In this episode of the GW Integrative Medicine podcast, we talk about a nutrition education collaboration between the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and the Integrative Medicine Programs here at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In the studio, we have Susan LeLacheur, DrPH, MPH, PA-C, a professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. LeLacheur has more than 35 years of clinical experience in primary care, HIV/AIDS, and infectious disease. She is the section director for the GW PA Program’s Foundations of Medicine Gastroenterology Section, and the driving force behind PA nutrition week. Dr. LeLacheur and Dr. Leigh Frame developed this nutrition curricula.

As the authors of a JAMA opinion piece recently put it, "Nutrition education in medical school is rudimentary, at best, and limited for the duration of graduate medical education for many specialties." Doctors and PAs are educated the same way and suffer the same educational deficit.

The goal of the PA nutrition week curriculum is to give PAs in training the knowledge, skills, and confidence that studies say prevent health care professionals from counseling their patients about nutrition.

◘

Related content

GW Department of Physician Assistant Studies

https://smhs.gwu.edu/physician-assistant/

Physician Assistants Ideal for Patient Nutrition Education

https://www.physicianspractice.com/blog/physician-assistants-ideal-patient-nutrition-education

Food Deserts in D.C. | NPR | Let's Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQeorPkPLmU

Nutrition Education in Medical School, Residency Training, and Practice

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2729245

PA Experts Respond to Pressing Nutrition Questions

https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2019/03/pas-ask-experts-pressing-nutrition-questions/

Nutrition in Medical Education: A Systematic Review

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30171-8/fulltext

◘

Transcript

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transcript-nutrition-education-answering-call-gw-office-of/

◘

This podcast features the song “Follow Your Dreams” (freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Ho…ur_Dreams_1918) by Scott Holmes, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial (01https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) license.

◘

Disclaimer: The content and information shared in GW Integrative Medicine is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed in GW Integrative Medicine represent the opinions of the host(s) and their guest(s). For medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment, please consult a medical professional.