Nutritional sciences is a broad term encompassing the multi-disciplinary outreach of nutrition form the biological sciences to the social and physical sciences. Nutrients play a role in maintenance and disruption of normal biochemical and physiologic processes in a number of disease conditions, including the development of types of malnutrition. Nutrients may impact drug metabolism and drug-nutrient interactions, as well as nutrient-nutrient interactions. From a population/public health perspective, food availability and the composition of those foods can play a role in the overall health of a community. Physicians are uniquely positions to incorporate nutritional sciences into their own scholarly activities and clinical practice.

This elective allows the student to design their own curriculum with potential applications to either basic medical and/or clinical sciences. The student will work closely with the course director or other faculty member to derive their program of study, identify specific objectives, attend relevant WMed lectures/conferences, and pre-determine the summative tasks to be accomplished to fulfill the objectives of the elective. In addition, general basic clinical nutrition readings will be assigned.