Fresh vegetables and primary care

It’s time to add gardening to the arsenal of clinical skills. A nutrition workshop that was developed as part of a new Community Engagement Curriculum had 25 internal medicine residents preparing simple, nutritious dishes with vegetables harvested on a farm at Yale’s West Campus. The goal is for the residents to use what they learned to communicate more effectively with their patients about healthful food choices.

“We want our residents to be able to offer practical advice about local food systems and healthy eating habits, and to enhance their abilities to integrate preventative health in their regular communications with patients,” said chief resident Sanjeet Baidwan, M.D., who is leading the new curriculum with Tracy Rabin, M.D., HS ’10; Julie R. Rosenbaum, M.D. ’96, FW ’02; and Justin Freiberg of Yale’s West Campus.

The workshop is part of a Community Engagement Curriculum that the Yale Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency has undertaken, which includes communication skills, cultural awareness, home visits, and advocacy.