The future of healthcare is here. Join us as LM2026 - in-person or online! Learn More + Register
Behavior change
Behavior change

Virtual Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Fellowship (vLMIF)

A 12-month, competency-based fellowship that equips practicing clinicians to deliver high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle interventions for disease reversal and remission while developing the leadership skills needed to shape health systems and communities. Through a training-in-place model, the vLMIF integrates structured coursework, immersive clinical training, mentorship, and scholarly activity to prepare fellows to pursue Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist certification through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

New cohorts begin each September and conclude the following August. Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis.

Apply Now

Becoming a LM Intensivist

The Virtual Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Fellowship (vLMIF) is designed to transform clinicians into leaders of lifestyle medicine–driven care. Unlike traditional training programs, it moves beyond basic counseling to equip participants with the skills to deliver high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle interventions, guide patients from prevention toward disease remission, and implement scalable, programmatic care models rather than relying solely on individual patient visits.

Through a virtual, in-place training model, fellows learn where they practice, immediately applying new skills within their own clinical settings. The program emphasizes both personal and professional growth while cultivating leadership capabilities that drive change across health systems and communities. Fellows also become agents of a broader healthcare transformation, helping shift the language of medicine from managing chronic disease to restoring health and achieving remission.

  • 12-month, competency-based fellowship for practicing physicians
  • Fellowship year: September 1–August 31
  • Applications accepted year-round on a rolling basis. Applications received by June 1 are considered for the cohort beginning that September; later applications are considered for the next fellowship cycle.
  • Training-in-place model that allows fellows to complete most fellowship activities within their existing clinical and professional settings, complemented by required in-person immersive clinical training experiences
  • Advanced training in high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle interventions, with an emphasis on disease reversal and remission
  • Supports American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) certification pathways:
    • Lifestyle Medicine Physician Certification — for incoming fellows who have not yet obtained this foundational certification
    • Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist Certification — advanced certification for physicians already certified in Lifestyle Medicine, recognizing additional training and experience in high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle interventions
  • Participate in virtual and in-person clinical immersion experiences focused on high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle change
  • Deliver individual lifestyle medicine patient care
  • Lead group visits / shared medical appointments
  • Apply medication deprescribing in the setting of clinical improvement
  • Engage in longitudinal mentorship and case-based learning
  • Develop and implement a lifestyle medicine program or care model
  • Complete a scholarly or quality improvement project
  • Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC)
  • Blue Zones ® Certification Course
  • Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Reversal of Insulin Resistance with Lifestyle Medicine Course
  • Lifestyle medicine seminar series (including select lectures from Lifestyle Medicine Now Series)
  • The Lift Project
  • Full Plate Living
  • Annual Lifestyle Medicine Conference participation
  • Journal club engagement
  • Deliver high-intensity lifestyle medicine interventions
  • Apply therapeutic lifestyle dosing and progression
  • Achieve and document disease reversal and remission
  • Safely deprescribe medications in appropriate patients
  • Design and lead lifestyle medicine programs
  • Integrate lifestyle medicine into clinical practice and health systems
  • Contribute to scholarship and education in lifestyle medicine
  • Licensed physician in good standing
  • Board-certified or board-eligible in a primary medical specialty (or equivalent)
  • Active clinical practice with ongoing patient care responsibilities and a commitment to advancing lifestyle medicine in practice
  • Access to at least 20% FTE (approximately 8 hours/week) of protected time for lifestyle medicine care and program implementation
  • Ability to participate in required virtual and in-person clinical immersion experiences, including time away from usual clinical duties
  • Letter of support from employer or practice leadership acknowledging the time commitment and implementation activities required during the fellowship
  • Didactic curriculum completion
  • Scholarly or clinical implementation project
  • Required clinical immersion experiences
  • Shared medical appointment implementation
  • Patient encounter logs and case reports
  • Mentorship participation
  • Annual Lifestyle Medicine Conference attendance
  • Minimum of 1,000 hours over 12 months, including clinical practice, didactic coursework, mentorship, and scholarly activity.
  • Approximately 15–25 hours per week to meet program requirements. Of this time, at least 20% FTE (8 hours per week) of protected clinic time is recommended to support the implementation of lifestyle medicine visits and programs, including shared medical appointments.
  • Additional time commitments are expected during intensive immersion experiences (approximately 5–6 weeks annually) and for attendance at the annual Lifestyle Medicine Conference, which may require absence from usual clinical duties.
  • Tuition: $17,500
  • Enrollment deposit: $500 (applied toward tuition)
  • Tuition includes all required coursework, conference registration, and select immersion-related expenses (lodging and meals)
  • Travel, transportation, conference lodging, and other non-covered immersion-related expenses are not included

Foundational Didactic and Scholarly Experiences

The vLMIF features a comprehensive didactic curriculum that provides the knowledge, skills, and scholarly foundation required for Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist competency. Fellows complete a structured series of educational experiences, including the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC), ACLM’s Blue Zones® Certification Course, ACLM’s Type 2 Diabetes Remission Certificate Course, advanced seminar series lectures, lifestyle medicine journal clubs, and annual conference participation.

