Can Medical Schools Really Teach 71 Nutrition ‘Competencies’? Should They?
By Henry MIller
Medical schools are being urged to step up nutrition training as diet-related diseases rise. Critics say physicians often get patchy or insufficient nutrition education, leaving them ill-prepared to tackle obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. The push is to focus on the root causes and implement a more comprehensive, competency-based nutrition curriculum—sparking debate about whether medical schools can or should teach 71 specific nutrition competencies.