Originally published by the American Medical Association
We recently talked with Dr. Stephen Devries, a preventive cardiologist and executive director of the Gaples Institute Nutrition and Lifestyle Education to discuss its mission and successes.
An educational nonprofit, the Gaples Institute is dedicated to advancing the role of nutrition and lifestyle in medicine through education and advocacy. The AMA Ed Hub sat down with Dr. Devries to understand the mission of the Gaples Institute and their collaboration with the AMA Ed Hub. This interview has been edited for clarity.
You’re a cardiologist with decades of experience. What inspired you to commit your expertise to nutrition education for clinicians?
As a cardiologist, I saw firsthand the consequences of the lack of focus of nutrition in medicine. Too often I saw patients with more advanced diseases that required invasive procedures and surgeries that likely could have been avoided had more attention been directed to nutrition and lifestyle.
The Gaples Institute has long been a partner with the AMA Ed Hub. Tell us a bit about your mission, goals and successes
We set out to develop the most condensed nutrition course possible that addresses the essentials of clinical nutrition with a strong emphasis on practical application. The Gaples Institute nutrition course, “Nutrition Science for Health and Longevity: What Every Clinician Needs to Know,” guides learners on a journey from nutrients to foods to dietary plans proven to promote health and aid in the treatment of disease.
And we’re proud to say we’ve become one of the most trusted sources of clinical nutrition education in the nation. The Gaples Institute nutrition course is now required in 9 medical schools, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Uniformed Services University.
As evidence of our impact, the White House recently selected the Gaples Institute as part of the national strategy to end hunger and reduce the burden of diet-related disease—and we’re well on our way of fulfilling our plan to reach 100 medical schools and training programs with actionable nutrition training.
How have you found your collaboration with the AMA? In what ways has the AMA Ed Hub helped spread your message?
The AMA Ed Hub team has been an enthusiastic supporter of our work from day one. The Gaples Institute nutrition course was one of the first resources featured on the AMA Ed Hub, dating back to 2017. To a person, the Ed Hub team professionals have been a joy to collaborate with.
They have been wonderful partners in helping us to educate AMA members by showcasing our award-winning nutrition content for health professionals. The Ed Hub has spread our message by cataloguing our online course content, by hosting the Gaples Institute podcast series, Medicine with a Fork, and in news articles in which our content has been widely featured.
What do you think are the most important aspects of the current healthcare landscape that need to be addressed?
Despite the fact that poor quality diet is the leading risk factor for death in the United States, physician training in nutrition does not adequately prepare doctors to meet the challenge. Food is medicine and, like all medicines, physicians need to be proficient in its use.
The Gaples Institute nutrition course emphasizes practical ways that physicians can rapidly make a difference in their patients’ health and longevity through nutrition counseling, even with the demands of a busy practice.
What is one particular collaboration you’ve had with the AMA Ed Hub that you were most excited by?
It’s hard to choose one!
Most of all, we’re excited by the way that the AMA Ed Hub has highlighted our popular nutrition course for health professionals. This exposure has helped us reach more health professionals as we raise the bar for nutrition education among physicians.
Additionally, the Gaples Institute’s podcast series featured on the AMA Ed Hub produced two of the ten most popular podcast episodes on the AMA Ed Hub in 2023, a gratifying accomplishment and a reflection of the interest in our approach to nutrition education of physicians.
You mentioned your podcast that can be found on the AMA Ed Hub. How has that collaboration been beneficial for the Gaples Institute?
Our AMA Ed Hub podcast series, “Medicine With a Fork,” helps us to reach a wider range of clinicians drawn to our fresh approach to nutrition topics. Each episode is about 10 minutes and packed with practical clinical applications. Among the most popular topics we’ve covered include Diet Quality in the Era of High-Potency Weight Loss Drugs; Diet for Atrial Arrhythmias; and Coffee Science: A Clinician’s Guide to a Beloved Bean. Our goal is to intrigue and educate — and most importantly, to whet the appetite for more nutrition learning.
Well thanks so much for your time! And keep up the good work!
Thank you! We’ve come a long way with our nutrition course being so widely adopted! We even participated in a White House event that the Gaples Institute was thrilled to be invited to. We feel like we’re just getting started!
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