Advancing Nutrition Education, Training, and Research for Medical Students, Residents, Fellows, Attending Physicians, and Other Clinicians: Building Competencies and Interdisciplinary Coordination

Adv Nutr. 2019 Nov 1;10(6):1181-1200. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz083.

Abstract

Nutrition plays an important role in health promotion and disease prevention and treatment across the lifespan. Physicians and other healthcare professionals are expected to counsel patients about nutrition, but recent surveys report minimal to no improvements in medical nutrition education in US medical schools. A workshop sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute addressed this gap in knowledge by convening experts in clinical and academic health professional schools. Representatives from the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and the American Society for Nutrition provided relevant presentations. Reported is an overview of lessons learned from nutrition education efforts in medical schools and health professional schools including interprofessional domains and competency-based nutrition education. Proposed is a framework for coordinating activities of various entities using a public-private partnership platform. Recommendations for nutrition research and accreditation are provided.

Keywords: academic nutrition medicine; culinary medicine; integrative nutrition; medical board nutrition questions; medical nutrition education; nutrition competencies; nutrition coordinating center.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Accreditation
  • Clinical Competence*
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Medical*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Personnel / education*
  • Humans
  • Interdisciplinary Communication*
  • Internship and Residency / methods
  • Licensure
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.)
  • Nutrition Therapy*
  • Nutritional Sciences / education*
  • Physicians
  • Students, Medical
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States