Table 3 Summary of findings: Medical student perceptions on receiving training in physical activity, nutrition, obesity, and chronic diseases
Topic | Findings | Potential Actions |
|---|---|---|
Importance of receiving formal chronic disease prevention training | • Nearly all medical students felt it was important to receive chronic disease prevention training during medical school | • Consider public health as a core discipline in higher education to help students view medicine through a population health lens • Place greater emphasis on primary and secondary disease prevention throughout all stages of medical education |
Level of training in topics related to chronic disease prevention | • Medical students most frequently reported receiving 0 or 1–5 h of formal training in physical activity and nutrition | • Consider physical activity, nutrition, and obesity as integral components of the medical education curriculum • Assess knowledge in chronic disease prevention via board and certification exams |
Awareness of chronic disease prevention programs | • A small percentage of medical students were aware of and can correctly list chronic disease prevention programs | • Increase exposure to evidence-based programs (e.g., the CDC Community Guide) and offer more real-world experiences related to chronic disease prevention |
Individuals desiring training in chronic disease prevention | • Medical students in their initial years of medical school, female students, and MD/MPH students place greater importance on receiving training in chronic disease prevention | • Increase exposure and broaden the appeal of chronic disease prevention to all students, especially male students and those entering non-primary care fields • Utilize more simulated patients and case studies in empathy training to address gender-empathy gap |
Best time to receive training in chronic disease prevention | • The initial years of medical school were identified as the best time to receive training in chronic disease prevention, especially for female students, MD/MPH students, and students in their initial years of medical school | • Introduce students to chronic disease prevention earlier in their medical education • Continue emphasizing chronic disease prevention throughout all years of medical school |
Importance of receiving applied experience | • Most medical students feel receiving applied experiences is important and desire exposure to real-world applications of chronic disease prevention programs | • Consider applied experiences related to chronic disease prevention such as: ◦ setting personal goals to modify their own lifestyle behaviors ◦ self-monitoring of their lifestyle habits ◦ field trips (i.e., grocery stores, community cooking classes) |