title: The Next Generation of Dietitians: Implementing Dietetics Education and Practice in Integrative Medicine.
abstract: Integrative medicine is a quickly expanding field of health care that emphasizes nutrition as a key component. Dietitians and nutritionists have an opportunity to meet workforce demands by practicing dietetics and integrative medicine (DIM). The purpose of this article is to describe a DIM education program and practicum. We report the results of an interprofessional nutrition education and practicum program between the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Department of Dietetics and Nutrition and KU Integrative Medicine. This partnered program provides training that builds on the strong foundation of the Nutrition Care Process and adds graduate-level educational and practicum experiences in foundational integrative medicine knowledge, including nutritional approaches from a systems biology perspective, nutrigenomics, and biochemistry as the core knowledge to understand the root cause of a chronic disorder and to choose appropriate nutritional tools for interventions. This interprofessional KUMC program provides a dietetic internship, master's degree, and graduate certificate in DIM and fulfills a need for dietitians and nutritionists who seek careers practicing in an integrative medicine setting. The program fulfills expanding workforce needs to provide quality health care for patients with chronic illnesses.
authors.affiliation: a University of Kansas Integrative Medicine , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Leigh E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: a University of Kansas Integrative Medicine , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Randall G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: b University of Kansas Department of Dietetics and Nutrition , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Noland
authors.affiliation: b University of Kansas Department of Dietetics and Nutrition , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barkley
authors.affiliation: b University of Kansas Department of Dietetics and Nutrition , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Debra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: a University of Kansas Integrative Medicine , Kansas City , Kansas , USA.
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drisko
mesh_terms: D004046:Dietetics / Q000193:education*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D064686:Nutritionists / Q000193:education*
keywords: dietetics and integrative medicine; future practice; integrative medicine; interprofessional education; nutrition and dietetics education