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6
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2017
the
Eat Right
issue
T
his space tucked in a small but bustling strip mall near
the historic Treme neighborhood in New Orleans hardly
looks like a typical medical school classroom. First, there
are no desks, but rather dining tables and chairs scattered about
the front, an industrial kitchen occupying the back. And missing is
the skeleton hanging from a stand in the corner. Doctors’ coats are
replaced by chefs’ jackets. The only items hanging in this academic
arena are pots and pans, towels and aprons. Knives are not used in
surgery but to chop onions.
On this busy Monday night, medical school students from Tulane
University are just wrapping up a discussion of a case study —
perhaps discussing a 64-year-old gentleman showing the early signs
of diabetes, or a 41-year-old female with a history of hypertension
in her family.The talk focuses on medical advice as well as advising
the patient on nutrition. It is all a part of the learning process that
has become routine at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine
at Tulane University.
As the classroom discussion is winding down, folks begin filing
in, preparing to participate in the next part of the classroom
experience, where the medical students team up with people from
the community who want to learn better ways of preparing healthy,
affordable meals, as well as general tips on nutrition.
These community cooking classes have grown to become an integral
part of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine’s curriculum,
a division of the medical school first introduced in 2012. The
founder and Executive Director of the program is Dr. Timothy
Harlan, an internist and assistant dean for Clinical Services at
Tulane University School of Medicine, who is also known as “Dr.
Gourmet” from his appearances on the Food Network. Working
closely with Dr. Harlan is Chef Leah Sarris, the program’s director,
Food as
Medicine
by
Mary Beth Romig
photos courtesy
Tulane University