CAM Curriculum Project

University Of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract): The University of Minnesota made a commitment in 1997 to integrate complementary and cross-cultural care and spirituality into the academic, research, and clinical programs of the Academic Health Center (AHC). The AHC includes two School of Medicine, a School of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Public Health, and a College of Veterinary Medicine. The Center for Spirituality and Healing provides the infrastructure for drawing together CAM practitioners and AHC faculty to engage in collaborative education, research and practice. The specific aims of the University of Minnesota CAM Curriculum Project are to: 1) Integrate CAM curricula into the health professional undergraduate curricula of the Medical School (Twin Cities), the School of Nursing and other units within the AHC. 2) Integrate CAM curricula into the core curriculum of the medical residency programs and health-related gruadate programs of the AHC. 3) Expand the course offerings in the interdisciplinary graduate minor in complementary therapies and healing practices. 4) Increase the level of awareness by AHC faculty about CAM practices through an ongoing faculty development program. 5) Conduct an ongoing evaluation of the CAM education program that includes process and outcome measures. The CAM Curriculum Project described in this grant application will provide a structured, facilitated process for CAM curriculum development, implementation and evaluation. This curricular initiative will be faculty driven and closely aligned with ongoing curriculum efforts within each of the academic units of the University. Over the duration of the project, learning modules will be designed that can be imported into existing courses or may be the basis for new courses that will be offered within the health professional educational programs and interdisciplinary graduate minor in complementary therapies and healing practices. Through the creation of the AHC's first broadly mulitdisciplinary educational programming, the web-based Virtual Grand Rounds, CAM curriculum will be both innovative and accessible to broad audiences. The project faculty includes a diverse and exceptionally well qualified CAM faculty who will participate in all aspects of the curriculum project including identification of learning needs/domains, design of curriculum materials, teaching, mentoring of AHC faculty and evaluation of project outcomes. AHC faculty serving as key personnel are leaders within their respective collegiate units and have the expertise and credibility to achieve the aims identified in this curriculum project. The PI, Dr. Mary Jo Kreitzer, is the director of the University's CAM program. Dr. Kreitzer has extensive experience teaching and designing curricula within academic environments, has conducted CAM-related research and published articles and book chapters on CAM.