Complementary and Alternative Medical Education

Edzard Ernst

doi:10.7326/0003-4819-140-1-200401060-00021

Letters |6 January 2004

Complementary and Alternative Medical Education

Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPEd

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TO THE EDITOR:

Wetzel and colleagues (1) make a strong a case for integrating CAM into medical education. Their deliberations are very much centered on the situation in the United States, but it might be interesting to look further and include perspectives from elsewhere. The 3 countries in which I have detailed experience differ considerably in terms of CAM education of (future) medical doctors. In Germany, an element of CAM has long been a compulsory part of the official medical education. Austria seems to be gradually following this model, while in the United Kingdom, CAM is still largely confined to electives. All 3 countries have 1 major problem, which as far as I can see also exists in the United States: Educators are either “uncritical enthusiasts” or “uninformed skeptics” (2). Neither attitude seems appropriate if we want to spare our future doctors an element of “brainwashing.” The adequate teaching of CAM may first require adequate education of the educators themselves. Familiarization with CAM should cover the “potential benefits and [the] … main weaknesses and dangers” of the procedures involved (3).

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2004 American College of Physicians

Letters |6 January 2004

Complementary and Alternative Medical Education

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Letters |6 January 2004

Complementary and Alternative Medical Education

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