Help Lead Nutrition Education in Medical Schools

Why RDNs Need to Lead This Movement

Nutrition education in medical schools cannot be separated from the role of RDNs in patient care. Future physicians need a stronger foundation in nutrition, but they also need to understand when nutrition care requires specialized expertise.

RDNs are uniquely prepared to lead this work because they:

• Translate nutrition science into individualized patient care
• Provide medical nutrition therapy and specialized nutrition services
• Understand how nutrition affects prevention, treatment and disease management
• Support patients across hospitals, clinics, communities, schools, public health settings and food systems
• Help physicians and other healthcare providers know when referral is needed
• Bring applied experience that connects classroom learning to real-world care
• If RDNs are not leading and shaping this movement, nutrition education risks becoming disconnected from the professionals best equipped to deliver specialized nutrition care.

What Academy Members Can Do Now

Academy members can help move this work forward by building relationships, sharing examples and reinforcing a clear message: nutrition education should support collaboration with and referral to RDNs.

8 things you can do:

1. Identify medical schools, residency programs or health professions programs in your region.
2. Assess existing courses, lectures, labs, case studies or applied learning experiences that could support medical nutrition education.
3. Reach out to medical school faculty, administrators or clinical partners.
4. Share examples of current partnerships with the Academy and ACEND.
5. Use Academy talking points and social media resources to raise awareness.
6. Reinforce the role of RDNs in team-based care, referral and medical nutrition therapy.
7. Encourage local partners to explore flexible implementation models.
8. Highlight how RDNs improve patient care through evidence-based nutrition services.

For RDN Educators and Nutrition and Dietetics Programs

Nutrition and dietetics programs are central to this effort. Many already have the expertise, curricula, faculty and partnerships needed to help medical schools strengthen nutrition education.

Programs can begin by:

• Reviewing existing course content, syllabi, lectures, labs, case studies and assessments
• Identifying content that could support medical nutrition education
• Mapping existing content to the ACEND Nutrition in Medical Education Microcredential framework (when available)
• Exploring opportunities for guest lectures, modules, co-teaching, electives or interprofessional education
• Building relationships with nearby medical schools or health professions programs
• Sharing current models and lessons learned with the Academy and ACEND

Medical schools do not need to start from scratch, and nutrition and dietetics programs are well-positioned to help them get started.

For RDNs in Practice

RDNs practicing in clinical, community, public health, private practice, food systems and other settings can also help lead this movement.

6 things you can do:

1. Talk with physicians and healthcare colleagues about when to refer to an RDN.
2. Share examples of how RDNs support patient outcomes and care team efficiency.
3. Participate in local medical education, guest lectures or interprofessional learning opportunities.
4. Offer practical examples of nutrition care in real-world settings.
5. Use Academy resources to explain the difference between general nutrition information and specialized nutrition care.
6. Help future healthcare providers understand how RDNs support patients with complex nutrition needs.