Impact of a preventive medicine and nutrition curriculum for medical students

Background: United States public health goals call for increased physican counselling about diet and excercise, but many medical schools lack adequate curriculum on these topics. At Havard Medical School, second-year students take a preventive medicine and nutrition (PMN) course. This study evaluated the impact of this innovative cirruiculum on students' confidence about addressing patients' diet and excercise patterns and on their own health habits. Methods: Students enrolled in the 2003 PMN course (N = 137) completed 43-item written survey before and after the course. Surveys were completed by 134 students (98%) and 118 students (86%), respectively. The survey assessed students' diets and excercise habits and students' confidence in their ability to address diet and excercise with patients and family members. Results: Students' confidence in their ability to assess and counsel about diet and excercise significantly improved after the course (all p <0.001). The course was also was also associated with a decrease in students' self-reported consumption of saturated fat (p = 0.002) and trans fatty acids (p < 0.001). Following the course, 72% of students perceived an improvement in their diet but only 18% perceived an improvement in excercise habits. Conclusions: An innovative PMN course improved medical students' confidence in diet and excercise counseling and perceived dietary habits. Improving these mediators of physican counseling in medical students may translate into changes in their practicr patterns.