What Does a Physician Learn?

Michael Greger writes the following about his medical education: Only a quarter of medical schools appear to offer a single dedicated course on nutrition. During my first interview for medical school, at Cornell University, I remember the interviewer emphatically stating, 'Nutrition is superfluous to human health.' And he was a pediatrician! I knew I was in for a long road ahead. Come to think of it, I think the only medical professional who ever asked me about a family member's diet was our veterinarian." This situation is a tragedy. If the nutrition guides the average individual looks to is blind, there is not much hope of those who follow to find their way. Health is a continuum. The more adequate the diet, the further along the road one moves toward good health. The lifespan may have increased over the last 20 years, but one observation is indisputable. The sick years at the end of life have increased dramatically. The average individual can now expect to live about 13 years with a major illness like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or stroke.