The impact of an immersive elective on learners' understanding of lifestyle medicine and its role in patients' lives.
OBJECTIVE
To design an immersive, active learning, lifestyle medicine (LM) elective and evaluate its impact on a pharmacy learners' ability to understand the challenges of implementing lifestyle changes.


METHODS
A 3-credit elective was developed that incorporated goal setting and immersion into the realm of LM as experienced by both the patient and the practitioner. Learners were assessed via a survey instrument, formal assignments, reflections, and the Presidential Fitness Challenge.


RESULTS
Learners reported that their ability to initiate LM as a primary intervention within a care plan significantly increased after taking this course. They also improved their overall health.


CONCLUSIONS
By identifying and implementing self-identified lifestyle modifications, learners increased confidence in their abilities to produce evidence-based outcomes for patients. Learners were able to understand the challenges of trying to change their daily habits as they undertook their own personal goals.
College of Pharmacy, Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Melissa J
MJ
Mattison
College of Pharmacy, Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Eric C
EC
Nemec
D032882:Comprehension; D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008019:Life Style; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
active learning; elective; lifestyle medicine; lifestyle modifications