title: Complementary and alternative medicine in the undergraduate medical curriculum: a survey of Korean medical schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current status of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) education in Korean medical schools is still largely unknown, despite a growing need for a CAM component in medical education. The prevalence, scope, and diversity of CAM courses in Korean medical school education were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included academic or curriculum deans and faculty at each of the 41 Korean medical schools. A mail survey was conducted from 2007 to 2010. Replies were received from all 41 schools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CAM was officially taught at 35 schools (85.4%), and 32 schools (91.4%) provided academic credit for CAM courses. The most common courses were introduction to CAM or integrative medicine (88.6%), traditional Korean medicine (57.1%), homeopathy and naturopathy (31.4%), and acupuncture (28.6%). Educational formats included lectures by professors and lectures and/or demonstrations by practitioners. The value order of core competencies was attitude (40/41), knowledge (32/41), and skill (6/41). Reasons for not initiating a CAM curriculum were a non-evidence-based approach in assessing the efficacy of CAM, insufficiently reliable reference resources, and insufficient time to educate students in CAM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey reveals heterogeneity in the content, format, and requirements among CAM courses at Korean medical schools. Korean medical school students should be instructed in CAM with a more consistent educational approach to help patients who participate in or demand CAM.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors: Do Yeun
authors: DY
authors: Kim
authors: Wan Beom
authors: WB
authors: Park
authors: Hee Cheol
authors: HC
authors: Kang
authors: Mi Jung
authors: MJ
authors: Kim
authors: Kyu-Hyun
authors: KH
authors: Park
authors: Byung-Il
authors: BI
authors: Min
authors: Duk-Joon
authors: DJ
authors: Suh
authors: Hye Won
authors: HW
authors: Lee
authors: Seung Pil
authors: SP
authors: Jung
authors: Mison
authors: M
authors: Chun
authors: Soon Nam
authors: SN
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D009324:Naturopathy; D011361:Professional Competence; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*