COM Outlook - Summer 2015

38 Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine 39 NSU COMmunications M.S. in Nutrition Added to NSU-COM Degree Program Offerings NSU-COM recently launched its Master of Science in Nutrition degree program, adding to the college’s five existing health care degree options. The program is the first in Florida to offer this degree in a primarily online format. The new program offers two concentrations—one focused on sports nutrition and the other on community nutrition. The degree will prepare students for a variety of in-demand career options, including health/lifestyle coach, health center nutritionist, corporate/employee wellness consultant, private health consultant, college instructor, and research nutritionist. The degree could also provide a necessary background for graduates to pursue clinical training to become a registered dietitian with additional coursework and required clinical hours. “Nutritionists and dietitians enjoy a job growth rate that is faster than other health care disciplines, and the outlook for the coming years is very promising,” said Cecilia Rokusek, Ed.D., M.Sc., R.D., assistant dean of research and innova- tion and nutrition degree director. “Even beyond traditional settings of schools and hospitals, nutritionists are finding meaningful work in corporations, athletic departments, and food-production centers. An aging population and increasing attention to diet for all age groups is creating high demand as managing disease and chronic illnesses continues to be a challenge that needs attentive professionals.” Dietitians and nutritionists held 67,400 jobs in 2012 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment is expected to increase by 21 percent to 81,600 between 2012 and 2022, which is likely due to a heightened emphasis on wellness, prevention of disease through better food choices and dietary habits, and greater integration of nutrition in primary care. The need for nutrition professionals has also risen as a result of required wellness checks and emphasis on health promo- tion and disease prevention under the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act. In addition to those looking to pursue a career as a nutritionist, this degree is an ideal complement for other professionals—including physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and optometrists—to complete or enhance their practices. The M.S. in Nutrition degree program requires 42 credits for completion, including a research project. Full-time students (9 credits per semester) will be able to complete the program in two years. The program also accepts part-time students. For additional information, please call (954) 262-1850. NSU-COM also offers master’s degree programs in public health, biomedical informatics, disaster and emergency preparedness, and medical education, in addition to offer- ing a D.O. degree and a variety of certificate and graduate medical education programs. For more information on all programs offered by the College of Osteopathic Medicine, please visit our website www.medicine.nova.edu . THE COLLEGE recently expanded its academic offerings with the establishment of the Certificate in Social Medicine program, which will target medical residents, directors of medical education, residency program directors, or anyone with an interest in learning more about global/social medicine. Over the past 15 years, there has been a growing national and international trend toward developing frameworks for defining, applying, teaching, and measuring the compe- tency of a physician. The NSU-COM Certificate in Social Medicine is designed to address these needs and enhance the experiences for residents to achieve program competen- cies. Residents will obtain additional information from the graduate-level program, which helps to achieve competency in several areas. Program directors and directors of medical education completing this certificate can impart their exper- tise to their residents. Credits earned from the Certificate in Social Medicine program can be applied toward one of the following degree programs: Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Bio- medical Informatics, and Master of Science in Disaster and Emergency Preparedness. Certificate Program in Social Medicine Established Faculty Wellness Program Offers Interprofessional Engagement IN FEBRUARY, with the goal to expand the awareness of wellness as well as establish interprofessional collaborations for employee engagement, NSU-COM created the Faculty Wellness Program —a combination of healthy lunches and helpful lectures. Several faculty members—Janet Roseman, Ph.D., M.S., R-DMT, assistant professor of medical education; Lynn Lafferty, Pharm.D., N.D., M.B.A., endowed assistant professor of integrative and complementary medicine; Marti Echols, Ph.D., M.Ed., assistant dean of medical education; Jill Wallace-Ross, D.O., assistant professor of family medicine; and Phyllis Filker, D.M.D., M.P.H., assistant dean of graduate and community education— are spearheading the endeavor. The program launched with a luncheon featuring tips for preparing healthy meals, followed by subjects on meditation, the compassionate physician and compassion fatigue, and an exchange on why physicians take care of their patients better than themselves. As the program evolves, topics will include herbs and whole foods for energy and immunity, positive psychology, mandala making, and other subjects—including a presentation from a comic on the power of humor. Feedback about the program’s success has been so positive that the series will move to other NSU colleges in the near future. “This innovative program offers faculty members the opportunity to learn more about holistic models of healing that address topics on mind, body, and spirit—and at the same time, they can enjoy eating healthy food while sharing experiences with colleagues,” Dr. Roseman said. The new program offers two concentrations—one focused on sports nutrition and the other on community nutrition. The degree will prepare students for a variety of in-demand career options, including health/lifestyle coach, health center nutritionist, corporate/employee wellness consultant, private health consultant, college instructor, and research nutritionist.