The University of Missouri School of Medicine was recently featured at an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrating medical schools that have committed to strengthening nutrition education for future physicians.
As part of this national initiative, the Mizzou School of Medicine joins 53 medical schools that have voluntarily committed to implementing at least 40 hours of nutrition education or competency based equivalent for students beginning in fall 2026.
Richard J. Barohn, MD
“Nutrition is foundational to patient health, and this initiative enables us to further equip our graduates to deliver comprehensive, prevention focused care,” said Richard J. Barohn, MD, executive vice chancellor for health affairs and the Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stepheson Dean of the School of Medicine. “The University of Missouri School of Medicine is proud to stand among the nation’s medical schools advancing this important work for the future of healthcare.”
This collaboration reflects an urgent public health priority. According to HHS, diet related chronic diseases are responsible for nearly one million American deaths every year, even as the nation spends more than $4.4 trillion on chronic disease and mental health care. Preparing the next generation of clinicians to provide evidence based dietary guidance as a core part of patient care, physicians will be better equipped to help their patients prevent and manage disease.
The Mizzou School of Medicine has developed a comprehensive, longitudinal nutrition curriculum integrated across all four years of undergraduate medical education. Rather than limiting nutrition to isolated modules, Mizzou will embed nutrition competencies throughout foundational science instruction, clinical skills development and patient centered training.
The curriculum emphasizes foundational nutrition science, clinical assessment, counseling skills and application in real world care settings. Students will learn to recognize diet related disease risks, interpret nutrition related clinical data, and incorporate evidence based nutrition strategies into patient management.
Joel Shenker, MD, PhD
“Nutrition influences nearly every chronic disease we treat,” said Joel Shenker, MD, PhD, associate dean for curriculum. “By integrating a strong, competency driven nutrition curriculum across all four years, we are empowering our students to use nutrition as a powerful clinical tool. This work will have a lasting impact on the health of the patients they will serve.”
Mizzou’s curriculum includes structured competencies in areas such as nutritional assessment and diagnosis, clinical communication, culinary medicine, interprofessional collaboration and lifestyle based medical interventions. Across all four years of medical school, students engage with hands on learning, facilitated case discussions, supervised patient encounters, test kitchen instruction and simulation based training. This design ensures students graduate with practical, clinically relevant skills that support metabolic health and chronic disease prevention.
Through its partnership with HHS and its internally developed curriculum, the Mizzou School of Medicine is strengthening its longstanding commitment to training physicians who can prevent disease, improve metabolic health, and lead meaningful change in the communities they serve.
