Interprofessional Students' Perspectives on Culinary Medicine Training: Intentions from Plate to Practice

Area of Science:

• Interprofessional Education
• Culinary Medicine
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Dietary principles are crucial for managing health conditions.
• Integrating nutrition into healthcare practice requires specific skills.
• Culinary medicine offers a practical approach to dietary interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a culinary medicine teaching activity on interprofessional students.
• To evaluate changes in knowledge, confidence, and intent to apply dietary principles.
• To explore the transferability of culinary medicine skills to clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A 3-hour hands-on culinary medicine session was conducted for 13 interprofessional students.
• Focus on recipe conversion and nutritional coaching to create healthier meals.
• Pre- and post-session surveys assessed knowledge, confidence, and intent to apply principles.

Main Results:

• Students showed increased belief in incorporating nutritional counseling into routine appointments.
• Participants reported enhanced confidence in applying culinary medicine in practice.
• All students intended to integrate culinary medicine into their future healthcare roles.

Conclusions:

• The culinary medicine teaching activity was well-received by interprofessional students.
• Students found the nutritional content highly relevant and transferable to patient care.
• The hands-on experience fostered learning satisfaction and intent for future application.