Educational Vision:
We plan to develop the following educational programs:
Mind-body health curriculum. We plan to eventually implement a mind-body health curriculum for all medical students. Specific topics will include the role of stress in the genesis and maintenance of chronic conditions, as well as specific therapies (i.e., yoga, mindfulness meditation, tai chi) that are used to decrease stress and that can be incorporated in the management of chronic illness.
Chronic care curriculum. We are developing a wellness/chronic illness curriculum. Topics will include nutritional medicine, the Chronic Care Model, the integration of public health and medicine, methods of encouraging behavioral change, the development of patient self-efficacy (including goal-setting and problem-solving), and the principles of patient self-management.
Continuing Medical Education Conferences. We plan to organize a number of mini-CME conferences on integrative approaches to health and chronic illness, which will allow physicians to acquire practical integrative approaches to the management of chronic disease (ie., cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and rheumatologic disease).
"The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease."
