Curriculum
Through an interdisciplinary lens, students will explore the role of dietary patterns, behavior change techniques, and patient-centered counseling in addressing conditions such as obesity, cardiometabolic, and GI disease. Emphasis will be placed on practical applications, including motivational interviewing and culturally responsive care to weight management.
Using state-of-the-art simulation manikins and simulation tools, students have an opportunity to learn and practice nutrition-focused physical exam and counseling skills alongside dietetic professionals.
Nutrition Curriculum Across the Medical Training Continuum
Preparing learners with nutrition knowledge and skills from medical school through residency to lifelong practice.
Medical School (MS1 – MS4)
MS1 (Fall & Spring)
Fall
- Doctoring 1: Long Theme – Introduction to Nutrition (live streaming lecture + Stanford online independent module)
- Doctoring 1: iCARE – Virtual Culinary Medicine (Fall block)
- Doctoring 1: Population Health – Overview of Social Determinants of Health
- Foundations of Medicine: Nutrient Metabolism (flipped classroom)
- Foundations of Medicine: Diabetes Mellitus (TBL)
- Foundations of Medicine: Diabetes – Biochemical Pathways and Multisystem Regulation (flipped classroom)
- Foundations of Medicine: Drug Elimination & Metabolism (lecture)
- OASA: Personal Nutrition 1 (lecture)
Spring
- Doctoring 2: Unintended Weight Loss/Cachexia (independent learning)
- Doctoring 2: Heart Healthy Diet (independent learning)
- Doctoring 2: Renal Nutrition (independent learning)
- Doctoring 2: iCARE – Virtual Culinary Medicine (Spring block)
- Cardiovascular: PBL Case #2
- Renal: PBL Case #3
MS2 (Fall & Spring)
Fall
- Doctoring 3: Long Theme – Nutrition and Lifestyle Management (GI Disease, Liver, Pancreas, Gallbladder, Malabsorption Syndromes)
- Doctoring 3: Diabetes Focus – Virtual Culinary Medicine
- Doctoring 3: Population Health – Obesity
- Doctoring 3: Population Health – Alternative Medicine
- ENDO: Evidence-based Medicine Theme – Obesity (flipped classroom)
- ENDO: PBL Case #2
- GI: Intestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease (independent learning)
- OASA: Personal Nutrition 2 (lecture)
Spring
- Doctoring 3: Long Theme – Nutrition and Lifestyle Management – Preconception/Prenatal (independent learning)
- Transition to Clerkship: Required Culinary Medicine – Cardiometabolic & GI Health
MS3 / MS4 (Clerkships & Electives)
- MS3 Surgery Clerkship / MS4 Required Critical Care: Food Insecurity + Critical Care Nutrition Part 1 & 2 (lecture)
- Pediatrics Clerkship: Outpatient Pediatric Nutrition (lecture)
- Family Medicine Clerkship: Outpatient Obesity Management (lecture)
- Geriatrics Clerkship: Feeding Issues at the End of Life (independent learning)
- OB/GYN Clerkship: HTN & DM During Pregnancy + Preconception Care + Postpartum Lactation (lecture)
- MS4 Electives
- Lifestyle Medicine
- Advanced Patient Care: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Integrative Medicine and Healthy Living
- Advanced Culinary Medicine: Nutrition-focused physical exam & counseling skills, weight management
Graduate Medical Education (Residency)
Internal Medicine Residency
- Specialty ambulatory clinic opportunity focused on interprofessional collaboration
- Co-teaching culinary medicine classes alongside dietitians for patients with diabetes
Pediatrics Residency
- Hands-on 3-part culinary medicine series alongside dietitians
- Focus on applied healthy eating principles from early to adolescent nutrition
Practicing Physicians (Future Plans)
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
- Upcoming CME plans for practicing physicians to participate in hands-on culinary medicine sessions
- Training on how to incorporate nutrition principles into patient care
Core Nutrition Principles Across All Stages
- Evidence-Based Nutrition Science
- Patient-Centered & Culturally Responsive Care
- Interprofessional Collaboration
- Population Health & Health Equity
- Translational Practice & Lifelong Learning