The lab in building N on the premises of the university hospital in Ruppin-Brandenburg (ukrb) complements and extends the vision of an MHB student initiative for healthy eating which has been active since 2020. The idea is to combine nutritional science with medical and culinary aspects and integrate dietetics into daily clinical practice through practical training sessions. The opening ceremony, for which students had prepared a sumptuous but healthy buffet, marked a further important stage in the expanding curriculum. Up to now, nutrition medicine was mainly addressed in elective course units, and about 15 % of medical students received instruction in this field during the past four years. Sponsored with € 369,000 by the foundation Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre over a two-year period, the Nutri Skills Lab facilitates the integration of nutritional medicine into the Brandenburg Medical Model Curriculum at the MHB, for the benefit of all medical students. Pertinent subject matter will be taught in keeping with existing semester-specific modules (e.g. cardiovascular system in the first semester, digestion/metabolism in the second, and nervous system in the third semester), in a combination of nutritional science, medicine and culinary practice. Nutritional psychologist Katharina Schramm will be in charge of the teaching kitchen, supported in the project by student tutors and a dietician for scientific monitoring.

MHB vice president Prof. Irene Hinterseher expressed tremendous pride in the student commitment leading to the realization of the Nutrition Skills Lab, whose equipment was co-financed by the AStA and the MHB  sponsoring association. In particular, she praised students‘ level of knowledge and dedication in realizing their vision in such a short time. She promised her support to ensure a continuation of the project once the funding ends.

Prof. Karsten-H. Weylandt, vice dean for science and research, explicitly named Selina Böttcher, Seraphina Puderbach and Can Gero Leineweber among the students whom he thanked for this successful project, and pointed to their imaginative and proactive involvement in university affairs in general for the benefit the MHB and also of the associated hospitals. Their initiative to foster healthy eating, so Prof. Weylandt, has stimulated an entirely new teaching and research focus for the MHB.

In her welcoming address Selina Böttcher described in some detail the development of the initiative and the efforts required in practice. She thanked her “wonderful team for the cohesion, high frustration tolerance, persistence and determination to meet the challenges involved”.

The MHB initiative for healthy eating has further plans to advance modern nutritional medicine and encourage a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet is an essential element of a long and fulfilling life, and information about healthy eating is to be made more accessible. The idea is to develop projects such as workshops and to extend the teaching kitchen, and the means required will not be covered by the two-year funding described above. The MHB sponsors’ association invites donations to the account below:

Account: MHB Förderverein
IBAN: DE66 1605 0202 1001 0142 40
Bank: Sparkasse Ostprignitz-Ruppin
Please add: Förderung MHB isst gesund

Contact: ernaehrung@mhb-fontane.de