Together, these experiences fulfill scholarly activity requirements while strengthening competencies in evidence-based lifestyle medicine, critical appraisal of research, outcomes evaluation, chronic disease remission, population health, practice implementation, and scholarly dissemination. This educational foundation is reinforced through the fellowship’s clinical immersion experiences, where fellows apply these concepts in real-world settings focused on high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle change.

Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC)

An evidence-based curriculum designed to equip physicians with the knowledge and skills to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic disease through lifestyle medicine. Participants explore the science behind nutrition, physical activity, behavior change, and other lifestyle medicine pillars while gaining practical experience applying these approaches in clinical care.

Learn More

Blue Zones Certification Course

An evidence-based training designed to empower healthcare providers with the knowledge and tools to promote longevity, well-being, and health equity through the principles of Blue Zones and lifestyle medicine. Participants will explore the lifestyle habits of the world’s longest-lived populations, the Power 9® principles, the impact of environment, community health strategies, and practical applications in patient care.

Learn More

Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Reversal of Insulin Resistance with Lifestyle Medicine Course

This course provides an evidence-based overview of lifestyle medicine as a therapeutic approach for adults with type 2 diabetes. Designed for an interprofessional healthcare audience, the course reviews the pathophysiology of insulin resistance, consensus definitions of type 2 diabetes remission, and the scientific evidence supporting lifestyle-based interventions.

Learn More

Lifestyle Medicine Conference

An immersive conference experience that brings together clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders advancing lifestyle medicine. Participants gain practical insights, explore emerging evidence, and build meaningful connections through keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.

Learn More

Full Plate Living

Full Plate Living is a free membership offered by the non-profit Ardmore Institute of Health. It will teach you how to start eating a high-fiber diet — a delicious, scientifically proven approach that can lead to more energy, lower cholesterol, better blood sugar, and weight loss.

Learn More

The Lift Project

A mission-driven social enterprise focused on lifting lives around the world. It does so by enhancing the mental well-being of individuals through engaging, evidence-based mental well-being education and donating profits to charities that support human health, happiness, and hope.

Learn More

Signature Clinical Immersion Training Experiences

In addition to a robust didactic curriculum, the vLMIF incorporates substantial experiential learning through clinical immersion experiences that require dedicated time away from routine professional responsibilities. These immersive experiences provide unique opportunities to apply lifestyle medicine principles in supervised clinical settings and gain firsthand experience with high-intensity therapeutic lifestyle interventions.

Residential Lifestyle Medicine Clinical Immersion Experiences (In-Person)

Participate in two required U.S.-based residential clinical immersion experiences (10–14 days per session) that provide intensive, hands-on training in lifestyle medicine. Fellows gain firsthand exposure to comprehensive lifestyle interventions and engage in supervised residential and outpatient patient care while working alongside experienced lifestyle medicine clinicians.

  • The in-person immersion experiences occur on a fixed schedule during the fellowship year (typically fall and spring) and require dedicated time away from routine clinical responsibilities.
  • Meals and accommodations are provided during the residential immersions (included in fellowship tuition). Fellows are responsible for travel arrangements to and from the training site (not included in fellowship tuition).

Group-Based Lifestyle Medicine Clinical Immersion Experience (Virtual)

Complete a required 12-day virtual immersion experience featuring supervised clinical application, patient-centered education, case-based learning, and faculty mentoring within an intensive lifestyle medicine program. Fellows observe and participate in the virtual delivery of group-based lifestyle interventions while developing practical skills that can be integrated into clinical practice.

  • The virtual immersion experience is offered multiple times annually, providing scheduling flexibility for fellows within the same cohort.

Faculty

Andrew Mock MD, MPH, DipABLM, DABOM, LM Intensivist, FACLM

Program Director

Sara Aney MD, MPH, DipABLM

Associate Program Director

Brenda Rea MD, DrPH, PT, RDN, DipABLM, LM Intensivist

Medical Director, Education

Ready to learn more about the Virtual LM Intensivist Fellowship?

Complete the form below and a member of our team will reach out with additional information and answers to your questions.

Questions? We’re here to help.

Browse our help center for answers to common questions or contact our support team for personalized assistance.

Visit the Help Center Contact Support

Ready to get started?

Apply Now

Start Your Fellowship Journey Today

Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis. If you’re ready to deepen your expertise in lifestyle medicine, we invite you to apply.

Apply Now