MedEdPORTAL (Jul 2014)
Introduction to Nutrition Assessment and Counseling in the Outpatient Setting
Abstract
Abstract The need for nutrition in medical education has been acknowledged by various groups since 1963. In the mid-1990s the U.S. Congress mandated the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture establish programs to encourage U.S. medical schools to include nutrition as part of medical student education. At the same time, medical curriculum was viewed as overburdened and there was pressure to reduce the amount of didactic material, reducing lecture time and increasing small-group and independent learning. This resource may be used in a large group setting to provide guidance on nutrition assessment and counseling. It includes a PowerPoint presentation and script, as well as a description of a one-on-one interaction between a medical student and a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Students are asked to complete a personal dietary assessment using an online program in advance of the lecture and one-on-one learning activity. Students then meet for 25-30 minutes individually with a RDN to review their dietary assessment output, discuss dietary guidelines and personal diet prescriptions, and the role of the RDN on the health care team. Tools used for dietary assessment and prescription are included. Sample letters to recruit, instruct and thank volunteer RDNs are included. Physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other allied health students might also benefit from the review of this material. The activity described in this resource has been incorporated into the first year medical school curriculum at the Brody School of Medicine since 1992. Although formal outcome data are not available, this activity has endured through many changes in academic dean, course directors, curriculum committee reviews and reduction in hours assigned to the Doctoring course. A similar activity is conducted with first-year family medicine residents. This activity meets many of the objectives listed in guides for nutrition in medical school curriculum. It engages the students in a self-assessment that enhances learning.
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