Basic nutrition knowledge of recent medical graduates entering a pediatric residency program.

<bold>Objective: </bold>This study assesses the basic nutritional knowledge of fourth year medical/osteopathic school graduates entering a pediatric residency program and compares the knowledge of the medical students to that of the patients and parents who completed the same survey previously.<bold>Methods: </bold>Medical and osteopathic school graduates entering a pediatric residency program completed an 18-question nutrition survey during resident orientation in June of 2011 and 2012.<bold>Results: </bold>The incoming interns averaged answering 52% of the questions correctly. Interns did better than both groups but the only statistically significant difference was between the interns and the non-eating disorder adolescents and their parents (p<0.001).<bold>Conclusion: </bold>Incoming residents to a pediatric residency program appear to be deficient in basic nutritional knowledge. With the ever increasing burden of obesity and its associated co-morbidities on society, it is imperative that medical education focuses on preparing physicians to appropriately counsel all populations on proper nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]