On this episode, we hand over the mic to two incredible third-year medical students, Elise Kao and Michelle Troup, in our much-anticipated "Student Takeover"!

Dive deep into medical education with these dynamic hosts as they spotlight the evidence-based learning experience at the School of Medicine Greenville. Prepare to be inspired as they unpack the exciting service-learning projects that shape their academic journey and leave a lasting impact on the community.

 

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello and welcome to another episode of just what the doctor ordered, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville's podcast, where we discuss relevant news that you can use right here in the upstate. This is our student takeover edition.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm Elise.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
And I'm Michelle, and we're third year medical students at U-S-C-S-O-M-G, and today we're excited to share our journey and experiences with lifestyle medicine in the clinic.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Before we dive into our experiences, let me provide some context. My journey into healthcare began as a registered dietician, and that foundation has greatly influenced my approach as a medical student at U-S-C-S-M-G. We're fortunate to have a robust lifestyle medicine curriculum that's been instrumental in shaping our perspective on patient care.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Absolutely, Elise. My journey before medical school was as director of culinary medicine at a local nonprofit and a system that valued holistic approaches to healthcare was at the top of my priority list when choosing a medical school. The curricular integration of lifestyle medicine at U-S-C-S-O-M-G has further enhanced both of our skills and given us unique tools to connect with patients on a deeper level, focusing on the importance of lifestyle factors in preventing and managing chronic diseases.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
So let's first explain what my lifestyle medicine is in since not everyone listening may be familiar with the term.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, great point. Lifestyle Medicine is a medical specialty that's defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine by six pillars, and those pillars are nutrition, restorative, sleep, physical activity, stress management, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
So next we're going to talk about the lifestyle of medicine curriculum. It's been a real game changer for us. The knowledge has been really invaluable in our clinical rotations as third year medical students. That's one of the things I love so much about lifestyle medicine that we may just think it means what we eat and how we move, but it really does encompass every aspect of our lives, and that's reflected in how it's incorporated into the curriculum here at Greenville, which has been both invaluable in the clinic and in my personal life. The old adage, you are, your patient is so vital to the practice of lifestyle medicine, and Greenville focuses on giving us the tools through this curriculum not only to be practitioners of help for our patients, but to live healthy lifestyles ourselves.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah, it really does. We may have both had nutrition backgrounds coming in, but lifestyle medicine encompasses so much more than that. As you've outlined, I think we all saw anecdotally just how integral social connectedness is to our everyday lives. When we shifted how we interacted with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic and the scientific literature, we've seen how lifestyle interventions from improving sleep hygiene to changes in diet can be just as effective, if not more so than traditional medicine treatments. Patients are often amazed at the results when they make those sustainable changes in their daily lives,

Speaker 2 (03:17):
And that's where our curriculum is really special here at Greenville. It goes through the evidence-based lifestyle medicine interventions through a combination of review of best practices based on scientific literature and hands-on experiential practice. For example, one highlight of our journey was the culinary medicine summer elective program. During this elective, we not only learned to prepare healthy and delicious meals, but also gain the skills to counsel patients on making better food choices. It was fascinating to see how our roles as future physicians allowed us to incorporate this knowledge into a broader healthcare context, addressing not just nutrition, but the overall wellbeing of our patients.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
It's really great because you get to learn in the classroom how nutrition makes a difference, and then you get to practice the application of that in the kitchen. It's empowering to guide patients in the kitchen and help them make practical changes to their diets. It doesn't mean losing the invaluable social and cultural aspects of your food tradition, but rather helping patients find ways to supplement or substitute to make sure that their mealtime habits are serving their health goals. Plus, the comradery of cooking together fosters a deeper doctor patient relationship. There's nothing like preparing and sharing a meal to bring people closer together.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Speaking of lessons learned, I found that empathy plays a crucial role in lifestyle medicine. Patients need to know that we genuinely care about their wellbeing. It's not just about prescribing medications, it's about understanding their unique challenges and helping them overcome those hurdles.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
Absolutely. I've seen time and time again the importance of effective communication. Lifestyle medicine requires us not to only be skilled clinicians, but also motivational coaches, helping patients set achievable goals, and then celebrating those little successes along the way. As the old Teddy Roosevelt goes, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. It's imperative to effectively build a therapeutic alliance with patients so that you can partner alongside them. In these lifestyle medicine interventions, patients are the experts on what will work best in their own lives and what type of intervention is sustainable. It's our job to partner alongside that journey with evidence-based suggestions and strategies.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yes, Michelle. I really see that play out in the clinical setting. As we've transitioned from classroom-based learning into our clerkship years. It starts with taking a comprehensive patient history that includes their lifestyle habits. From there, we can tailor our recommendations to their very specific needs.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
I think one thing that has stuck out to me is how vital interdisciplinary teams are in achieving these goals. It takes the whole team of healthcare professionals, the dieticians, the physical therapists, speech therapists, everyone to provide true comprehensive. It's all about not only being able to effectively communicate and partner with a patient, but also other members of that team to ensure patients have the best possible support. For example, I know a patient who was struggling with obesity and type two diabetes through lifestyle modifications and ongoing support. We saw significant improvements in their health, and they were also able to reduce their medication dosage, but that was only because they had those wraparound services providing comprehensive care from all sorts of angles, not just the physician.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Also, one of the more special things about our school is that not only do we have these clinical experiences, but we have the opportunities to be involved outside of the classroom and clinic. As co-president of our school's Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group, we've taken our passion beyond the clinic. We organized Walk with the DOC events, hosted physician panels, sharing lifestyle medicine experiences, volunteered at Root cause, community health fairs in the local community, and even arranged a fun pickleball game for fellow students. These experiences have strengthened our commitment to lifestyle medicine's, transformative potential in creating healthier communities. These initiatives have provided valuable opportunities for medical students, passionate about the field to actively engage game practical experience, and make a meaningful impact on both patient care and community health.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
One of the ways I personally enjoy getting more involved with lifestyle medicine outside of the clinic and classroom is through leading the Lifestyle Medicine Policy Committee. We've worked on lifestyle medicine initiatives through organized medicine groups such as SCMA and the A MA. In addition to just our own school. In 2022, our very own Dr. Jennifer Oke was invited to the White House Conference on Hunger, nutrition and Health, where our curriculum was recognized as being an example for other medical schools. You and I were able to organize a viewing for other U-S-C-S-O-M-G students here on campus, and were subsequently interviewed for a Wall Street Journal article highlighting this honor. Not only have we learned about evidence-based interventions and been able to see those play out in the clinic, but we've been given the tools and the platform necessary to advocate for systemic change.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Thank you for joining us today as we discuss the power of lifestyle medicine in the clinic. Our experiences at U-S-C-S-O-M-G and the Culinary Medicine Summer elective have shaped us into healthcare providers who prioritize the holistic wellbeing of our patients. Remember, it's not just about treating diseases. It's about helping people lead healthier and happier lives. If you have any questions or want to share your own experiences with lifestyle medicine, please visit our website at www.greenvillemedsc.edu to connect with us. We'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned for more episodes of just what the doctor ordered, where we'll continue to explore innovative approaches to patient care and wellbeing. Until next time, take care.