Attitude of medical students to the introduction of complementary medicine into the medical curriculum in Israel.
BACKGROUND
Complementary medicine is gaining in public popularity, yet medical school curricula usually ignore it.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether senior medical students are interested in learning principles of complementary or alternative medicine, to check their degree of familiarity with it, and to suggest a format for such studies in the medical curriculum.


METHODS
Senior medical students (n = 117) were surveyed by an anonymous questionnaire.


RESULTS
Seventy-nine percent of the senior medical students were interested in studying complementary or alternative medicine in medical school, and 65% were interested in applying these techniques to treat patients. Eighty-seven percent of students were familiar with some techniques of complementary medicine.


CONCLUSIONS
Senior medical students are interested in studying complementary and alternative medicine in medical school and in applying these techniques in practice.
Oberbaum
Menachem
M
Center for Integrated Complementary Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. oberbaum@netvision.net.il
Notzer
Netta
N
Abramowitz
Ruth
R
Branski
David
D
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires