INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University School of Medicine, the largest MD program in the United States, has joined a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative to strengthen nutrition education in medical training.
The voluntary initiative, introduced by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encourages medical schools to enhance nutrition instruction in response to the growing burden of diet-related chronic disease. IU joins more than 50 respected medical schools in this effort, which is also supported by the American Association of Medical Colleges. Participating institutions may implement either a minimum of 40 hours of required nutrition education across four years of medical school, or a competency-based equivalent aligned with the HHS Medical Education Nutrition Competency Framework.
At the IU School of Medicine, nutrition has been a focus in curriculum for more than 10 years and is currently woven throughout competency-based training delivered across nine campuses statewide. Instruction spans foundational science courses, organ-system modules and clinical training, emphasizing the physiological impact of diet, prevention strategies and the social determinants of health. Students examine the role of nutrition in conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, as well as micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition.
"Our responsibility is to prepare physicians who understand the full spectrum of factors that influence health, including nutrition," said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine and executive vice president for university clinical affairs at Indiana University. "Ensuring our graduates are equipped to address diet-related disease prevention and lifestyle-related drivers of disease is central to our mission."
Through small-group learning and team-based discussions, students develop practical counseling skills and learn to assess dietary habits and create patient-centered care plans. During clinical rotations, they apply nutrition principles in primary specialty care settings and collaborate with dietitians and other health professionals to support lifestyle modification and longer-term disease management.
"We are focused on equipping students with the ability to evaluate nutritional risk, integrate evidence-based guidance into clinical care and address broader issues such as food insecurity and health disparities that shape patient outcomes," said Bradley Allen, MD, PhD, executive associate dean for education at IU School of Medicine. "We are eager for the opportunity to share the success of our nutrition-based curriculum with the other schools that are joining in this initiative."
About the Indiana University School of Medicine
The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 15 in 2025 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.
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