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NUTRITION MEDICINE EDUCATION |
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University of New England Nutritional imbalance is currently acknowledged as a major factor in the development of the many chronic disease conditions so prevalent in Western Society. In developing countries, nutrient deprivation plays a major role in the morbidity and mortality associated with infectious and chronic disease processes. However, though nutritional status is the factor most amenable to correction, leading to substantially improved health outcomes, the majority of medical and other health practitioners have little formal tertiary training in nutrition or its clinical application in the treatment of disease or in the promotion of health. The majority of GPs agree that nutrition is a major factor with regard to maintenance of long-term health and prevention of disease but the extent of nutrition counselling by GPs is considerably less than might be expected given the importance of nutrition and long term health. Obstacles to nutrition counselling are lack of time, lack of confidence and inadequate nutrition knowledge (Dr. A. Helman, Am J Clin Nutr, 1997:65 6 (Suppl).
New education and career options for youOver the past 30 years, the generally positive findings of nutritional research has generated strong demand from the community for health care practitioners who are knowledgeable and clinically experienced in the use of nutritional interventions to prevent and treat disease. This community demand is reflected in an increasing need for postgraduate training in nutrition from a wide variety of health-care practitioners: medical practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, naturopaths, chiropractors and others. The UNE postgraduate courses in Nutrition Medicine courses, with their high-level exposure to contemporary nutrition research and an emphasis on understanding disease from a biochemical functional perspective, are expected to stimulate students to incorporate a more comprehensive approach to disease management and prevention and assist their development of an ongoing and rewarding career in health care. The courses include:Graduate Diploma in Health Sciences
This course aims to provide advanced
postgraduate clinical learning to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians
and other graduates working in the health care industry. The program
includes units in basic nutrition and advanced units in the clinical
application of nutrition in treatment and prevention of disease. It is
offered by distance education with residential schools over a two (2) year
period.
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