Training future physicians in lifestyle medicine to support diabetes remission
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“We wanted to train a new level of physician. A physician who understood that chronic disease could be prevented at the root cause.”
— Dr. Jennifer Trilk, director of lifestyle medicine programs, USC School of Medicine Greenville
How lifestyle medicine education prepares doctors to address chronic disease at its root
In this short-form documentary, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville offers a close look at how lifestyle medicine is embedded into medical education from the very beginning. Through case-based learning, students explore how daily behaviors, including nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and connectedness, shape cardiometabolic health and influence the progression of type 2 diabetes.
The film highlights culinary medicine as a core component of this approach. Medical students work alongside faculty and culinary professionals to analyze real patient scenarios, redesign meals to increase fiber and reduce added sugars, and understand how food choices affect blood sugar patterns over time. This hands-on training helps future physicians translate evidence-based nutrition guidance into practical, patient-centered care.
Beyond the classroom, the documentary shows how students apply these skills in community settings, developing accessible recipes and educational tools for underserved populations. By learning to view patients as whole people, not just a collection of diagnoses, students gain the confidence to support treatment and, when applied intensively, often contribute to remission of type 2 diabetes. Together, these experiences demonstrate how lifestyle medicine education equips the next generation of physicians to address chronic disease at its root.
About University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Educate. Innovate. Serve. Where Lifestyle is Medicine. As the first ACLM Platinum Plus Certified Curriculum in Lifestyle Medicine, our doctors are making an impact on the future of healthcare.
