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A Seat at Every Table

Nutrition Education in Medical Schools

Nutrition plays a critical role in preventing and managing chronic and acute diseases, yet many physicians receive limited nutrition education during training.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) are working to help medical schools move from commitment to implementation by connecting them with nutrition and dietetics programs, registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) educators, flexible education models and practical tools that keep RDN expertise, collaboration and referral at the center.

A Seat at Every Table logo with tagline Fueling Fresh Conversations

Campaign

Expanding A Seat at Every Table

A Seat at Every Table highlights the vital role of nutrition and dietetics professionals in shaping nutrition decisions across daily life, healthcare, and policy.

We are inviting physicians, healthcare providers, medical schools, and academic partners to have a seat at our table for important conversations that will shape the future of the nutrition and dietetics profession.

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A Stronger Foundation for Interdisciplinary Care

This is not about training physicians to practice dietetics. It is about helping future physicians build a stronger foundation in nutrition so they can better recognize when nutrition care is needed, involve and refer to RDNs sooner and free up their time to use it more effectively to better support patient care.

Nutrition education should help future physicians and other healthcare providers:

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Recognize

Recognize when nutrition care is needed.
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Collaborate

Collaborate with RDNs as essential members of the healthcare team.
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Refer

Refer patients for specialized nutrition care when medically appropriate.

"The nutrition education in medical schools initiative builds on the A Seat at Every Table campaign and the Academy's ongoing commitment to improving patient care and health outcomes through the transformative power of food and nutrition. This work will ensure nutrition has a meaningful place in medical education while keeping RDN expertise at the center. With greater national attention and HHS helping advance the conversation, we have an opportunity to bring more partners to the table and accelerate progress. Together, we can better prepare future physicians to recognize nutrition needs, collaborate with RDNs and connect patients with specialized care."

Read the Press Release: Academy Advances National Focus to Strengthen Nutrition Education in Medical Schools

Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND

2026-2027 President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Tamara Randall

Medical Schools Do Not Need to Start From Scratch

Nutrition and dietetics programs already have faculty expertise, course materials, clinical knowledge and applied learning models that can support medical schools as they strengthen nutrition education. The Academy and ACEND are helping identify flexible approaches schools can adapt based on their curriculum, structure, resources and partnerships.

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Help Strengthen Nutrition Education in Medical Training

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