Alternative Medicine Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alternative Medicine, including details on complementary medicine, alternative therapies, homeopathy.

Using complementary and alternative medicine curricular elements to foster medical student self-awareness.

Elder W, Rakel D, Heitkemper M, Hustedde C, Harazduk N, Gerik S, Haramati A

Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0284, USA. welder@email.uky.edu

PURPOSE: To determine the value that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)-funded Education Project leaders placed on self-awareness objectives among their curricular activities, to identify projects' rationales for inclusion of self-awareness activities, and to describe curricular elements used to teach self-awareness. METHOD: A survey was distributed to the NCCAM Education Project grantees in October 2006. Survey items sought to identify project directors' perceived importance of self-awareness activities in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) curricula, rationales for inclusion of self-awareness activities, and activities to foster self-awareness. Invited reports described in more depth the specific activities in three of the projects. RESULTS: Fourteen of 15 reporting NCCAM educational projects rated activities to promote self-awareness as highly or very highly valued components, and all projects incorporated numerous strategies to enhance self-awareness. Learning objectives ranged from basic knowledge about mind-body relationships and psychoneuroimmunology, to evidence and indications for mind-body interventions, to training in self-application, to training for intervention with patients. Specific strategies that increase students' self-awareness included evidence-based CAM activities to help students recognize personal biases that may impair critical thinking; personal health experiences to expand definition of health beliefs; and mind-body medicine skills groups to personally integrate the use of mind-body techniques for wellness and stress management. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating some of these CAM curricular activities, didactically or experientially, may be a unique way to foster student self-awareness and personal growth.

Published 26 September 2007 in Acad Med, 82(10): 951-5.
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