An Interdisciplinary approach to Food as Medicine and obesity medicine training in CME: A Culinary Medicine Hands-On Workshop: Integrating Nutrition Education Across the Medical Education Continuum

This project, titled “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Food as Medicine and Obesity Medicine Training in CME: A Culinary Medicine Hands-On Workshop: Integrating Nutrition Education Across the Medical Education Continuum,” is one of the grant-supported initiatives awarded through AACOM’s Food As Medicine Grant program. The Food As Medicine Grant is a single-cycle, non-recurring initiative designed to integrate nutrition education into osteopathic medical education (OME) by funding curriculum development, experiential learning, interprofessional collaboration, and clinical training in nutritional counseling. Awards were issued to eligible colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) in December 2024, with funds disbursed directly to recipient COMs and a use-by date of July 2026.

The intent of this particular funded effort is to develop and deliver a hands-on culinary medicine workshop embedded within continuing medical education (CME) offerings to advance obesity medicine training and to promote integration of nutrition education across the full continuum of undergraduate and graduate medical education. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging collaboration among COM faculty, clinical educators, dietitians, chefs and community partners to create an experiential learning environment where clinicians learn practical skills for applying Food as Medicine principles in patient care.

The workshop is designed to provide clinicians with familiarity in culinary techniques, evidence-based nutrition interventions, and counseling strategies that can be applied in primary care and specialty settings to prevent and manage chronic disease, with a particular emphasis on obesity. By situating the workshop within CME and linking content to undergraduate and graduate curricular elements, the initiative aims to create reinforcing educational experiences across training stages and clinical practice. The project emphasizes practical competency-building. Workshop participants will gain hands-on experience preparing nutritious meals, learn to translate dietary recommendations into feasible patient guidance, and practice motivational interviewing and brief counseling techniques relevant to lifestyle change. Interprofessional components facilitate understanding of team-based roles, enabling clinicians to coordinate care with dietitians and community nutrition resources.