Courses involving complementary and alternative medicine at US medical schools.
BACKGROUND
With the public's increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine, medical schools must consider the challenge of educating physicians about these therapies.


OBJECTIVE
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.


METHODS
Mail survey and follow-up letter and telephone survey conducted in 1997-1998.


METHODS
Academic or curriculum deans and faculty at each of the 125 US medical schools.


METHODS
Courses taught at US medical schools and administrative and educational characteristics of these courses.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
There is tremendous heterogeneity and diversity in content, format, and requirements among courses in complementary and alternative medicine at US medical schools.
Wetzel
M S
MS
Office of Educational Development, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA. mwetzel@warren.med.harvard.edu
Eisenberg
D M
DM
Kaptchuk
T J
TJ
D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States