Educational Development for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (EDCAM)
In 2002, the AMSA Foundation received a five-year grant from the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to develop, promote and disseminate Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) education curricula and programs at allopathic and osteopathic medical institutions.
The goals of AMSA's EDCAM project were to:
- Improve medical student proficiency in CAM theory, methods, and practice;
- Enhance medical student education of preventive health, holistic care, and self-care through clinical examples using integrative medicine; and
- Improve cultural competence and comfort of future physicians increasingly exposed to a diversity of world populations and healing methods.
RESOURCES
EDCAM Grant Pilot School Curriculum Resource Materials
The following resource materials were developed and reviewed by the AMSA Foundation's EDCAM Grant Team and Advisory Panel along with expert consultants in the field of CAM and medical education. This work was made possible by funding from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Extensive resources have been gathered for each of the courses below and have been provided to assist faculty and students in planning and implementing CAM curriculum at their respective medical institutions.
COURSE MODULES (created 11/02)
| A | Stress Reduction, Relaxation, and Wellness: A Didactic and Experiential Workshop |
| B | Introduction to Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine |
| C | Core Curriculum CAM Integration in 10 categories: - Nutrition and Lifestyle: Diet, Exercise, Sleep and Stress Management
- Mind-Body Medicines
- Alternative Systems of Medical Thought: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kampo, Tibetan Medicine and Acupuncture
- Alternative Systems of Medical Thought: Yoga, Ayurveda, Native American and Yoruba Based Medicines
- Alternative Systems of Medical Thought: Homeopathy and Flower Essences (updated 5/03)
- Bioenergetic Medicines
- Pharmacologic/Biologically Based: Herbal Medicines
- Pharmacologic/Biologically Based: Nutrition, Dietary Supplements and Vitamins
- Manipulative Therapies: Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Manipulative Therapies: Therapeutic Massage
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| D | CAM Clinical Interviewing: CAM History Taking, Holistic Interviewing, Patient-Centered Interviewing and Cultural Competency |
| E | Integrative Medicine Field Study: CAM Research, Literature Search, Community Service Project and CAM Mentorship |
| F | U.S. and International CAM Electives: Clinical or Exploratory |