Abstract
The face of medical education is changing in America. Historically, physicians have been poorly trained in nutrition: in 1990 64% of graduates labeled their training inadequate 1. The Association of American Medical Colleges reported that of 129 US medical schools only 29 (23%) had a required nutrition course; 25% failed to offer nutrition education. Americans look to their primary physicians as sources of reliable nutrition advice 2. The Public Health Service Year 2000 objectives for the Nation advocates that at least 50% of the physician pool be adequately trained in nutrition 3. Even following a Congressional call for action to ensure medical students and physicians in practice have adequate training in the field of nutrition and its relationship to human health (National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act, 10/1990, section 302, Public Law 1101-445/HR1608), physician education has changed little 4. The Medical Nutrition Curriculum Initiative has been created to provide an easily transportable Nutrition In Medicine (NIM) curriculum available free of charge to US medical schools. A series of interactive CD-ROM programs will cover ten clinical topics. Nutritional biochemistry as it relates to health and disease, dietary and patient care are covered in these modules (Nutritional Anemias, Stress, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Maternal and Infant, Childhood and Adolescence, Aging, Nutritional Supplements and Fortified Foods, and Sports Nutrition). These modules role-model MD/RD interaction and reinforce active participation, assessment and treatment of nutritional aspects of disease by MDs. More than 110 medical schools in the US currently use the NIM series, a fact which is changing the nutritional competency of the next generation of physicians. To maximize their effectiveness as part of the health care team, dietitians need to be aware of the new level of nutrition training available to physicians.
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