"THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
a special program of the National Emergency Medicine Association (NEMA)

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Week: 582.5 

Guest: Dr. Sharon Akabas, Columbia School of Medicine, Masters in Nutrition 

Topic: Nutrition training for doctors 

Host/Producer: Steve Girard 

NEMA: Nutrition training for doctors...coming up... 

SPOT: For 15 years, the National Emergency Medicine Association has worked against stroke, heart disease and trauma. Join the effort, call 800-332-6362. 

NEMA: If you're like most people, you ask your doctor what you should and shouldn't eat to prevent disease...  

AKABAS: physicians are the major group of health professionals to whom people go to ask nutrition advice. And frequently, the physician is faced with a dilemma: either he or she isn't sufficiently trained to answer the question, nor do they necessarily know where to go for reputable advice in the literature.  

NEMA: Dr. Sharon Akabas of Columbia Medical School in New York coordinates the masters program in nutrition for health professionals...  

AKABAS: One of the important aspects of the program here is that we want to keep an open....but a very critical mind. Because, I believe it was Mark Twain who's quoted as saying, "I never listen to health advice, you could die from the misinformation". 

NEMA: Dr. Akabas says with all the research on nutrients and disease prevention, it's going to take a while to make sure it's concrete and useful. I'm Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.