Integration of Nutrition Topics in Osteopathic Medical School Curriculum - Shared Experiences.

Boris Boyanovsky,Samuel Kadavakollu,John Graneto,Mahboob Qureshi

doi:10.15694/mep.2021.000060.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. A crucial component of osteopathic medicine's philosophy is self-regulation, preventive care, and health maintenance, including a healthy lifestyle. More than half of the osteopathic medical graduates pursue a career as primary care physicians, and as such patient education on healthy lifestyle, including eating habits, is a significant part of their daily practice. However, nutrition is often overlooked in the osteopathic medical school curricula. Therefore, strategic inclusion of evidence-based nutrition approaches will equip future osteopathic medical students with an understanding and application of nutrition to the ever-growing primary care medical profession. Working towards this goal, we are implementing nutritional science topics across the pre-clinical years of our new osteopathic medical school's curriculum. Providing nutrition topics that will fit into the systems-based curriculum may encourage other medical schools to enhance nutrition instruction in osteopathic medical education. Assimilating nutrition as a part of the curriculum will enhance osteopathic medical students' confidence to counsel and treat their future patient population.

Highlights

Understanding the human body's self-healing and health maintenance capability is one of the tenets of osteopathic medicine and a major aspect of osteopathic medical education (Rogers et al, 2002)
The need for qualified patient education about lifestyle changes, emphasizing healthy food choices and habits emerges as an integral component of the holistic approach to patient care, a guiding principle of osteopathic medicine
We have delineated a systematic way of integrating nutrition science topics into the systemsbased osteopathic medical school curriculum

Summary

Introduction

Understanding the human body's self-healing and health maintenance capability is one of the tenets of osteopathic medicine and a major aspect of osteopathic medical education (Rogers et al, 2002). It should be emphasized that most patients with chronic kidney disease need to make dietary changes, and many should be referred to a Registered Dietitian for individualized management and nutrition counseling These patients must be placed on a diet restricted in potassium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphate (Jankowska, Rutkowski and Dębska-Ślizień, 2017). Current dietary trends, such as the Paleo Diet and the Ketogenic Diet (very high protein, low carbohydrate diets), may impact the gut microbiome's health While overall, this is a rapidly evolving area of research, popular diets should be introduced to medical students to be conversational about these with patients in the future. The role of nutrition in genetic conditions, such as enzymatic deficiencies (inborn errors of metabolism), is complex, but the application of a system-level approach may help the students understand the principles of maintaining the balance in these patients.

Discussion and Conclusions

Findings

Notes On Contributors