Implementing a Curriculum to Advance Integrative Medicine Education for Medical Students: Early Lessons and Next Steps.

Introduction: There is a growing demand for more thoughtful and holistic healthcare. Whole-person integrative medicine (IM) is cost-effective and clinically effective for enhancing health and well-being. However, existing knowledge gaps in IM among healthcare professionals prevent the application of IM practices in patient care. This project aimed to develop and refine an IM elective to improve health education and learning, thereby enhancing future physicians' knowledge, skills, and self-care practices. Methods: Three separate cohorts of third- and fourth-year medical students (n = 18) participated in a four-week immersive IM elective. Weekly and postelective evaluations were used to assess changes in attitudes, behaviors, and self-reported IM knowledge for each cohort. Descriptive analyses were performed, and just-in-time student feedback was used to iteratively refine the IM curriculum. Results: Students attended at least 85% of class days. Anonymous weekly course evaluation ratings for meeting course expectations, education depth, and usefulness for patient care ranged between 4 and 5 on a Likert scale, with 5 as the most favorable. Postcourse evaluations and the impact of the course on attitudes related to patient care, personal lifestyle, and self-awareness also ranged from 4 to 5. Knowledge scores significantly improved (p < .01), with moderate to large effect sizes (Hedges g's > 0.8). Conclusions: The implementation of an immersive elective curriculum in IM resulted in high levels of satisfaction, changes in attitudes and behaviors, as well as knowledge scores. Just-in-time feedback and curricular revisions made this curriculum effective for student training. We consider this our first step in integrating IM into the required curriculum for all students, ensuring that, as educators, we close the knowledge gap in IM among future physicians. Empowered with that knowledge, we anticipate them serving their future patients with a more holistic and patient-centered approach.