Amy Anderson

Yale School of Medicine (YSM) researchers led the first-ever randomized controlled trial of a culinary medicine curriculum for medical trainees, which found that hands-on cooking is an effective approach to increasing nutrition knowledge for resident physicians. 

The study aimed to compare the efficacy of hands-on culinary medicine with didactics-only pedagogy.

“We want trainees to learn about the benefits that certain foods have on cardiovascular disease, how to better manage patients’ health using nutrition, and to appreciate the importance and impact of dietitian referrals,” says 

, assistant professor of medicine (general medicine), director of culinary medicine at YSM, and first author of the study.

Culinary medicine is a multidisciplinary field that combines medical education, nutrition science, and the culinary arts to promote wellness through lessons in meal preparation and hands-on cooking. Today, only 26% of residency programs provide formal education in nutrition.

"Given that so many of our patients have at least one diet-related condition—type 2 diabetes, dementia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke, obesity, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, etc.—this three-year curriculum on diet and disease is important for our residents, especially in how it could translate to better care for our patients."

Wood and colleagues developed a longitudinal, three-year curriculum on diet and disease for residents in the Yale Primary Care Residency Program. The first year focuses on cardiovascular disease. The second prioritizes weight and obesity, and the third is dedicated to diabetes.

“Given that so many of our patients have at least one diet-related condition—type 2 diabetes, dementia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke, obesity, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, etc.—this three-year curriculum on diet and disease is important for our residents, especially in how it could translate to better care for our patients,” says 

, professor of medicine (general medicine) and senior author on the study.

To evaluate the curriculum, the researchers divided residents into two groups: the control group watched video-based lectures, and the intervention group participated in hands-on cooking classes.

The researchers examined several outcomes, including how much nutrition knowledge trainees gained. Surveys on attitudes, knowledge, confidence, and behavior were distributed before the sessions, immediately after, and eight weeks later.

The surveys showed that 83% of residents felt their training in nutrition to date had not been sufficient in preparing them to provide dietary counseling to patients, while 94% said additional training would allow for better clinical care for patients with diet-related diseases.

There were some differences between the two groups. The study found that the group that participated in hands-on cooking classes reported feeling confident in all five domains of dietary counseling that were assessed, whereas the control group noted increased confidence in only two.

"Our findings show how hands-on classes aren’t just changing knowledge or attitudes. They are changing behavior."

Residents who receive hands-on training are more likely to talk to their patients about nutrition, according to Wood. “They are also more likely to refer patients to dietitians, because they understand how important nutrition is, and they can help their patients find ways to eat affordable, accessible, healthy, delicious foods,” he says.

Overall, the researchers noted that nutrition knowledge in both groups was greater than before the course. Residents were more confident in educating patients on a heart-healthy diet and providing evidence-based information about heart disease.

“Our findings show how hands-on classes aren’t just changing knowledge or attitudes,” Wood says. “They are changing behavior.”

Other authors of the paper included: Maya Fussell, RD; Erica Benghiat, MPH, RD; Lora Silver, RDN; Max Goldstein; Amy Ralph, RD; Lisa Mastroianni, RD; Erica Spatz, MD, MHS; Dana Small, PhD; and Rosemarie Fisher, MD.

General Internal Medicine, one of 10 sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine, is committed to the core missions of patient care, research, education, and community health from the “generalist” perspective. To learn more, visit

Articles

Yale School of Medicine conducted a pioneering randomized controlled trial on culinary medicine for medical trainees, demonstrating that hands-on cooking effectively enhances nutrition knowledge among resident physicians. The study compared hands-on culinary medicine with didactic-only methods, revealing that the former significantly boosts confidence in dietary counseling. The curriculum, spanning three years, covers cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Findings indicate that hands-on training not only improves knowledge and attitudes but also influences behavior, leading to increased patient discussions about nutrition and referrals to dietitians.

Yale researchers demonstrate that hands-on culinary medicine training significantly boosts nutrition knowledge and confidence among medical residents, enhancing patient care.

Culinary Medicine Improves Trainee Nutrition Education

New research finds that early preemptive kidney transplants do not reduce the risk of death, according to a Yale School of Medicine (YSM) study published in 

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD), also known as renal or kidney failure, can occur because of diabetes and high blood pressure, among other reasons. A patient with kidney failure needs a transplant when they begin dialysis, or possibly before. Since dialysis puts stress on the body and weakens the immune system, it is commonly believed that those with ESKD would have better outcomes if they receive a kidney transplant preemptively—before receiving dialysis.

, associate professor of medicine (nephrology) at YSM and medical director of the Living Kidney Donor Program at Yale, examined records over the span of two decades to evaluate the current state of preemptive kidney transplants in the United States, focusing on mortality benefit. Kumar and his colleagues were interested in finding out whether there was a benefit to performing a transplant earlier versus later from both deceased and living donors.

“If you receive an organ from the deceased donor list, you don’t have control over when you will get the organ,” Kumar says. “On the other hand, if there is a living donor, and you have more control over timing, the question is, when is it most beneficial to get the transplant?”

Our study shows that waiting until you really need a transplant is when you should get one. Otherwise, you're losing that time on your own kidney.
Abhishek Kumar, MBBS

The findings present no difference in outcome of mortality for those who received a kidney transplant earlier when they had a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a measure of kidney function, or later as eGFR worsened. Therefore, Kumar says, patients should wait if they have a choice. “It’s all about the timing,” says Kumar. “Our study shows that waiting until you really need a transplant is when you should get one. Otherwise, you're losing that time on your own kidney.

“Sometimes I tell patients the best time to get a transplant is the day you need dialysis,” he adds.

Dialysis exposure of up to 6 months does not negatively impact long-term outcomes if a transplantation is performed within that period, Kumar says.

However, the optimal time for dialysis and transplantation depends on the individual and is difficult to predict, says Kumar, who notes that the transition from care of chronic kidney disease to dialysis is costly and resource-intensive. “We should always avoid dialysis if we can, but performing a transplant early is not the solution."

Nephrology is one of ten sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine. Committed to excellence in patient care, research, and education, the section’s faculty and trainees aim to be national and international leaders in academic nephrology. To learn more, visit

New research from Yale School of Medicine indicates that early preemptive kidney transplants do not reduce mortality risk in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients. The study, led by Abhishek Kumar, MBBS, analyzed two decades of data to assess the timing of transplants from both deceased and living donors. Findings suggest no mortality benefit from early transplants when kidney function is relatively better. Patients are advised to wait until transplantation is necessary, as dialysis exposure up to six months does not adversely affect long-term outcomes if transplantation occurs within that timeframe.