Integrating nutrition as a theme throughout the medical school curriculum

More than one-third of adult Americans are obese. A major portion of the diseases that cause the highest morbidity and mortality, eg, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension, can be attributed to diet. Yet, despite the demand for more nutrition education, few medical schools have an adequate nutrition curriculum. Many medical schools are reducing the number of lecture hours in favor of problem-based tutorial discussions, so an addition of another mandatory lecture course is not likely. The organization of nutrition as a theme throughout the 4-y medical school curriculum can pull together many hours of nutrition information taught during various courses, eg, biochemistry, physiology, pathophysiology, clinical clerkships, and electives. Emphasis should be placed on the identification of available resources (eg, faculty throughout the medical school and affiliated hospitals, textbooks, research, and clinical experiences) and applied to practical clinical situations so that students are able to identify, assess, and appropriately manage the frequent nutritional problems seen in outpatients and inpatients. Strategies and techniques such as curriculum analysis, computer-aided instruction modules, Internet Web sites, case-based tutorial discussions, use of physician nutrition specialists and dietitians, administratively separate nutrition units, observed structured clinical examinations, and faculty development are listed and discussed in this article.