Internationalization of a course of nutrition for medical students

Outcomes - Course internationalization resulted in a higher appreciation of the cultural and regional factors being important determinants of dietary choices. - A vast majority of medical students reported that class discussions helped them to learn about geographical/ regional/ cultural differences in nutrition. - There is a need for more focus on internationalization of home medical students. The course Basics of Physiological and Clinical Nutrition trains the medical students in providing nutritional counselling. Food choices are determined by a variety factors, including the cultural and geographical specifics resulting in differences in dietary habits. Their understanding may enhance the skills and competencies of the health professionals to practice in different cultural environments. A project of internationalization of the course was designed with the aim to put more focus on international aspects of health/ nutrition related topic and to include more peer learning activities into the course. Results indicate that during the course the medical students’ awareness for the international contexts in nutrition raised, especially, in the group of international students. Home students displayed less experience with learning activities in an international team, and their appreciation of international aspects was lower, indicating a need to put more focus on internationalization of home students. At the end of the course an increased percent of students reported that they enjoy studying with their mates, and they consider this form of learning to be beneficial for them. Ways of engaging the audience: questions and/or Mentimeter Participation format: Face to face