Uncovering Gaps in Obesity Medicine Competencies: Insights from Ten U.S. Medical Schools

Competency-based obesity medicine education is critically needed in undergraduate medical training, as emphasized by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Using a competency-based framework, we identified key gaps in obesity education across ten diverse U.S. medical schools. Each institution formed a working group to conduct a gap analysis of the curriculum based on 32 obesity medicine competencies recognized by the obesity medicine fellowship council. The least-addressed domains were Practice-Based Learning and Improvement and Systems-Based Practice, accounting for nine of the ten least-covered competencies. Additional gaps were noted in clinical skills and bias awareness. Most schools were relying on passive teaching methods and limited assessment. Findings highlight opportunities to develop shared, scalable resources to strengthen and standardize obesity medicine education nationwide.