I recently was reading a few articles regarding the current status of nutrition education in medical schools in America. Apparently, future MD’s receive little training in the area of nutrition, with only 19.6 hours on average spent on the topic in most 4 year programs. Many are arguing that doctors need more training in this area and it got me thinking, do they really need more training to be experts in nutrition?
Hear me out. Doctors fill a specific niche in healthcare. They are the top of the pyramid and have a working knowledge of most everything. However, a doctor’s primary role is to treat disease and manage symptoms. People go to the doctor when they are sick and need to feel better. It is usually an acute thing or for a yearly checkup. The doctor or primary care practitioner then makes an assessment and either prescribes a treatment plan and/or refers the person to a specialist in a branch of medicine such as a Cardiologist for someone with any problem related to the heart, or say a Physical Therapist for a movement related issue. From there the expert in the given field, say a Physical Therapist, will have a full session with a patient and determine the best course of action for them. I believe it should be the same way with nutrition.
What I mean is, let’s say someone has an eating disorder or is having trouble adhering to a diet plan. What a Physician or any primary care provider should do then is refer the person to a Registered Dietitian who can work with the person to achieve their goals. A doctor not only does not have the training to properly assist the person but also most likely does not have the time. A study done showed that doctors have between 7-22 minutes with a patient before they must move on to the next. There is no way in that time that they can sufficiently educate and help change a person’s eating habits. They have a hard enough time talking to the person about anything, let alone diet.
In conclusion, I do think that doctors should have a good knowledge of nutrition. It is vital, as what a person puts in their mouth contributes largely to their health. That being said, doctors do not have the time to counsel people to make significant changes and should be more willing to refer out to a Registered Dietitian to further help patients achieve lasting health and wellness.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever received dietary advice from a Physician? Have you ever been counseled by a RD? Leave a comment below with your experiences!
Sources:
https://www.healio.com/cardiology/chd-prevention/news/online/%7Ba1f5d74a-4c3b-4b92-aac0-5c0be30d4b9b%7D/knowledge-gaps-remain-in-dietary-education-training
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2016-12-07/how-much-do-doctors-learn-about-nutrition