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The nutrition curriculum
for the UTHealth McGovern Medical School is integrated throughout the basic science courses,
problem based learning cases, and clinical clerkships. Basic nutrition
principles are taught in Biochemistry during fall semester of the
first year. In Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM), students
complete a 3-day food record and receive an analysis of their diet
in comparison to the recommended nutrient intakes. A web-based module
"Nutrition in Preventive Medicine" is a required activity in ICM,
and in addition to the basic science of nutrition, students learn
how nutrition is relevant to clinical practice guidelines and to
public health policy. Taking a diet history as part of the medical
history is also included in ICM and serves as an introduction to
nutrition assessment. The nutrition assessment process is continued
in Physical Diagnosis during second year where clinical indicators
of malnutrition are taught. Nutrition topics are also included in
Physiology, Pathology, and Pharmacology and students should recognize
both the basic science of nutrition and the clinically relevant
topics covered in these courses.
Problem Based Learning
(PBL), in which clinical cases are discussed in the context of both
basic science and the diagnosis and treatment of a particular disease,
provides opportunities for students to learn about nutrition as
it relates to prevention and treatment of various diseases. Clinical
Nutrition, an elective lecture series, is offered in the spring
semester each year for first and second year students and provides
clinically relevant information that complements the basic science
and PBL curriculum. The Nutrition in Medicine CD-ROM series is being
introduced into the curriculum through selected courses and provides
students the opportunity to review basic science and nutrition principles
in a clinical context.
The following nutrition
topics are included in the existing curriculum:
Macronutrients - carbohydrates,
fats, and protein
Micronutrients - vitamins and minerals - function, deficiency, and
food sources
Recommended Dietary Allowances
Water and electrolytes
Energy balance
Calculation of energy and protein requirements
Gastrointestinal function
Body composition, Body Mass Index
Hormonal control of nutrient metabolism
Physiology of hunger and satiety
Lipids and atherosclerosis
Diabetes
Nutritional anemias
Failure to thrive
Pregnancy Growth and development
Food borne illness
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