At the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, nutrition is recognized as a foundational pillar of health, disease prevention, and clinical care. Throughout the curriculum and within Scholarly Concentrations, interest groups, student organizations and interprofessional activities, students are trained to understand the role of nutrition across the lifespan and its impact on chronic disease prevention, metabolic health, and immune function. Here are some of the ways students learn about nutrition and are prepared to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Scholarly Concentrations are structured longitudinal electives where MD students pursue scholarly work in an area of interest. Nutrition is a topic across many of the SC programs such as biomedical research, community health & wellness, and international medicine. However, the Nutrition Research & Health scholarly concentration focuses on:

• principles underlying the nutritional sciences,
• the roles of nutrition in the development and progression of specific diseases,
• application of nutritional counseling to promote optimal health and to prevent disease,
• examination of community factors affecting nutrition health,
• intersection of behavioral health and nutrition, and
• contributions of nutrition to the management of specific pathophysiological conditions.

The 7th Annual Interprofessional Education Day held November 2024 was titled Nutrition: Fueling Health—Why What We Eat Matters to Ourselves, Our Community, Our Patients, and Our Planet. Experts shared insights on nutrition and food insecurity, and teams of students participated in a culinary competition. 

At this event it was shared that a future goal is to Integrate culinary medicine into the curriculum to equip students with the knowledge and skills to support healthy eating and enhance the well-being of families, patients, and communities.

 IPE Day 2024IPE Day Article