Abstract: Objective To establish and optimize the graduates′ course of clinical nutrition and to clarify the necessity and importance of integrating clinical nutrition into education system for medical students. Methods The content of the clinical nutrition course for graduates majoring in clinical medicine was set according to the position paper of the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism on nutrition education programs in medical schools. Clinical physicians from related departments such as basic surgery, clinical nutrition and gastroenterology were invited to participate in curriculum preparation and teaching. A small-scale teaching practice was conducted for graduates majoring in Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and students′ feedback on the course content and format was collected. Results The clinical nutrition-related education for graduates majoring in clinical medicine during their undergraduate studies was insufficient and failed to meet the needs of clinical performance. Systematic and comprehensive clinical nutrition course training can not only broaden students′ vision of clinical nutrition-related diagnosis and treatment methods, but also enhance their confidence in the rational use of relevant knowledge and skills in their study, work and life. Some experiences learned from this pilot study on course content and assessment methods, such as the emphasis on cases analysis and discussion, also provide references for the implementation of clinical nutrition courses in other colleges and universities in the future. Conclusions The graduates in clinical medicine have a high demand for clinical nutrition knowledge. Medical schools should introduce systematic clinical nutrition education courses at the graduate stage to support the capacity building for diagnosis and treatment and promote the construction and development of clinical nutrition disciplines in China.

Key words: clinical nutrition, postgraduate education, medical education