Medical Schools Lacking in Courses Teaching Physical Activity
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iStock/Thinkstock(CORVALLIS, Ore.) — If you can’t recall the last time your personal physician told you about the benefits of exercise, you’re probably not alone.
Brad Cardinal, an Oregon State University professor of exercise and sport science, says the problem has to do with medical schools failing to teach students about the importance of staying fit.
The point was proven through an analysis of data from 118 accredited medical schools that listed their curriculum online. Of that group, half offered no courses related to physical activity, 21 percent offered just one course on the topic and of the schools that featured course work related to physical activity, less than one in five made them required.
Cardinal and his team came away from their research somewhat disappointed since doctors are often their patients’ go-to source for information about personal health.
Although Cardinal doesn’t doubt the expertise of physicians when it comes to knowing what’s right for the people they care for, what they need to learn is how to relate to a patient’s specific needs, which can come from formal education on the medical school level.
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