Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools (1985) / Chapter Skim
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1. Executive Summary
1. Executive Summary
Pages 1-8
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From page 1... ...
Simultaneously, health care professionals and legislators are becoming aware that strategies for disease prevention are a major hope for the future, that economic and social factors are dictating the development of alternative health care systems, and consequently, that primary health care providers, whether independent physicians or health maintenance organizations, must be equipped to meet new challenges. One of the challenges is the provision of sound nutritional guidance in the face of myriad forces that compete for the public's attention in the market place.
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Scientists now recognize that the functional correlates of poor nutrition may become subtly manifest at all stages of the life cycle -- from curtailment of cell division and brain growth prenatally to deficits in learning capacity and behavior during childhood and adolescence and impairment in tissue function and metabolism during senescence. Among recent advances, nutrition research has elucidated the function, essentiality, and interaction of several trace minerals, uncovered the intricate role of nutrients in the immune response, and demonstrated that dietary factors, although not the sole determinants, are among lifestyle variables that may significantly influence the outcome of chronic degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer.
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From page 3... ...
Among the major deficiencies in nutrition education identified through these efforts were a failure to provide administrative and institutional support for teaching nutrition, a lack of adequately trained faculty, and the absence of a defined place for nutrition in the curriculum. Despite repeated recommendations to remedy these shortfalls, a widespread perception persists that nutrition is not given the same recognition in the medical curriculum as other scholarly disciplines.
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From page 4... ...
The committee recommends that medical schools and their accreditation bodies, federal agencies, private foundations, and the scientific community make a concerted effort to upgrade the standards as detailed below. The committee recognizes the extraordinary demands placed on the medical education system of today.
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In medical schools, elective courses are distributed throughout the 4 years of the basic science curriculum and range in duration from less than 4 weeks to more than 10 weeks. Although many schools offer nutrition clerkships or electives, the results of both the committee's and the AAMC's surveys indicated that only a small segment of the student body takes advantage of these options.
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From page 6... ...
The committee recommends that persons with strong backgrounds in nutrition science, research, and applications to clinical medicine be assigned to lead the development of nutrition programs in medical schools. Physician-nutritionists, well-versed in the clinical application of basic research, would be the ideal candidates.
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From page 7... ...
In its judgment, however, lack of organizational structure and administrative and financial support are the prime hindrances to the maintenance of nutrition programs in medical schools. · The committee proposes that the National Board of Medical Examiners consider appointing advisors to review the distribution and quality of nutrition-related questions on board examinations and to establish a mechanism for communicating such findings and recommendations to board section chairmen.
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From page 8... ...
To evaluate existing programs more accurately and to assist in planning for the future, the committee recommends that a mechanism be established to monitor periodically changes in the status of nutrition education in medical schools. One device would be to include more exploratory questions on nutrition in the annual survey of medical school curricula conducted by the AAMC.
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