NUTRITION EDUCATION IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL CURRICULUM

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We propose to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate, an integrated four-year medical school curriculum at UCLA designed to train physician graduates to a predesignated level of proficiency in areas of nutrition which address the goals of the NCI Cancer Education Program in fulfilling the national health objectives for the year 2000. Unique institutional strengths at UCLA including the Center for Educational Development and Research in the office of the Dean of Education, and the NCI-funded UCLA Clinical Nutrition Research Unit will be utilized to 1) identify and develop curricular materials and novel instructional approaches to promote nutrition learning; 2) train faculty in the effective implementation of the new curriculum; 3) assist in evaluation of student learning in nutrition; 4) conduct formative evaluation of the program in an ongoing and systematic fashion; 5) disseminate the materials and approaches throughout the medical school curriculum in specific courses by working with individual course directors and nationally through conduct of a planned professional conference. Evaluation of 75 students will be conducted using the Nutrition Knowledge Examination which will enhance the generalizability of the accomplishments of this program to other U.S. Medical Schools. A Faculty Working Croup has been formed including key faculty and the leadership of this program, and the course directors of three courses initially targeted for implementation of the new curriculum (Human Biochemistry and Nutrition, Doctoring, and Medical Clerkship). This group will change as the course changes are institutionalized and new course directors and facilitating dietitians added to target different courses so that these enhancements and nutritional curriculum can be extended to all other courses throughout the 4 years of medical school. It is anticipated that all of these objectives can be achieved within the five year time frame proposed and that additional benefits will accrue to other health professions schools within UCLA including Dentistry, Nursing, and Public Health.