Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Obesity prevalence has escalated worldwide into a public health crisis. Despite multiple calls from various governing organizations, the landscape of obesity and nutrition education has persistently demonstrated poor prioritization and representation in medical school curricula and examinations. Objective A targeted evaluation of the current state of obesity and nutrition education at Wake Forest University School of Medicine was performed to identify actionable areas of curriculum improvement. Methods Student learners (AY 24–25) and key faculty stakeholders completed focused surveys to assess perspectives on existing curriculum and perceived feasibility and integration of novel obesity and nutrition didactics. Likert scale item responses were analyzed using percentages, and open-ended responses were analyzed by a secure Microsoft AI Copilot utilizing Braun and Clarke’s six-step process. Results MD Students (92%) and faculty (97%) perceived obesity education of particular importance for clinical practice. They identified relevant exposure to obesity medicine content; however, content often had variable depth and was frequently elective. Within this content, 20–30% of students endorsed effective teaching on obesity-focused communication and navigating weight bias, 18% agreed the current model taught effective patient counseling skills in obesity management, and only 8% agreed the curriculum was effective in teaching physical exam skills for patients with obesity. These themes were echoed in open-ended responses with many students wanting more training in bias mitigation, patient communication, and physical exam skills. Given this, both students and faculty agreed that obesity content integration was feasible, though faculty (62%) were concerned about significant time constraints, particularly among preclinical course directors (80%). Half of faculty respondents ultimately agreed they would be willing to add obesity medicine content if given more space, while 38% agreed they would be willing to share or substitute curricular hours. Conclusion Learner and institutional priorities appear to be shifting towards improving obesity and nutrition education. While gaps clearly still exist, students and faculty are generally open to creating focused instructional time, particularly for direct application. The results of this needs assessment suggest clinically focused curriculum interventions would be most feasible, highlighting a clear actionable entry point for content integration.