Premium
Introducing nutrition into the pre‐clinical curriculum—Caribbean experience
Author(s) -
Landman J. P.,
Jackson A. A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of human nutrition and dietetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1365-277X
pISSN - 0952-3871
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-277x.1991.tb00116.x
Subject(s) - medicine , curriculum , medical education , flexibility (engineering) , medical school , family medicine , pedagogy , management , psychology , economics
The paper describes how nutrition was incorporated into the crowded pre‐clinical medical curriculum in the University of the West Indies which trains doctors for its 14 member states. Close consultation with dietetics, nutrition and clinical departments in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados ensured the curriculum was relevant to regional health problems and the medical curriculum. The main goals were to: (1) instil positive attitudes towards nutrition in the students; (2) teach nutrition integrated with biochemistry and physiology; and (3) lay the scientific basis for applying nutrition to clinical medicine. The paper outlines which key concepts were taught and the strategies used. The curriculum was evaluated twice, after 5 and 9 years. These surveys found that students in their first clinical year were satisfied with nutrition teaching, especially when it was conducted by specialists. Despite changes in staff and a fall in the number of lecture hours, the goals of the programme were met. Successful co‐ordination depended upon flexibility and rapport with staff.