RCSI’s innovative approach to educating health sciences students and working professionals on the fundamentals of lifestyle medicine has been shortlisted for the Nurturing Wellbeing and Purpose Award at this year’s QS Reimagine Education Awards.

Reflecting RCSI’s dedication to improving health and well-being, this cross-university initiative has focused on educating students, healthcare professionals, and related practitioners about lifestyle medicine and providing them with the knowledge, tools and clinical skills to develop strategies to support a heathy lifestyle and to promote health and well-being.

Lifestyle factors are strongly implicated in the majority of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, which are the leading cause of death in the modern world. Lifestyle medicine is an emerging specialty in the prevention and treatment of these chronic diseases.

RCSI is one of the first universities in the world to embed lifestyle medicine in its curricula and provide opportunities for deeper study through student choice and an optional online certificate. Through this approach, RCSI is providing students with an evidence-base and a clinical skillset that equips them with novel skills not yet embedded in healthcare training internationally.

RCSI's pioneering programme

To promote greater awareness and understanding of lifestyle medicine among existing professionals, this year RCSI’s Centre for Positive Health Sciences began offering an Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine micro-credential to existing health professionals and other professionals.

This course is the first of its kind globally to actively seek enrolment from educators (teachers and guidance counsellors), government officials working in health departments, medical insurers, as well as professionals in the social and mental health fields. There are now 20 scholars enrolled in the first iteration of this course.

Complex health challenges

Professor Tracy Robson, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, RCSI, said: “We are committed to driving improvements in good health and well-being by being an innovator in health sciences education and by ensuring that our graduates enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to address increasingly complex health challenges. Our work to educate our students and others about lifestyle medicine is the embodiment of this commitment and I congratulate the RCSI academics and staff who have led the way in championing the importance of lifestyle medicine.”

The promotion of lifestyle medicine at RCSI has been led by Professor Anne Hickey, Niamh Corbett and Dr Lisa Mellon in the Department of Health Psychology, School of Population Health and Dr Padraic Dunne in the university's Centre for Positive Health Sciences.

You can learn more about RCSI's Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine programme here.