American College of Lifestyle Medicine Debuts Lifestyle Medicine Course Syllabus, Helping to Fill Medical Education Void
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) October 18, 2017 -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced its introduction of a free Lifestyle Medicine course syllabus for medical schools and other academic health-related institutions. It is based on the work of ACLM Board Member Beth Frates, MD, who in 2014 developed a course in Lifestyle Medicine that became one of the most popular courses at the Harvard Extension School for undergraduate, master’s and other professional students interested in health and wellness. The success of the course and increasing demand for the information inspired Dr. Frates to partner with ACLM to craft a syllabus that could be widely distributed and used in many different health care institutions, organizations and schools.
The syllabus is adaptable to a variety of educational environments, including undergraduate studies, master level courses, medical school, residency, nursing school, physical therapy programs, occupational therapy programs, nutrition education courses, health and wellness coaching, and exercise and fitness programs. It is available at: https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/Lifestyle-Medicine-Course-Syllabus.
"The syllabus represents the work of an entire team whose goal was to supply a foundation for a lifestyle medicine course on which instructors and professors can build and personalize for their individual needs,” Frates said. “My goal is to share my work, experience, research and teachings so that others can benefit from it. We want to spread the good word of Lifestyle Medicine, so the more professors and teachers who have this syllabus as a template the more likely it is that they will be able to teach a course on this important subject in medical school, college, nursing school, or in graduate medical education. I want to help people so they don't re-invent the wheel. This will make my hard work worth it!"
The syllabus is the latest in a growing movement to include Lifestyle Medicine resources in the curricula of medical and other health-related academic institutions and continuing medical education offerings. Earlier this year, ACLM launched its Comprehensive Board Review Course, serving as a preparatory curriculum for those vying for certification in the field through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, with the inaugural exam taking place on October 26, the day following the conclusion of ACLM’s Lifestyle Medicine 2017 Conference scheduled for October 22-25 at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, AZ. ACLM’s new learning management system is set to go live in November, augmenting the Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies Program online course that ACLM offers in partnership with the American College of Preventive Medicine. These and other offerings are in support of the Lifestyle Medicine Education Collaboration (LMEd), which is curating an array of evidence-based curricular resources for prevention, treatment and reversal of lifestyle-related diseases for the benefit of all medical students and residents.
“Physicians historically have not been taught the foundational elements of Lifestyle Medicine in school, so tools such as this syllabus are crucial,” said ACLM President-Elect Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM. “In 400 BC, Hippocrates said, ‘let food be your medicine,’ but unfortunately, Hippocrates' wisdom has not been put into practice in recent history, at least not routinely. The true definition of Lifestyle Medicine goes back to an expansion of how Hippocrates framed it. Let lifestyle--food, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and the avoidance of tobacco and alcohol--be your medicine. Lifestyle Medicine is the treatment and cure of disease using lifestyle modalities and methods, period. It is the medicine! “
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the physician-led professional medical association for clinicians dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system. More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanizing force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective desire to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever increasing quantities of pills and procedures. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the cause of disease. Join today at http://www.LifestyleMedicine.org. Board certification in the field is available through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Visit http://www.ablm.co/ for details.
Jean Tips, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, +1 214-240-1872, [email protected]
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