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Preparing residents for what’s next in healthcare

Since 2018, ACLM has led the integration of lifestyle medicine and food as medicine into Graduate Medical Education (GME), filling a critical gap in preparing residents to address the biggest healthcare challenges of today and qualifying them for lifestyle medicine certification upon graduation. 

Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum

Become a Board Eligible Residency Program

The Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC) enables residency programs to deliver a comprehensive, evidence-based educational experience that prepares residents to not only treat, reverse and prevent chronic disease but also to enhance outcomes for themselves and the communities they will care for. Upon completion of the LMRC, residents qualify to sit for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) certification exam.

Designed for completion in 1 – 3 years, the educational component includes: 

  • 40 hours of expert-led interactive didactic material delivered virtually
  • 60 hours of practical, real-world application 

The practicum component includes:

  • 400 lifestyle medicine-related patient encounters
  • 10 hours of (Intensive) therapeutic lifestyle change (ITLC or TLC) program experience
  • 10 hours of group facilitation experience

Sample Curriculum

Why integrate the LMRC?

Close the gap in clinical education

Despite the clear link between lifestyle behaviors and health, and inclusion of lifestyle in most chronic disease clinical practice guidelines as the first recommendation, many medical schools lack robust lifestyle medicine curricula. Integrating lifestyle medicine into medical school curricula addresses the growing burden of chronic diseases.

Become a recognized leader

Demonstrate your medical school’s achievement in undergraduate lifestyle medicine education and prepare your students to pursue the educational pathway towards lifestyle medicine certification.

Support Resident Recruitment and Well-Being

Residents consider addressing lifestyle factors such as nutrition and physical activity important to their careers but overwhelmingly do not feel equipped to meaningfully engage patients on these topics. Today’s residents are interested in practicing lifestyle medicine, and desire sufficient training to be healthy lifestyle role models for patients and provide effective health behavior change counseling.

Become a Lifestyle Medicine Residency Program

If you are considering implementing the LMRC in the next academic year, we invite you to complete the quick and easy interest form by March 15. Please note that forms submitted after this date may still be considered for LMRC implementation in the next academic year, however, access to resources may be delayed until after July 1.

Interest Form   LMRC FAQs   Current Sites & Programs

Faculty support & scholarships

Board certification support for residency directors, associate directors, and faculty interested in adopting the LMRC program is available through the Dr. Stephen Turner Residency Director and Faculty scholarship program.

Learn More