The proposed Oregon Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) COURSE is a collaborative project between key educators from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), Western States Chiropractic College (WSCC), and National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) to launch a 4-year longitudinal CAM curriculum for medical students at OHSU. The project will be directed by a diverse Advisory Council, which will lead the efforts of an integrative CAM Sciences Committee and Evaluation Team. Years 1 and 2 of the grant focus on the first two years of medical student required curricula and implementing an educational bimonthly integrative case conference. Emphasis will be given to presenting evidence-based CAM content and teaching CAM knowledge and skills through the Basic Sciences and Principles of Clinical Medicine courses. An ongoing evidence-based medicine and informatics courses will use CAM to model critical thinking and lifelong learning skills, such as researching reliable CAM information. An elective for advanced students will follow patients longitudinally through history, physical exam, clinical investigation, and integrative case conference to chosen treatment. This will include use and evaluation of a model CAM intake tool integrated into the digital medical record. The integrative case conference will also provide onsite CME for OHSU faculty, community clinicians, residents, and will be used in the Web-based version of the Oregon CAM COURSE. An integrative clinical experience for family medicine residents will be developed in an existing chiropractic clinic serving an underserved patient population. An OHSU CAM Lecture Series will be initiated. Years 3-5 of the project will introduce a required ten-hour course in the third year medical student Continuity Curriculum; expand fourth year electives with CAM rotations, further faculty development and broaden CAM electives within the family medicine residency. Collaboration with the two Portland NCCAM Centers will be formalized through ongoing monthly meetings. Evaluation of CAM knowledge, attitudes, and skills will be done through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and exams. This will produce both qualitative and quantitative reportable data at the student, primary care resident, and faculty level. Dissemination of the curriculum and it's evaluation will be via video, DVD, CD, website, a web-based course, Internet 2 video conferencing, lectures, workshops at national meetings, networking and publications.
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| Nedrow, Anne (2006) Status of credentialing alternative providers within a subset of U.S. academic health centers. J Altern Complement Med 12:329-35 |
