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- Title
Courses involving complementary and alternative medicine at US medical schools.
- Authors
Wetzel, Miriam S.; Eisenberg, David M.; Kaptchuk, Ted J.; Wetzel, M S; Eisenberg, D M; Kaptchuk, T J
- Abstract
<bold>Context: </bold>With the public's increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine, medical schools must consider the challenge of educating physicians about these therapies.<bold>Objectives: </bold>To document the prevalence, scope, and diversity of medical school education in complementary and alternative therapy topics and to obtain information about the organizational and academic features of these courses.<bold>Design: </bold>Mail survey and follow-up letter and telephone survey conducted in 1997-1998.<bold>Participants: </bold>Academic or curriculum deans and faculty at each of the 125 US medical schools.<bold>Main Outcome Measures: </bold>Courses taught at US medical schools and administrative and educational characteristics of these courses.<bold>Results: </bold>Replies were received from 117 (94%) of the 125 US medical schools. Of schools that replied, 75 (64%) reported offering elective courses in complementary or alternative medicine or including these topics in required courses. Of the 123 courses reported, 84 (68%) were stand-alone electives, 38 (31%) were part of required courses, and one (1%) was part of an elective. Thirty-eight courses (31%) were offered by departments of family practice and 14 (11%) by departments of medicine or internal medicine. Educational formats included lectures, practitioner lecture and/or demonstration, and patient presentations. Common topics included chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal therapies, and mind-body techniques.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>There is tremendous heterogeneity and diversity in content, format, and requirements among courses in complementary and alternative medicine at US medical schools.
- Subjects
UNITED States; MEDICAL education; ALTERNATIVE medicine education; ALTERNATIVE medicine; COMPARATIVE studies; CURRICULUM; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL schools; MEDICAL cooperation; RESEARCH; RESEARCH funding; EVALUATION research
- Publication
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 1998, Vol 280, Issue 9, p784
- ISSN
0098-7484
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1001/jama.280.9.784