A Problem-Based Learning Approach to Incorporating Nutrition into the Medical Curriculum

Problem Based Learning (PBL) provides a unique opportunity for medical students to learn nutrition principles in the context of evidence-based clinical cases. At the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (UTMSH), PBL is a major component during the second year of the four year undergraduate medical curriculum. A recent review of forty-two clinical cases has shown that over half of the cases include nutrition-specific objectives related to diagnosis, therapy, prognosis, or disease prevention. Thus, these PBL cases provide students the opportunity to study a broad range of nutrition topics in a clinically relevant context. The students' nutrition knowledge is evaluated using clinically-oriented, multiple-choice questions. In order for students to develop fully their competency in clinical nutrition topics, they are also provided a foundation in basic nutrition principles. This report describes a comprehensive approach through a case-based curriculum to help prepare students in their pre-clinical years for the nutritional care of patients in their clerkships, residency, and as practicing physicians.