EAT: Elective course on climate-sensitive nutritional counseling in family doctor practices for preclinical students
The LANCET-EAT initiative has formulated principles for evidence-based, sustainable, climate-sensitive nutrition. In light of the climate crisis, it is becoming increasingly important to train future doctors in this area. This is where the EAT project comes in. Over a period of two years, an elective course will be offered to preclinical students, in which they will learn about and implement climate-sensitive nutritional counseling in general practices.
The elective course is based on the successful clinical elective course “Culinary Medicine” and was developed in collaboration with colleagues from the University of St. Andrews. In this elective course, students from both universities can learn the basics of the Planetary Health Diet and motivational interviewing, prepare delicious and healthy recipes under the guidance of a nutritionist, and deepen and apply what they have learned in family doctor practices. With the help of third-party funding from the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education, the Institute for Family Medicine is able to offer an international preclinical elective course that combines a variety of teaching formats, including
- Podcasts and interactive materials on the topic
- Cooking together on Zoom under the guidance of a nutritionist
- Interactive seminar on the basics of motivational interviewing
- Binational lecturers from the fields of family medicine and psychology
- Instructional videos from various disciplines on how what has been learned relates to other topics in preclinical studies
- Internships in family doctor practices, where students can observe nutritional counseling and participate in it under supervision.
The project will run from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026, and includes a thorough scientific evaluation. Dr. Wild, project manager: “Thanks to the support of four practices in Bonn and the surrounding area, we were already able to raise awareness of this important topic among the first group of students last summer. The project was very well received, and I look forward to developing it further together with many colleagues.”
The project is supported by experts in nutritional physiology, a scientific advisory board, and a student advisory board. We are also looking for family doctors who would like to participate in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project. If you are interested, please contact the IfH, keyword EAT.