It may seem obvious that food and nutrition are part of the education of our future doctors. Yet only a few hours in a handful of classes are devoted to him.
” [Dans] In fact, in most medical schools in Canada, we’re at the low end of five hours per class,” said Michel Lucas, an epidemiologist at Laval University School of Medicine. It is sad to see that our medical students do not have a background in nutrition. We have gaps in education. On school desks, but also throughout medical education. There aren’t enough hours.
For example, we address the question of the role of nutrients such as lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, we recall some warnings about sodium, sugar, cholesterol, good and bad fats.
We give them a few courses, but really nothing very advanced and especially not a nutritional approach that integrates all aspects, not just aspects related to lowering cholesterol or increasing fiber consumption.
continues Sylvie Dodin-Dewailly, gynecologist and clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproduction at the CHU de Québec.
For Michael Lucas, Poor food quality is the number one killer worldwide. With chronic diseases on the rise, we cannot believe that our society can solve these problems without comprehensive patient care, including nutrition.
Experiment with flavors to better convey them
Without wanting to offend the nutrition departments of western universities, Michel Lucas wanted to remedy the situation. As a trained nutritionist and certified chef, Dr. Lucas not only wanted to be a microbiologist, but decided to put on all his hats by creating the optional Culinary Medicine course for Laval University School of Medicine.
In collaboration with the Ecole hôtelière de la Capitale, for this course he applied certain principles of what students do in surgery: see it and do it. It is important to be able to transfer it. In culinary medicine, doing is replaced by experimentation. It’s important to cook and experiment with flavors, textures and techniques to be able to transfer them
he explains.
The headmaster of the Ecole hôtelière de la Capitale, Éric Villain, is enthusiastic about the idea of welcoming third-year medical students: We come to give them the taste of cooking! Most didn’t really know how to hold a knife, but were taught how to get into a kitchen to use it safely. We are on our third of eight courses and now they are doing great.
During the passage of the team of emission The grocery storethe 12 Culinary Medicine students learned how to roast a chicken, some for the first time!
” If we haven’t done it ourselves, don’t know how to do it and don’t have a personal perspective, it’s difficult to give advice. »
” It changes the routine. We come from our circles. It also changes the goals. We are more concerned with practical learning than with grades and content-related performance. I like the diversity that comes with coming here. »
Combine theory and practice
Like universities like Harvard and Stanford that offer Culinary Medicine degrees in the United States, the curriculum devised by Michel Lucas is divided into two parts: theory (seeing) and practice (doing).
For the theory we have a series of conferences with around forty key players in the food sector
explains Dr. Lucas.
” You have several modules with leading international specialists in the fields of nutrition and medicine. In this way, they receive the most important and up-to-date information on nutrition and the art of cooking. »
We talk about men’s health, we talk about women’s health, we talk about all the socio-economic aspects of nutrition. Of all the food accessibility issues etc.
adds Sylvie Dodin-Dewailly, who helped create the course.
Chef Éric Villain is responsible for the practical part of the course. He teaches the basics of Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, Japanese, Indian, allergy-free cuisine… and ensures that his apprentices develop their culinary skills properly.
Three passionate professors, 12 future doctors, a large table… a perfect recipe to share knowledge and develop tomorrow’s medicine.
The Report by Johane Despins and Alain Roy, directed by Caroline Girard, will be broadcast at The grocery store Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. on ICI TÉLÉ, and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on ICI RDI.
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