HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced June 8 that 19 additional medical schools have pledged to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education for students starting in fall 2026, bringing the total number of participating schools to 73 across the United States. The new pledges represent a historic expansion of nutrition requirements in medical training, part of a broader federal push to address chronic disease through improved physician education.
The announcement came as HHS and the Department of Education hosted eight of the nation’s leading medical accrediting organizations—including the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education—to announce voluntary reforms aimed at embedding nutrition education across medical training programs. These organizations have committed to implementing measurable standards for nutrition instruction in licensing exams, residency programs, and continuing medical education.
The 19 newly committed schools include the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Hofstra University Zucker School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and 15 others spanning osteopathic and allopathic programs. Together with the 54 schools that made similar commitments earlier in 2026, the initiative now encompasses more than one-third of U.S. medical schools.
The push addresses a decades-long gap in medical education. According to HHS, a 2022 survey published in the Journal of Wellness found that medical students reported receiving an average of just 1.2 hours of formal nutrition education each year. Until recently, three-fourths of U.S. medical schools did not require clinical nutrition courses, and only 14 percent of residency programs included a nutrition curriculum. Secretary Kennedy framed the shift as essential: “Poor diets are the primary driver of America’s chronic disease epidemic, and today’s announcement reflects the shifting landscape toward placing nutrition and prevention at the core of patient health.”
The federal government has estimated that despite spending $4.4 trillion annually on treating chronic disease and mental health, approximately one million Americans die from food-related chronic illnesses each year. HHS and the Department of Education sent a letter to medical organizations last August encouraging them to improve nutrition standards, signaling the administration’s commitment to making nutrition a centerpiece of medical training reform.
The schools and accrediting bodies involved have made voluntary commitments; the initiative does not currently impose mandatory requirements or federal funding penalties. However, the scope of participation—involving major accreditation bodies and medical schools across 31 states—signals a significant shift in how the medical profession approaches training on diet and disease prevention.
Sources
- HHS.gov — Official press release announcing 19 additional medical schools and eight accrediting organizations’ commitments to nutrition education standards, June 8, 2026.
- Inside Higher Ed — Reporting on 73 medical schools now agreeing to require at least 40 hours of nutrition education.
- U.S. News & World Report — Coverage of the new pledges bringing total participating schools to 73.
- NPR — Report on 53 medical schools in 31 states expanding nutrition curriculum to 40 hours, March 5, 2026.
- The New York Times — Analysis of Kennedy’s efforts to revamp medical school nutrition training, March 4, 2026.
