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Education in Nutrition Medicine: the Critical Role of Medical Students
Author(s) -
Milch Hannah Swan,
Wang Flint,
Mulchandani Neetu,
Decker Ashley,
Gorman Kathy,
Lenders Carine
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.989.10
Subject(s) - outreach , medical education , medicine , general partnership , nutrition education , psychological intervention , intervention (counseling) , public health , work (physics) , family medicine , psychology , nursing , gerontology , political science , mechanical engineering , law , engineering
Statement of the Problem The Healthy People 2010 and the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend that physicians provide nutritional counseling to their patients. Less than 10% of fourth‐year students at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) felt well‐prepared to address nutritional concerns with patients. Objective To enhance medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and counseling skills in nutrition medicine. Method The Student Nutrition Awareness and Action Council (SNAAC) was created in 2009–10. Second years students lead SNAAC's activities and recruit first‐year students to become the next year's leaders. SNAAC has a membership of 56 students and a primary mentor who is a Physician Nutrition Specialist. Major support comes from medical school funds and foundation awards. Intervention SNAAC activities are classified in five categories: 1) education: students work with BUSM's Nutrition Vertical Integration Group to create and update a virtual nutrition medicine course; 2) community outreach: students work with high‐school students to create nutrition tools for community‐based interventions; 3) clinical practice: students conduct interviews at a pediatric obesity clinic; 4) advocacy: students promote healthier food options at cafeterias on‐site and work with regional nutrition/obesity committees to change policies; and, 5) events: students hold a nutrition‐lecture series. As a result, SNAAC obtained the best student presentation award at the John McCahan Education Day and became a featured program of BUSM's Deans Service Learning Initiative and Wellness Initiative. Future Direction To partner with BU dietetic interns and public health students and expand this partnership to other universities. To provide opportunities in research and global health. Support: 2010 CNIP award, American Society for Nutrition (Hannah Milch, BA); The New Balance Foundation Award and Loomis, Sayles & Company Charitable Fund (Carine Lenders, MD)