in the program, 93 percent offer courses in nutrition and 53 percent have required courses in nutrition. In contrast, of the nation's 129 medical schools, only 23 percent have a required course in nutrition. The medical schools that have nutrition departments offer twice as many lecture hours in nutrition as do schools with nutrition divisions, and four times as many hours as the schools that do not have nutrition as a separate administrative entity. In order to improve nutrition education, faculty members should work within their own medical schools to create a separate nutrition department or division that will be responsible for developing and implementing an adequate nutrition curriculum. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physicians, Medical professions

---

Nutrition education in the medical-school curriculum

Article Abstract:

Approximately 6,000 hours of instruction must be efficiently allocated to various medical science courses over the four years of medical school. However, the amounts of clinical skills, general knowledge, and new subjects to be covered have increased over time without any change in the number of available teaching hours. Thus, medical faculties have expressed the opinion that the curriculum is already overcrowded and there is little or no more room to add another topic or subject area. Major criteria that must be met before a new course can be added to the already full curriculum relate to: the necessity of the course in the physician's education; the general applicability of the course to all American physicians; the availability of faculty to teach the course; and the ability of other faculty to integrate material from the course. A general change in medical education from learning factual, categorical information to participation in interactive sessions of problem-solving and independent thinking is being advocated. Nutrition has become an important aspect of medical care with the growing proportion of chronically ill and elderly patients. Hence, medical students should be provided with exciting and challenging education in nutrition. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

---

Nutrition sciences in medical-student education

Article Abstract:

The need for a required nutrition course in the medical school curriculum continues to be a controversial topic. A nutrition course would have to be introduced during the preclinical, basic science phase of the already overcrowded curriculum. Currently, only 22 medical schools have a required nutrition course in their curriculums, and the average time allotted for nutrition courses is 20 hours. Fifty percent or more of medical school graduates felt that the time devoted to instruction in nutrition was inadequate. The Committee on Nutrition in Medical Education and other groups concerned with health promotion and disease prevention have attempted to convince medical faculties that nutrition should be included in the curriculum, but they have been unsuccessful. The addition of a nutrition program to the medical school curriculum will only be possible if the underlying structure of governing and administering the medical school program is changed. Advocates of nutrition education in medical school must become active in promoting complete reform of medical education. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Informing physicians about promising new treatments for severe illnesses. The Oregon Medicaid demonstration project - will it provide adequate medical care?
• Abstracts: The counseling practices of internists. Internists' practices in health promotion and disease prevention: a survey
• Abstracts: Physicians provide continuum of care for Desert Storm fighting forces. Mental health professionals find fewer problems than expected in desert storm
• Abstracts: Racial differences in the relation between blood pressure and insulin resistance. Where all the glucose doesn't go in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
• Abstracts: Protruding atheromas in the thoracic aorta and systemic embolization. Atheromatosis of the aortic arch as an occult source of multiple systemic emboli

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.