Diet-related chronic diseases are now responsible for nearly 60 percent of U.S. deaths, and an estimated one million Americans die from diet-related chronic diseases each year. Despite overwhelming evidence that nutrition is one of the most powerful tools for disease prevention, the vast majority of physicians say they feel unprepared to discuss nutrition with their patients. The Advancing Nutrition Education Across the Medical Continuum initiative highlights America’s leading medical education institutions that are implementing comprehensive nutrition education and training.
By the numbers
32 States represented
54 Committed institutions of higher education
30,000+ Medical students receiving enhanced nutrition education
Historic Commitments Across the Nation
The map below shows the institutions of higher education committed to advancing nutrition education across the United States.
Committed Schools
Committed Schools
Secretary Kennedy encouraged schools to commit to a minimum of 40 hours of required nutrition education across all four years of undergraduate medical education or a minimum 40-hour competency equivalent beginning in Fall 2026. To help schools in meeting this commitment, HHS developed a voluntary competency framework.
If your University is interested in learning more, please reach out to partnerwithus@hhs.gov.
The list below reflects the institutions of higher education committed to equipping medical students with enhanced nutrition education. Learn more about each school’s individual approach below.
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
Burrell will integrate over 40 hours of longitudinal, competency-based nutrition training across all years to advance prevention-focused care.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
CHSU-COM integrates nutrition and culinary medicine into its curriculum through team-based learning, case studies, and hands-on Teaching Kitchen classes.
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
Nutrition education is central to VCOM’s osteopathic mission, preparing future physicians to prioritize preventive, patient‑centered care.
Florida State University College of Medicine
The FSU College of Medicine integrates human nutrition into all four years of its curriculum with the goal of improving the health of all Americans.
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
From classroom to clinic, Geisinger is elevating nutrition education to equip physicians to lead the fight against chronic disease.
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
GW SMHS provides 60+ hours of nutrition education and hands-on culinary medicine to teach students how to use food-as-medicine for disease prevention.
Indiana University School of Medicine
IU School of Medicine, the nation’s largest medical school, equips students with a strong foundation in nutrition to improve patient care and health.
Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Nutrition competencies will be integrated throughout the curriculum and incorporated into KCU’s elementary school health screening program.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)
LECOM, America’s largest, most applied-to med school, expanded nutrition to 60 hours, giving nearly 3,000 students skills to fight chronic disease.
Louisiana State University Health New Orleans
LSU New Orleans is developing a comprehensive nutrition curriculum so future doctors recognize the role of diet in health and disease development.
Louisiana State University Health Shreveport
LSU-Shreveport’s longitudinal, competency-based curriculum integrates nutrition across all phases, preparing graduates for evidence-based care.
Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM)
Rooted in community: training future physicians to integrate nutrition into clinical care through education, service, and
New York University (NYU) Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine’s curriculum includes multifaced aspects of nutrition education, preparing graduates to comprehensively meet future patient’s needs.
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of Medicine provides nutrition education from assessment to counseling, preparing graduates to deliver effective, patient-centered care.
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine integrates nutrition across all four years, addressing 30 defined competencies.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)
Central to PCOM's osteopathic mission, our 4-year curriculum integrates lifespan dietary requirements and counseling to promote whole-person wellness.
Purdue University
Sam Houston State University
Embedded across SHSU-COM’s curriculum, strong nutrition education advances osteopathic principles focused on whole-patient care for Texans.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine
TUCOM provides 40+ hours of applied nutrition training, integrating science, culinary medicine, and osteopathic principles to build clinical skills.
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tufts School of Medicine provides longitudinal nutrition training in science and clinical practice across its four-year MD program for 800 students.
Tulane University School of Medicine
Tulane’s Goldring Center, founded in 2012 as the first U.S. medical school teaching kitchen, is a national model for nutrition education.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
USU’s nutrition curriculum centers on health, wellness, and performance, building lifelong habits for future physicians serving our military community.
University of Alabama - Birmingham
UAB provides evidence-based nutrition training focused on acquiring, applying, and reinforcing concepts essential to medical practice.
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Our medical school curriculum includes over 56 hours of dedicated nutrition education embedded throughout training.
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
The University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson integrates nutrition for prevention and disease management, including teaching kitchen training.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine
UAMS delivers 40+ hours of nutrition education across its curriculum, aligned with HHS competencies in science, clinical care, and culinary medicine.
University of California Irvine
UC Irvine requires 50 hours of nutrition education across four teaching kitchens within its whole-person health system at UCI Health.
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
UCF inspires future doctors to champion nutrition as a foundation for better health and stronger, thriving communities.”
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Osher Center for Integrative Health
UC advances interdisciplinary nutrition education by integrating biomedical science, food-as-medicine, and hands-on culinary training.
University of Florida College of Medicine
UF threads nutrition education across all four years, offering required and elective courses for a well-rounded medical training experience.
University of Iowa
Students learn about disease prevention and health promotions services including nutrition, fitness, and wellness.
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
UKY integrates nutrition across courses and clerkships, with expanding hands-on, interdisciplinary, evidence-based training in a new curriculum thread.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine prepares future doctors to translate nutrition science into patient-centered care.
University of Mississippi Medical Center
UMMC delivers a comprehensive systems-based nutrition curriculum with experiential learning opportunities in a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen.
University of Missouri School of Medicine
Our curriculum trains physicians in how nutrition shapes health through hands-on culinary medicine, case-based learning, and 60 hours of education.
University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine
UMKC SOM is built around a 6-year BA/MD program, preparing 105 students annually from high school for nutrition-informed care.
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine
Since 2019, a longitudinal effort has expanded nutrition education across all curriculum phases, with new oversight guiding growth toward DHHS standards.
University of North Dakota, School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Since 2020, UND’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences requires at least 40 hours of focused nutrition education in class and clinic.
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
OUCOM integrates nutrition as a core curricular element, preparing physicians to apply evidence-based dietary strategies for chronic disease prevention.
University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine
Metabolism to the Teaching Kitchen: A 4-year integrated curriculum featuring culinary medicine to improve patient outcomes across the Gulf Coast.
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Since 2012, our lifestyle medicine curriculum includes 100+ hours of evidence-based instruction, including nutrition, for chronic disease prevention and treatment.
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
USD Sanford School of Medicine trains future physicians in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to advance the health of South Dakotans.
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
The University of South Florida confronts chronic disease by doubling hours in its longitudinal, integrated nutrition training for students.
University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine
UT Southwestern SOM aligns with HHS nutrition education goals and supports evidence-based nutrition science integrated across all four years.
University of Texas Houston McGovern Medical School
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston integrates nutrition across all four years to prepare students for nutrition‑informed patient care.
University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
The UW School of Medicine & Public Health MD curriculum includes required content on nutrition’s role in chronic disease prevention and management.
West Virginia University School of Medicine
WVU builds curriculum and training to help frontline health professionals empower West Virginians to live healthier lives through nutrition.
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
WMed is committed to excellence and innovation in medical nutrition education to change the trajectory of chronic disease.
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and COMP-Northwest
WesternU COMP’s curriculum integrates evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine to equip students to prevent and treat chronic disease.
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM)
WCUCOM integrates nutrition and lifestyle medicine into its curriculum, promoting prevention, wellness, and community outreach through experiential training.
Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine
As Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine develops its curriculum, it will integrate nutrition education throughout, meeting or exceeding 40 hours.