Current state of nutrition and nutritional supplement training in medical schools

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the current state of nutrition and nutritional supplement training in US Medical Schools. For the purposes of this study, nutrition training was defined as training within the categories of basic nutrition topics such as healthy eating, essential vitamins and minerals. Nutritional supplement training is reflective of training over nutritional supplements that fall outside of the essential vitamin or essential mineral realms.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the percentage of medical schools (allopathic & osteopathic) that had nutritional training as part of their core curriculum to medical board performance. This includes a review of Basic Nutrition (Vitamins & Minerals), as well as Advanced Nutrition coursework that includes training on nutraceuticals (Advanced Nutritional Compounds).

Methodology: The methodology utilized in this research was qualitative. This was deemed as a much more appropriate method, due to the aim was to review and affirm the existence of nutritional education within specific medical school curricula. It was deemed additionally appropriate in the aim to describe and stratify the levels of training within individual medical school curricula. Evidence of explicit and implicit education tied to Basic Nutrition was derived by a review of each Medical School Program's published curriculum.

Due to the limited population, the choice to review all programs was more desirable than simply taking a statistical sample. This also allowed for a review of variance between Allopathic and Osteopathic programs, as well as more recently established programs (Post-Y2K programs) versus earlier established programs (Pre-Y2K programs).

Research: Conducted research concluded that basic nutrition training within medical school programs was absent in 62.5% of programs. 9.5% of programs imply the inclusion of such training within their curriculum. 3.5% of programs offered it as an elective course. 24.5% of all programs explicitly required basic nutrition training within their curriculum. 0% of medical school programs examined were found to have nutraceuticals or advanced topics in nutrition within their curricula.

Conclusions: Physicians being the most trusted and reliable source of nutritional guidance are limited by the lack of education received during their medical school training. The drivers behind this need to be further explored.