California is an agricultural Eden — sunlit orchards, strawberry fields and busy farmers’ markets form a state that grows half of America’s produce. Yet beneath this landscape of abundance, nearly one in five Californians experiences food insecurity.
Food insecurity is often perceived as a condition confined to visible hardship, such as homelessness or unemployment. While these experiences are real and warrant urgent attention, food insecurity also exists in less visible contexts: including among the very students training to diagnose malnutrition, counsel patients and care for vulnerable communities.
Health profession students occupy a uniquely overlooked position in the food insecurity conversation. They are not yet earning professional salaries, but the assumption that they will one day earn high incomes can eclipse present financial strain. As such, they are not always treated as ordinary low-income adults. In one survey of 1,834 medical students across eight U.S. medical schools, 21.2% reported food insecurity, with disproportionate rates among students demonstrating financial need. Similar patterns have appeared among non-physician practitioner trainees, including one study where more than half of the physician assistant interns surveyed met criteria for food insecurity. Lack of consistent nutritious meal access is associated with poorer mental and physical health, lower academic performance and higher rates of chronic health conditions that ultimately increase healthcare costs for the state…