Purpose
The Lifestyle Medicine elective for fourth-year medical students introduces the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine—nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, substance use reduction, and social connections—while fostering self-care, professional identity formation, and holistic wellness. Using a hybrid format, this elective equips students with tools to prioritize self-improvement and patient-centered care, preparing them for the complexities of modern healthcare.

Intervention Description
Offered over the past three years to 60 participants, the elective has seen growing interest due to its alignment with student wellness needs and contemporary educational trends. It integrates the Lifestyle Medicine & Food as Medicine Essentials online course by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, which emphasizes shifting from disease management to health restoration. Students engage in self-directed holistic interventions, developing proposals that apply Lifestyle Medicine concepts to personal wellness and professional growth. Reflection activities, project-based learning, and live discussions deepen engagement while preparing students for milestones like the residency match process. Recently adapted for international and bilingual delivery (in English and Spanish), the elective now promotes diversity, interprofessional collaboration, and a global perspective on health and wellness.

Outcomes/Findings
Focus groups, surveys, and deliverable evaluations indicate high satisfaction, with students citing alignment with academic and personal goals. Standardized questionnaires reveal perceived improvements in resilience, stress management, and wellness. Participants frequently reference the elective during residency interviews, highlighting its relevance to career readiness. Students successfully integrate Lifestyle Medicine principles into self-improvement proposals, demonstrating deep engagement with course material.

Lessons Learned
The elective’s focus on self-care equips students with lifelong skills for managing the demands of medical practice. Its hybrid model fosters flexibility and depth, while its international expansion enhances diversity and collaboration. These outcomes underscore the elective’s potential as a transformative, scalable model for medical education globally.