Non-inferiority of a virtual culinary medicine elective for medical students vs. in-person training

Purpose: Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the culinary medicine course held at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shifted to a virtual learning environment in spring 2020 In response to the undergraduate medical education request for more virtual opportunities the original CUH curriculum was transitioned from a semester long course to a 2-week elective This study collected outcomes to compare the impact on medical student outcomes in the virtual vs in-person format Methods: Three cohorts of students completed the virtual CUH elective The virtual elective includes 10 days of asynchronous learning about applied nutrition concepts via pre-recorded videos, scientific articles, quizzes and patient case assignments It also included synchronous sessions for student debate and discussion and four sessions of in person faculty-led cooking classes with students being given recipes, grocery lists and gift cards ahead of time The service learning component shifted to virtual participation in Common Threads camp for grade school kids in nutrition Students completed surveys pre-and post-elective to assess 1 Dietary Intake 2 Cooking Nquestions regarding engagement;and qualitative inquiry Results: Consistent with previous years, students in the virtual class showed significant increased confidence in nutrition care &obesity counseling as well as increased confidence in their cooking and food preparation skills Regarding the virtual format: students were able to stay engaged in the course, and commented that cooking in their own kitchen made it more likely that they would continue to cook at home Conclusion: CM training can successfully translate from inperson to virtual formats Some potential advantages to the virtual format include less class preparation time, increased likelihood of future home-cooking behavior, opportunity for other household members to engage in learning, easier implementation in institutions without space or faculty, and opportunity for increased numbers of trainees to participate