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Acupuncture/ pressureDiet-NutritionHerbalsHomeopathyOsteopathicReligion/ Spirituality

Teaching CAM in allopathic and osteopathic medical schools

JR

Yes, they teach CAM at osteopathic and allopathic medical schools.

This survey concludes we need less advocacy and more reliance on evidence-based medicine (ie, combining research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values).

CAM is usually taught in the first 2 years of medical school and involves fewer than 20 contact hours of instruction.

The topics most often taught.

  • Acupuncture (68%)
  • Herbs and botanicals (68%)
  • Spirituality (56%)
  • Dietary therapy (52%)
  • Homeopathy (48%)

Most (72%) CAM instructors were also practitioners of CAM modes of therapy. Few (12%) of the instructors taught CAM from an evidence-based perspective.

The question is, for some of these topics (homeopathy, spirituality) would there be enough clinical trials to fill the curriculum? Or should there be?

2/10/07 08:43 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

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