Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says new education requirement aims to shift medicine toward prevention and lifestyle-based care.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
More than 50 U.S. medical schools have committed to expanding nutrition education for future physicians, a move federal health officials say is designed to strengthen preventive care and address chronic disease through improved dietary knowledge.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced March 5 that George Washington University and 52 additional institutions will require medical students to complete a minimum of 40 hours of nutrition education annually beginning this fall.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described the agreement as part of a broader effort to reshape how doctors approach patient care.
“This is how we make America healthy again,” Kennedy said during a briefing in Washington.
He later added that the initiative “shifts our system towards prevention, instead of perpetual prescriptions.”
Participating institutions include George Washington University, Tufts University, and the University of Utah. Federal officials said a full list of participating schools is available here.
University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeff Gold described the development as a milestone for medical education.
“This is a truly historic day,” Gold said during the briefing.
Some participating schools will meet the requirement through a competency-based model equivalent to 40 hours of instruction, using guidance developed by federal health officials.
The United States currently has about 163 medical schools offering doctor of medicine degrees, with roughly 100,000 students enrolled across the country.
Kennedy has repeatedly criticized the limited focus on nutrition within medical training programs. During a rally in Texas earlier this year, he said administrators had told him their curriculum is often shaped by licensing exams that historically contain few questions related to diet and nutrition.
Research has long highlighted the lack of nutrition instruction in U.S. medical education. A survey of medical schools published in 2015 found most institutions did not provide at least 25 hours of nutrition training and that the limited instruction that existed typically occurred during early pre-clinical coursework.
“Many U.S. medical schools still fail to prepare future physicians for everyday nutrition challenges in clinical practice,” the researchers wrote.
More recent data suggests the gap persists. A survey of medical students released in 2023 reported that students received an average of just 1.2 hours of nutrition education per year.
Researchers analyzing the results said expanding nutrition instruction should become a priority within medical school curricula.
“Funding and curricular changes should be allocated towards expanding the nutrition curriculum across U.S. medical schools,” they said.
Another study in 2024 determined that approximately three-quarters of medical schools in the United States do not require clinical nutrition coursework.
Medical organizations have acknowledged the issue. The Association of American Medical Colleges has said that nutrition education remains insufficient in many programs but noted that the amount of instruction has gradually increased in recent years.
Officials from the association and other groups, including the American Medical Association, worked with federal health officials to finalize the agreements with the participating schools.
American Medical Association President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala said the change could have a direct impact on patient outcomes.
“We applaud the administration for recognizing that if we’re serious about prevention, nutrition must be foundational in medical education,” Mukkamala said in a statement.
“Giving physicians the skills to have impactful conversations with our patients about food and lifestyle is one of the most practical, immediate steps we can take to improve health and prevent disease.”
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