Do Doctors Make the Grade?

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

For me, the most disturbing finding in the latest update last year on the status of nutrition education in U.S. medical schools was that compared to the last survey in 2004, the percentage of medical school instructors who think more nutrition education was even necessary dropped, from about nine out of ten, down to about eight out of ten.

Is it possible that doctors think they know more than they do? Doctors may think they know enough about nutrition, but do they?

Doctors were asked a list of simple questions about diet and cardiovascular disease; some simpler than others. True or false: does walking and gardening increase physical activity levels? 95% got that right. Good.

On the other hand, 71% of health professionals and final year medical students incorrectly thought avocados had cholesterol in them.

But, how did they do overall?

What was the average test score of doctors on questions relating to diet and cardiovascular disease? Did they get an A+; 97-100% correct? If so, maybe they don’t need any more nutrition training. Or did they just get an A, A-, B, C, D or an F even; less than 65% correct?

What do you think?

They didn’t get an A, B, or C. Nor even a D.

64% correct.

They failed.

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• Parker WA, Steyn NP, Levitt NS, Lombard CJ. They think they know but do they? Misalignment of perceptions of lifestyle modification knowledge among health professionals. Public Health Nutr. 2010 Jan 28:1-10.
• Adams KM, Kohlmeier M, Zeisel SH. Nutrition education in U.S. medical schools: latest update of a national survey. Acad Med. 2010 Sep;85(9):1537-42.

• avocados
• cardiovascular disease
• cholesterol
• exercise
• heart disease
• medical education
• medical profession
• nutrition myths