Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Tydings, MS ’22

Sarah Tydings, MS ’22

• Role at the time of posting: MD Candidate, University of Rochester School of Medicine
• Undergraduate education: University of California, Berkeley, BA in Economics
• Hometown: Mandeville, Louisiana

How did your experience at IHN shape your path?

I have always had an affinity for nutrition and integrative medicine, although these interests began as a personal passion during college. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in economics, I realized that I wanted to build a career around my interest in nutrition and its role in health and healing.

That realization led me to IHN, and I am forever grateful that it did. After earning my MS in Human Nutrition in 2022, I began pursuing my medical degree at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

In my future practice, I hope to place nutrition at the forefront of patient care and help patients understand how nutrition and lifestyle can address underlying contributors to health and disease.

What memory stands out from your time at IHN?

I absolutely loved biochemistry. I found every lecture fascinating, particularly those that explored vitamin transporters and the body’s responses during postprandial and fasting states. Dr. Igal’s teaching made the subject especially memorable.

What skills or values are essential for future physicians?

I believe it is essential to look beyond symptoms and consider the underlying factors influencing a patient’s health. Balanced nutrition is an important part of this approach, providing the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients the body needs to function properly.

The knowledge I gained at IHN has been indispensable to my medical training. In my view, a strong foundation in nutrition should be an essential component of every physician’s education.