title: A national survey of eating disorder training.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eating disorders (EDs) result in the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders, and in the United States, approximately one in twenty females suffers from an eating disorder. However, training provided within residency programs to address the needs of these patients is sparse. The objective of this study was to conduct a national survey that assesses the amount of EDs training for trainees across five ACGME accredited specialties: internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. The results of the survey will be used to develop strategies to improve eating disorder education among residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight hundred eighty training coordinators were contacted using information available on the ACGME website and asked to complete the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 637 responding programs, 514 did not offer any scheduled or elective rotations for EDs. Of the 123 programs offering rotations, only 42 offered a formal, scheduled rotation. Child and adolescent psychiatry offered the most clinical experiences, and pediatric programs offered the greatest number of didactic hours on EDs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training in EDs is limited. Simulated patient encounters, massive open online courses, web-based curricula, dedicated rotations and clinical experiences, didactic curricula, and brief-training programs may help to improve eating disorder diagnostic and treatment skills among trainees.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center 500 university drive Hershey PA, PO BOX 850 H073, 17033, USA.
authors.forename: Fauzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahr
authors.forename: Pantea
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.forename: Edward O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Bixler
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Domen
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Halmi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003479:Curriculum / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005192:Family Health / Q000193:education; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: eating disorders; national survey; training