Nutritional knowledge of medical staff and students: is present education adequate?

Knowledge of nutritional principles and attitudes to nutrition education of a group of clinical medical students and junior hospital doctors were examined by questionnaire. The percentage of correct answers to factual questions was 50.8 for students and 58.5 for doctors. Both groups considered that their teaching was inadequate and over 95 per cent requested education in applied nutrition. Undergraduate instruction by both doctors and dietitians was advocated as appropriate to the final clinical years.