title: Student identification of the need for complementary medicine education in Australian medical curricula: a constructivist grounded theory approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Across the Western world, including Australia, growing popularity of complementary medicines (CMs) mandates their implementation into medical education (ME). Medical students in international contexts have expressed a need to learn about CMs. In Australia, little is known about the student-specific need for CM education. The objective of this paper was to assess the self-reported need for CM education among Australian medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty second-year to final-year medical students participated in semi-structured interviews. A constructivist grounded theory methodological approach was used to generate, construct and analyse data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical school education faculties in Australian universities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medical students generally held favourable attitudes toward CMs but had knowledge deficits and did not feel adept at counselling patients about CMs. All students were supportive of CM education in ME, noting its importance in relation to the doctor-patient encounter, specifically with regard to interactions with medical management. As future practitioners, students recognised the need to be able to effectively communicate about CMs and advise patients regarding safe and effective CM use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Australian medical students expressed interest in, and the need for, CM education in ME regardless of their opinion of it, and were supportive of evidence-based CMs being part of their armamentarium. However, current levels of CM education in medical schools do not adequately enable this. This level of receptivity suggests the need for CM education with firm recommendations and competencies to assist CM education development required. Identifying this need may help medical educators to respond more effectively.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Department of Rural & Indigenous Health, Australia. Electronic address: kate.templeman@bigpond.com.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Templeman
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Department of Rural & Indigenous Health, Australia.
authors.forename: Anske
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000193:education*; D054521:Cultural Competency; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013337:Students, Medical; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alternative medicine; Complementary medicine; Medical curriculum; Medical education; Qualitative methodology