Nutrition from the kitchen: culinary medicine impacts students’ counseling confidence

TLDR

A poor diet is the leading modifiable risk factor for early death, yet physicians receive minimal training in dietary counseling, prompting interest in culinary medicine as a hands‑on educational approach. This study evaluated whether a culinary medicine elective improves medical students’ confidence in nutrition counseling, knowledge of evidence‑based diets, and appreciation of interprofessional teamwork. Pre‑ and post‑course surveys were administered to 64 and 60 students, and chi‑square tests examined changes in survey responses. Students reported markedly higher confidence in discussing nutrition (29%→92%), greater familiarity with the Mediterranean diet (54%→97%), and increased understanding of dietitians’ roles (37%→93%) after the elective.

Abstract

Abstract Background Although a poor diet is the number one risk factor for early death in the United States and globally, physicians receive little to no training in dietary interventions and lack confidence counseling patients about lifestyle modifications. Innovative, interprofessional strategies to address these gaps include the emergence of culinary medicine, a hands-on approach to teaching the role of food in health outcomes. We sought to assess the impact of a culinary medicine elective on counseling confidence, awareness of an evidence-based approach to nutrition, and understanding of the role of interprofessional teamwork in dietary lifestyle change among medical students at one undergraduate medical school. Methods We administered pre- and post-course surveys to two cohorts of medical students ( n = 64 at pre-test and n = 60 at post-test) participating in a culinary medicine enrichment elective. Chi-square analysis was used to assess the relationship between participation in the course and a positive response to each survey item. Results Compared with the baseline, students participating in culinary medicine were more likely to feel confident discussing nutrition with patients (29% vs 92%; p < 0.001), to feel familiar with the Mediterranean diet (54% vs. 97%; p < 0.001), and to understand the role of dietitians in patient care (37% vs. 93%; p < 0.001). Conclusions Culinary medicine shows promise as an impactful educational strategy among first-year medical students for increasing counseling confidence, promoting familiarity with evidence-based nutrition interventions, and augmenting understanding of the role of interprofessional engagement to address lifestyle-related disease.