Healthy cooking and informed nutrition are key components in physician wellbeing and good patient care, but getting both right consistently can be challenging for medical residents who are short on time, inspiration and technique.

Now, thanks to funding by a Medical Education Innovation Grant, UW internal medicine resident Lucas Fass, MD, PG-3, along with Nicole Kochman, MD, PG-3, and Luke Richard, MD, PG-2, is piloting a curriculum that addresses this challenge.

Over four Friday sessions at the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center, PG-1s learn about nutrition strategy and counseling from Veronica Skaradzinski, MS, RDN, LDN, assistant director of nutrition education, UW–Madison RecWell. The classroom portion is followed by a structured cooking class led by chef Tim Regan.

All residents—including PG-2s and PG-3s—can also attend a monthly night class to advance their cooking skills.

Watch this 50-second video [Youtube] to learn more about the program and its goals:

Banner: left to right, PG-1s Kara Donovan, MD; Yash Hegde, MD; and Tyler Rubeor, MD, try their hand at vegetable preparation in the Bakke Recreation Center. Credit: Clint Thayer/Department of Medicine.