Duke University

Elective Weekend Retreat for Medical Students

An elective weekend retreat is provided annually for Duke medical students at the beginning of the academic year. Retreat activities center on self-care and team building.

Monthly Lunch & Learn Series for 1st Year Duke Medical Students

Monthly lunch conferences are focused on topics of interest to the students as reflected in a student survey administered during the first monthly session. These range from Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) interventions such as Acupuncture and Nutrition to broader topics such as Physician Burnout and the overall mission of Duke Integrative Medicine (IM).

Clinical Core Modules for 2nd Year Duke Medical Students

2nd year Duke medical students participate in five week-long Clinical Core modules, which precede their different clinical clerkships. Within most of these week long modules, Duke IM presents themes related to Mindfulness, complementary approaches to cancer, self-care or general prevention. We also facilitate participation for all these second year students in a Community Practitioner program, in which they spend a half-day each Clinical Core week shadowing non-MD health practitioners. This includes 6 licensed acupuncturists, massage therapists, and chiropractors from the Durham community. Duke IM faculty also teach components of the pre-clerkship offerings in Ob/Gyn and General Internal Medicine.

Integrative Medicine Selective for 2nd Year Duke Medical Students

During this 2-week Selective, students complete a personal health risk assessment. They receive training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, receive personal health coaching, attend Duke IM weekly case conferences, and shadow clinicians in the Duke IM clinic and in the local community. A project and presentation are also required.

Integrative Medicine Selective for 4th Year Duke Medical Students

This is a 4-week, full-time 4th year elective that explores the issues presented in the second-year course in significantly more depth and seeks to link with each student’s medical career interests. Duke IM faculty, staff, and community practitioners mentor and teach in this elective, which devotes efforts to self-care, self-inquiry, health assessment, health coaching, evidence assessment in complementary and alternative medicine, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. A project and presentation are also required.

Integrative Medicine Fair Module for 4th Year Capstone

Duke IM’s 3-hour Integrative Medicine Fair is a required activity for the entire Duke fourth year medical class. Over 40 practitioners from Duke and the surrounding communities participate. In 2007, the event was held in the new Duke IM Health and Healing Center, and was structured around the five NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) classifications (i.e. Mind Body Therapies, Alternative Medical Systems, Biologically Based Therapies, Manipulative and Body Based Therapies, and Energy Therapies).

Integrative Medicine Elective for Resident Physicians

Elective experiences are sometimes arranged for Duke residents on a case-by-case basis, when circumstances align well with a particular resident’s interests and availability. Other programmatic initiatives are in development, focused on self care and based on earlier pilot work with Duke resident group.

Integrative Medicine Fellowship (Post-Residency Physician Training Program)

Over the past 3 years, Duke has worked with the Bravewell Philanthropic Collaborative and the University of Arizona (U of A) to provide a two year faculty development experience, for which Duke health care professionals ( MD, DO, NP, PA) may apply. This includes didactic training through the U of A’s Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and professional contribution at Duke Integrative Medicine. The second class of Duke Faculty is now underway. The ability to offer these faculty development opportunities in the future will be contingent on funding.