The Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Kansas
Medical Center has as its primary mission the integration of conventional
Western medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The
program has a very strong emphasis on education, groundbreaking
research, and clinical services.
Because complementary and alternative medicine was excluded from
conventional education and research settings and activities for
so long, there’s a lot of work to be done to explore and
validate the many diverse approaches to prevention and disease.
The
objective of this Fellowship is not to train conventional practitioners
to fully practice a CAM discipline. It is, rather, to create a
practitioner who is knowledgeable enough about integrative care
to function as a skilled guide/advisor to the patient and a collaborative
member of multidisciplinary and integrative patient care teams – one
who can work effectively with both CAM and conventional practitioners.
The
Fellowship will provide a year’s intensive exploration
of clinical, educational, and research activities related to integrative
medicine for MDs or DOs who have satisfactorily completed their
residency training. Although Fellowship candidates need not
be experienced in integrative medicine, they must have shown a
documentable interest in the field (courses taken, conferences
attended, self-paced learning, clinical experiences, etc.) in the
recent past.
Fellows will average two days a week in clinical care
at integrative clinics, two days in educational pursuits related
to integrative medicine, and one day on research in integrative
medicine. With the approval of the Program Director, this schedule
can be revised to meet a Fellow’s individual educational
goals.
Fellows will contribute to the continuous quality improvement
of the program by helping to build a library of case studies and
teaching materials, by performing research, and by giving feedback
on the program itself at the end of their Fellowship year.
Fellowship Learning Objectives
Upon completion
of the Fellowship, participants should be able to:
- Practice integrative medicine, either in an academic setting
or in private practice
- Conduct research in integrative medicine to advance the evidence
base
- Train students and colleagues in the basic principles and practices
of integrative medicine
- Clinical Learning Objectives
- Develop the skills necessary for effective participation on
a chronic care team with a variety of practitioners; collaboration,
relationship building, co-management, consultation, and referral
skills are emphasized
- Understand and apply the basic principles of whole-person care,
including doctor-patient relationship-building, patient-centered
focus, and comprehensive initial assessment, treatment planning,
and follow-up, using a variety of approaches
- Help patients identify lifelong preventive strategies individualized
to their own lifestyle, genetic vulnerabilities, and current
health status
- Develop skills in the use of laboratory tests that help to
identify dietary and nutritional deficiencies and insufficiencies,
including genetic testing to clarify the relative contributions
of genetic predisposition and lifestyle choices to the development
of disease
- Understand and apply basic knowledge and skills in the use
of dietary and nutritional therapeutics, including identifying
the most critical indications and contraindications for their
use
- Understand and apply basic knowledge and skills in the use
of common botanical medicines, including identifying the most
critical indications and contraindications for their use
- Identify the most common drug-nutrient and drug-herb interactions
that an integrative practitioner should be aware of
- Gain an understanding of the benefits, indications, and contraindications
of exercise therapy, manipulation, massage, acupuncture, meditation
and other such techniques
- Summarize and present patient information to the Program Director
and the integrative care team for feedback and consultation
- Research Learning Objectives
- Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base
in CAM and integrative medicine
- Describe issues of methodology that must be addressed to research
clinical outcomes in integrative medicine and apply that knowledge
to planning and executing a specific research project
- Conduct original research and write a report suitable for publication
- Select at least four journals that regularly publish credible
research in CAM and integrative medicine; read these journals
regularly throughout the year, integrating knowledge gained with
clinical skills
- Evaluate and report on research findings in a particular area
of integrative medicine for a professional audience
- Research patient cases to evaluate the appropriate applications
of CAM and integrative medicine; contribute case write-ups to
help develop a library of teaching cases
- Didactic Education
- Explore emerging and high-profile issues in integrated care
through participation in high-level professional courses, conferences,
seminars or workshops; formally report on at least one of these
experiences to an academic audience, and informally report to
the integrative care team on knowledge gained from each activity
- Develop a network of professional colleagues in integrative
medicine research, clinical care, and teaching through attendance
at live events
- Participate in teaching medical students who elect to take
the University’s undergraduate course in integrative medicine
- Present at least three clinical cases at a Grand Rounds (or
for a comparable professional audience) during the year
- Self-paced Education
- Develop a broad understanding of the current state of education
and practice in the most common CAM disciplines (acupuncture
and oriental medicine, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, nutrition,
massage, midwifery) and therapies (botanical medicine, yoga,
meditation, nutraceuticals). Know how to identify a qualified
practitioner for referral and/or co-management
- Develop familiarity with the CAM/IM research literature, and
use it to stay abreast of emerging findings in the efficacy and
appropriate use of various CAM or integrative therapeutics
- Learn to use reliable reference tools for exploring potential
CAM and integrative therapeutics
©
The University of Kansas Medical Center