This is a report on a workshop entitled “Integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) into Medical Education Curriculum: Models In-Progress” held at the International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Research. Four universities, supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, described their curriculums for medical students, and we discussed how to integrate CAM into conventional medical education. They recommended that CAM curriculums should be interdisciplinary and be developed by specialists in various fields. They emphasized the need to train students to evaluate CAM by means of evidence-based medicine and to embrace CAM.

Teachers of primary care have been interested in how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is taught in the United States. This is a report on a workshop entitled “Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Content, Process, and Pedagogical Issues” at the 35th Annual Spring Conference of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Workshop participants shared basic knowledge about terminology, categories, and the present status of CAM education. Participants also discussed “The Dream: Integrative Physician” and emphasized the importance of evidence-based medicine and attitudes embracing CAM.

This is a follow-up study to our 1999 telephone survey of education in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Japanese medical schools. We surveyed the same workers in curriculum offices in all 80 Japanese medical schools in 2004. The number of medical schools that offer CAM education has increased significantly, from 16 schools (20%) in 1999 to 69 schools (86%) in 2004. Treatment with kampo is being taught in all 69 schools with CAM education. Fourteen (20%) of these 69 schools also teach a new framework of CAM and integrative medicine, and 7 schools teach evidence-based medicine in relation to CAM, although almost all schools (95%) taught kampo and acupuncture as types of traditional Asian medicine in 1999.

Japanese primary-care physicians recognize that narrative-based medicine (NBM) is important in clinical practice, but there is no standard method for training physicians in NBM. We conducted small-group learning in NBM for medical students at Jichi Medical University in 2005.
1) Our goals were to clarify what students learn and to investigate educational tools for teaching NBM.
2) We qualitatively analyzed responses to a questionnaire composed of 3 questions that the students answered freely after small-group learning involving an actual scenario based on a patient's narrative of home-care service and including evidence-based medicine and medical communication skills.
3) Students recognized that NBM is important in clinical practice. They also gained a deeper understanding of evidence-based medicine and medical communication skills, which are essential skills in primary care, and could integrate knowledge about primary care. Through discussion, they developed awareness of others and of themselves as doctors.
4) Small-group learning with an actual scenario and NBM increased students' awareness and stimulated their imagination. We believe that small-group learning is useful as an educational method in NBM.