Survey Data from the First two years of the 'Exercise is Medicine' Elective

Increased physical activity is a powerful way to combat many chronic illnesses. However, education on appropriate instruction of physical activity appears to be insufficient among medical students. Therefore, an elective called Exercise is Medicine was designed and delivered to first and second year medical students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. The curriculum was developed using American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Clinical Exercise Physiology and ACSM Exercise Testing and Prescription textbooks and other current evidence-based guidelines. Students attended ten weekly sessions, each of which lasted two hours and covered a different chronic disease, or clinical skills such as motivational interviewing.