Nutrition education in a family practice residency program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nutrition Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Growing recognition of nutrition's importance in medical education.
• Identified gap in applied nutrition skills for medical residents.
• Need for structured nutrition training in family practice residency programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of a nutrition curriculum for family practice residents.
• To outline the roles of residents and faculty dietitians in nutrition education.
• To highlight methods for developing residents' nutrition counseling skills.

Main Methods:

• Eight-year implementation of a nutrition curriculum in two family practice residency programs.
• Residents responsible for patient nutrition education, with dietitian as consultant.
• Utilized case-oriented seminars and group teaching for skill development.
• Dietitian evaluated resident performance against learning objectives.

Main Results:

• Successfully implemented a long-term nutrition curriculum.
• Established a collaborative model with faculty dietitian support.
• Provided residents with opportunities to enhance nutrition counseling abilities.

Conclusions:

• A structured nutrition curriculum is feasible and beneficial for residency programs.
• Faculty dietitian involvement is crucial for effective nutrition education and skill development.
• Continued focus on applied nutrition training is essential for medical residents.