University of Wisconsin-Madison

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health shows how nutrition education can be integrated across medical training through a longitudinal curriculum, RDN partnership and case-based learning.

Since 2016, the MD ForWard Curriculum has provided medical students with more than 65 hours of nutrition education. This content is planned and taught in partnership with medical educators, scientists and RDNs from the University’s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Model at a Glance

Model: Integrated MD curriculum with RDN partnership and case-based learning
Audience: Medical students across preclinical and clinical training
Delivery: More than 65 hours of nutrition education across foundations, blocks, cases, and clinical experiences
RDN role: RDNs help plan and teach the nutrition component of the curriculum
Key takeaway: RDN educators help keep nutrition education evidence-based, clinically relevant, and connected to interdisciplinary care.

The Approach

UW-Madison’s approach embeds nutrition across the medical school curriculum rather than limiting it to one course or lecture. Nutrition begins in a first-year course called Food, Fasting and Fitness, where students are introduced to foundational concepts in nutritional biochemistry, metabolism and macro- and micronutrients.

Students revisit nutrition throughout preclinical and clinical blocks, including obstetrics, gynecology and pediatrics, family medicine, and surgery. Case studies, clinical experiences and subsequent courses help them apply nutrition concepts across specialties and patient needs.

Key components include:

• More than 65 hours of nutrition education
• RDN involvement in planning and teaching
• First-year foundational nutrition content
• Integration across preclinical and clinical blocks
• Case-based learning
• Clinical experiences
• Public health context
• Evidence-based updates as nutrition science evolves
• Emphasis on dietitians as partners in prevention, treatment and medical nutrition therapy

The Role of RDNs

At UW-Madison, RDNs are embedded as key educational partners. Three RDNs help faculty physicians design and deliver the nutrition component of the MD ForWard Curriculum, ensuring the content remains evidence-based, clinically relevant and connected to patient care.

This gives medical students repeated exposure to RDN expertise and reinforces dietitians as partners in disease prevention, treatment and medical nutrition therapy.

It also helps future physicians recognize when nutrition care requires specialized expertise and when to collaborate with or refer to RDNs.

Results and Evidence

UW-Madison’s model demonstrates how nutrition education can be sustained and refined over time. Since 2016, the MD ForWard Curriculum has included more than 65 hours of nutrition education planned and taught with RDN involvement.

Case-based learning is a key part of the curriculum. In 2023, the learning team redesigned the curriculum’s nutrition-based cases to emphasize cardiovascular disease prevention, malnutrition and pediatric micronutrient deficiencies. These cases are based on real patient situations, with identifying details removed, and are led by faculty members with expertise in the topic being discussed.

This approach connects nutrition concepts to clinical decision-making and highlights dietitians as essential members of the healthcare team.

Best Practices Other Schools Can Adapt

The UW-Madison model offers several lessons for medical schools, nutrition and dietetics programs and health systems:

1. Build nutrition into the curriculum over time. Nutrition education can be woven into existing medical training rather than isolated in a single course.
2. Use repeated exposure. Students benefit from encountering nutrition throughout preclinical and clinical training so they can connect foundational concepts to patient care.
3. Include RDNs in planning and teaching. RDNs can help keep nutrition education evidence-based, clinically relevant, and connected to medical nutrition therapy, counseling and referral.
4. Use case-based learning. Realistic patient cases can help students apply nutrition concepts to clinical decision-making and better understand when specialized nutrition expertise is needed.
5. Keep content current. Nutrition curriculum should evolve as evidence, guidelines and clinical practice change.
6. Connect nutrition to interdisciplinary care. Students should understand how physicians, RDNs and other healthcare professionals work together to support prevention, treatment and long-term health.