Obesity Medicine Fellowship Education in the United States: A Descriptive Study

Background: Obesity is among the most undertreated chronic diseases in the United States. Inadequate obesity medicine education for medical students and residents is one potential cause of undertreatment. There is currently no original research on subspecialty training in obesity medicine. This study describes obesity medicine fellowship programs to identify areas for preservation or improvement. Methods: Online questionnaires were administered to 25 U.S. obesity medicine fellowship program directors compiled from the Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council. Over a 6-month period in 2023, program directors completed online surveys querying four domains: general program operations, fellows’ clinical duties, fellows’ scholarship duties, and faculty duties. Results: Twenty-four out of 25 fellowship programs completed the survey. Most programs were of 1-year duration, prioritized outpatient clinical experiences, promoted academic productivity, delivered formal education, and provided mentorship. Areas of heterogeneity included degree of supervision, independent continuity clinic, institutional support, and faculty involvement. Standardization of funding sources and evaluation protocols for fellows and programs were identified as targets for improvement. Conclusions: The current state of obesity medicine fellowship training focuses on clinical competency, education, and scholarship with great variety in delivery and implementation. Fellowships would benefit from standardization of financial support. Recommendations for standards require future studies to examine competency outcomes.