[Diabetes simulation learning method for nutrition and dietetics students].

For many years, the Nutrition and Dietetics department of the Geneva School of Health Sciences has been applying a pedagogical method of simulating in the daily life of a diabetic person. For 4 days, students experience the daily life of a diabetic patient by adopting his treatment and applying the recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. According to a survey of 29 students, the most striking elements for them were: thinking about the disease all the time, eating without hunger and being confronted with the difficulties of the disease. Only 14% of the students managed to adhere to the recommendations 100%. This experience allows them to develop empathy and to have a better understanding of the non-adherence of patients. This learning method should be encouraged and practiced more widely in medical and paramedical training.