Integrative Medicine and Health

Students will learn the definition, the philosophy, and the practice principles of integrative medicine. The application of these principles will be demonstrated with a wide variety of patients who bring with them complex medical conditions. These diagnostic and management plans may include laboratory testing and treatment modalities not used in conventional medicine but are always based on good science and or longstanding traditions of practice. The students are encouraged to develop critical thinking, challenge what is being taught, and incorporate what is appropriate for each individual student.

The GW Center for Integrative Medicine (GWCIM) is staffed with experts and experienced practitioners in their own fields and they are eager to share their knowledge with interested students. Students will often have a first-hand experience in some of the treatment modalities, e.g. Reiki, when there is such an opportunity. At the least, students will observe Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practices, such as naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, herbal and homeopathic medicine, manual manipulation-chiropractic, hypnotherapy, and nutritional counseling. They will also observe how the GWCIM staff work together as an integrative team in the care of their patients.

There are weekly staff meetings where there are guest lecturers, presentations by GWCIM staff, case reviews and journal reviews. Students will have weekly meetings with Mikhail Kogan, MD, the Center’s medical director, to review current journal articles. Students are also encouraged to write a short paper on a topic of their choice in integrative medicine. Interested students are strongly urged to visit GWCIM’s website to learn more about its staff and programs.

All participating students are expected to spend at least one session with Dr. Kogan at the MFA Integrative Geriatric Clinic on Tuesdays.

Please also fill out the Personal Health Inventory (PHI) before beginning the rotation. All patients have to fill out the PHI before seeing a practitioner here and it will help you feel more oriented. You will not have to show anyone the personal information on the PHI. The PHI can be found on the GWCIM website.

The GWCIM team looks forward to working with you this year. Please contact Angela Gabriel, MS, LAc at innergate@gmail.com for more information.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Describe Integrative Medicine approaches in clinical settings.
2. Analyze how the Integrative Medicine model can be integrated into care of most patients.
3. Apply Integrative Medicine principles to personal self care and wellness.