American Medical Student Association

History of LEAPS

LEAPS evolved from the former AMSA Foundation- and NIH grant-sponsored Educational Development in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (EDCAM) Leadership Training Program (LTP) held at the Omega Institute, beginning in 2003. The Leadership Training Program (LTP) of EDCAM was a weeklong summer program designed to foster the development of future leaders of the CAM/Integrative Medicine movement. Through a rigorous application process, 20 of the most aspiring medical student leaders from across the country gathered for an intense program each summer filled with inspiring workshops, leadership skill enhancement, and an intentional focus on self-healing, wellness, and community development. Students returned ready to implement a project to promote integrative medicine at their respective medical schools. The “Integrate Chicago” conference, now in its 9th year, was originally created by 3 EDCAM students who combined forces to deepen the IM education offered through their schools.

To date, more than 200 medical students have enriched their medical education and indeed, careers and lives of their patients, by attending this pivotal training program. Past attendees have said that it helped them to believe in medicine and healing again, and gave them a sense of community and purpose in their medical careers. In 2010, through the collaboration of AMSA, Kripalu, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Consortium of Academic Health Center for Integrative Medicine, this inspiring program was re-launched as LEAPS.

Thirty (30) medical student leaders from across North America will be selected to participate in this intensive weeklong retreat led by the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine in collaboration with the American Medical Student Association Foundation and the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, with the generous support of the Weil Foundation.

Integrative Medicine

Integrative Medicine brings together the best in Conventional Medicine, Conscious Nutrition, Conscious Movement and Mind/Body/Spirit Disciplines. It is a relatively new field in medicine, and few experienced physicians are trained in it. More are needed. The LEAPS Core Faculty is composed of Integrative Medicine physicians and educators with long associations in major American academic health centers, who value the importance of evidence-based research in understanding health and disease.

Health and Disease: Balance and Imbalance

In LEAPS into IM, we view health as a process of emerging consciousness. Those who seek lifelong health embark on a journey of becoming conscious of the principles of “balance and imbalance.” Disease emerges when an individual’s system is out of balance. In LEAPS into IM, we acknowledge that medical education focuses on disease, not health, and we believe that America deserves better: to be served by health professionals who have studied both. The LEAPS into IM approach cultivates medical leaders who will help individuals that are in states of health (balance) as well as disease (imbalance). In this way, LEAPS into IM transforms medical school education and ultimately, Health Care.

Learning Objectives

• Students will explore and become more conscious of their definitions of health, disease, and Integrative Medicine
• Students will become more conscious of their current views and practice self-care, particularly as it relates to their well-being and care of others during the stressful time of medical school
• Students will gain knowledge and experience in various disciplines beyond what they would learn in their conventional medicine schools 
• Students will have the opportunity to share their learning experiences with seasoned mentors 
• Students will enhance their leadership skills to advance IM in their medical schools
• Students will develop individual Integrative Medicine projects to be created at their own schools, and receive support and guidance from LEAPS Core Faculty 
• Students will develop lasting connections within the LEAPS community that will enhance, inspire and support them in their own communities as they move forward in their professions

Participant Expectations

• Participation in this program will require full attention. Students will be required to commit to the entire duration of the program and stay in the housing provided
• Students will be required to plan and execute an educational project upon returning to their medical school with the support of LEAPS Core Faculty mentorship and a $250.00 mini-grant from AMSA 
• Involvement with this leadership program necessitates a commitment to continued communication with Core faculty including participation in research surveys and online exchange of project progress and professional development