Trailblazing Health Education: The First Program Offering a Complete Journey to Lifestyle Medicine Certification

To be qualified to undertake the lifestyle medicine certification examination, individuals must fulfill two conditions: attend an endorsed lifestyle medicine conference and complete 30 hours of approved online lifestyle medicine CME/CE courses. To assist students in meeting these prerequisites, master’s and doctoral health professions programs can earn recognition from ACLM as Partial or Full Academic Pathway programs.

Partial Academic Pathway programs need to include at least one course covering a minimum of 25 percent of the Interdisciplinary Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies released in 2022. Graduates from Partial Academic Pathway programs have fulfilled the requirement of conference attendance to qualify for the lifestyle medicine certification exam. Presently, there are 72 Partial Academic Pathway Programs across the nation.

Full Academic Pathway programs incorporate lifestyle medicine throughout the syllabus, must have at least one faculty member certified in lifestyle medicine, and possess a Lifestyle Member Interest Group (LMIG) on the premises. ACLM offers the “Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review” course to participants in Full Academic Pathway Programs at significantly reduced prices. ACLM additionally provides academic tools such as the “Lifestyle Medicine 101 Curriculum” and Taste of Lifestyle Medicine. In addition, Full and Partial Academic Pathway programs are featured in ACLM’s Health Professional Program Directory. Graduates from Full Academic Pathway programs have met the conference attendance and 30-hour CME/CE course conditions.

“FSU College of Nursing is proud to be the inaugural academic program in the country recognized by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine as a Full Academic Pathway program,” said FSU College of Nursing Clinical Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Lifestyle Medicine Program Alicia (Ali) Craig-Rodriguez, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, DipACLM. “This notable designation underscores that FSU’s demanding program is committed to providing students with an in-depth experience in lifestyle medicine education and training.”

Lifestyle medicine employs therapeutic lifestyle modifications as a primary approach to address chronic ailments, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Clinicians certified in lifestyle medicine are trained to implement evidence-based, holistic, prescriptive lifestyle adjustments to manage and, when applied intensively, frequently reverse such conditions. Utilizing the six core components of lifestyle medicine—a whole-food, plant-dominant dietary pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, advantageous social connections, and evasion of harmful substances—also serves as effective prevention for these health issues.

The establishment of the academic pathways received partial funding through the generous contributions of the Ardmore Institute of Health.

“ACLM commends the Florida State University College of Nursing for its vision and leadership in becoming the first ACLM Full Academic Pathway program in the nation,” stated ACLM CEO Susan Benigas. “By fulfilling the prerequisites for lifestyle medicine certification during their training, these doctorate of nursing practice graduates will enjoy significant savings on their pathway to certification and gain a competitive edge in the workforce as an increasing number of employers and health systems acknowledge the considerable value of lifestyle medicine.”

About ACLM®
Functioning as a catalyst for transformation, a disruptor of conventional practices, and a motivated force for change, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine is the nation’s professional medical society promoting the discipline of lifestyle medicine as the cornerstone of a reformed, value-based, and equitable healthcare delivery system, essential for achieving the Quintuple Aim and holistic health. ACLM represents, advocates for, trains, certifies, and equips its members to identify and eliminate the root causes of chronic illness by optimizing modifiable risk parameters. ACLM addresses the significant gap in lifestyle medicine—including food as medicine—in medical education, doing so throughout the entire continuum of medical education while furthering research, clinical practice, and reimbursement strategies. Enhancing the quality of life and longevity while controlling the alarming, unsustainable trend in healthcare expenditures is what lifestyle medicine achieves.

Media Contact

Alex Branch, Director of Communications, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, 9719835383, [email protected], American College of Lifestyle Medicine

SOURCE American College of Lifestyle Medicine