Medical schools commit to increased nutrition education at RFK Jr.'s request

WASHINGTON – Fifty three medical schools will dedicate at least 40 hours of students’ degree requirements to nutrition education beginning next fall, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced on Thursday.

In a survey of 133 U.S. medical schools, a 2015 study from the Journal of Biomedical Education found that medical students typically receive about 19 hours of nutrition education across the four years of their education.

The schools’ commitment to the initiative, which was developed with the Department of Education, marks the latest advancement of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. He said it is one of his “proudest days” at the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Today represents a mutual recognition that HHS and leaders in American medicine can come together to advance shared goals and interests,” Kennedy said.

In an August 2025 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said he believes poor nutrition is the root of the “chronic-disease epidemic” and called on medical education organizations to include “rigorous” nutrition education in medical training.

Kennedy also said HHS will provide $5 million through a National Institutes of Health “nutrition education challenge” to support curriculum development and clinical training. The program will extend to medical schools as well as nursing residency, nutrition science and dietitian programs.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon echoed Kennedy’s statement that the initiative does not mean the Trump administration dictates what medical schools teach and said her department will “never mandate curriculum.”

“That’s not our job,” McMahon said.

American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala, who spoke at the event, told Medill News Service that he thinks the push for more nutrition education will spread “contagiously, in a good way.”

“When I talk to people involved in medical education… it’s a no-brainer,” Mukkamala said. “It’s wonderful to be that aligned on something where (for) everybody now, this should be more on their compass than it is.”

According to the New York Times, Kennedy worked for months to secure partnerships from schools across the country and at times threatened funding eligibility if schools did not teach enough about nutrition.

Schools involved were listed on the HHS website as a “committed partner,” including Tulane University School of Medicine, University of Texas Houston McGovern Medical School and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

Kennedy encouraged participation from schools that did not join the initiative.

“If your school is not on today’s list, that does not mean the door’s closed,” Kennedy said. “We expect you to step forward.”