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Background and Objectives: Most studies based on self-reported data indicate that female patients more often than males have a same-gender preference for their primary care physician (PCP). Because self-reported preferences may not reflect true preferences, we analyzed objective data to investigate patients’ preferences for PCP gender. Methods: Analyses were performed on 2192 new patients seen within a university-based healthcare system by 13 PCPs (2 male, 11 female) during 2017. New patients were asked about their PCP gender preference when assigned a PCP. We compared the expected prevalence (proportion of males/females in overall patient population) and observed prevalence (gender distribution of patients for each PCP) by PCP gender. A mixed model with PCP as a random effect examined the odds of male and female patients being assigned a same-gender physician. Results: The expected prevalence of new patients was 65% female and 35% male. The observed prevalence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of male patients among male and female PCPs was, respectively, 59.7% (49.0%-69.5%) and 28.0% (24.0%-32.4%), with neither CI containing the expected prevalence of male patients (35%). Similarly, the observed prevalence of female patients among male and female PCPs was, respectively, 40.3% (95% CI 30.5%-51.0%) and 72.0% (95% CI 67.6%-76.0%), with neither CI containing the expected prevalence of female patients (65%). Conclusions: Both male and female patients often preferred to see a same-gender PCP with this preference more pronounced in males. Future research should seek to clarify the relationships between patients’ gender preferences, patient-physician gender concordance/discordance, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes.

Background: Wellness is an important concept for medical students to learn, both for their own health and for their patients. Since nutrition is an essential part of one's wellness that can positively or negatively impact one's health, it is important for medical students to learn approaches to nutritional wellness. Studies have shown that physicians' nutrition attitudes and clinical practices are positively correlated with their dietary practices. Objective: Here, we describe a brief nutrition-based education experience for first-year students offered at the start of the medical school curriculum that is designed to increase their nutrition awareness. Design: The nutrition experience involved five components: 1) having students complete three 24-hour food recalls; 2) comparing their recalls to nutrient standards; 3) emphasizing strategies that include simple, nutritionally sound food choices and preparation; 4) surveying students on their implementation of personal healthy nutritional strategies; and 5) requesting future recommendations for modifying the educational experience. Results: Most students' diets did not meet the recommended dietary levels for several nutrients, and these deficiencies corresponded to specific food group inadequacies. Forty percent of the students responded to a three-month follow-up survey. Of these students, 46% implemented one of the presented strategies to improve their food intake. Most changes included the addition or deletion of a particular food. Seventy-three percent recommended repeating the program in the future. Conclusions: We demonstrate that a brief 2.5-hour nutrition wellness experience can increase nutrition awareness and promote dietary change in incoming medical students. Many felt that the experience was valuable and recommended offering a similar experience to future classes.

P hysical inactivity leads to at least 250,000 deaths annually in the United States, 1 and more than one half of Americans fail to meet recommended physical activity levels. 2 Regular physical activity decreases total mortality rates as well as the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. 3,4 Physical activity improves mental health and control of diabetes, hypertension, and lipid levels; prevents osteoporosis; and, especially in older patients, sustains mobility, reduces disability, and decreases the risk of falls. 3,4 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American College of Sports Medicine, U.S. Surgeon General, and American College of Preventive Medicine recommend that adults participate in at least 30 minutes of accumulated moderate-intensity physical activity (i.e., walking fast [3 to 4 miles per hour] or the equivalent) on five or more days of the week. 3-5 The following are key principles for physical activity: (1) the more activity the better, (2) accumulated time is more important than intensity, (3) activity can be accumulated in 10-minute increments, 3-5 and (4) lifestyle activities (e.g., substituting walking or biking for short car rides, using a push rather than a riding lawn mower) are more likely to be sustained than structured activities (e.g., exercising at a gym). 6

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