Reflections from University of Michigan Medical School students after their experience of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) lecture, field visits, and group discussions.
“When reflecting back on this past week’s discussions and observations in addition to my own personal experiences with CAM, I believe that these alternative modalities deserve to have an important place in the Western medical world. I do not think that CAM by any means should replace biomedical therapies, but rather the methodologies should work in tandem to provide the most well rounded approach to healing a patient…. It is our responsibility as physicians to provide the best care possible that works with the lifestyle of our patients, and showing acceptance for treatments even outside our own belief demonstrates our commitment to serve the needs of our patients, which will ultimately strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.”
–Katie Goldrath, M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“I shadowed a D.O. with another student for three hours and was surprised it fell under CAM, as they learn a lot of the same things we do. We were ‘flies on the wall’ observing while they saw patients with a diversity of issues. I noticed they allowed for a lot more time spent with patients — one patient was about forty-five minutes to an hour — whereas doctors have more and more pressure due to reimbursement [to spend less]. They were very hesitant to prescribe prescription medication, preferring different supplements, minerals, and exercise. They used osteopathic manipulation where relevant and I didn’t know much about that going into the visit. I think those who seek out alternative therapies don’t want to add another scrip; it appeals to them to get treatment in another way.
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
I’ve had a pretty long standing interest in CAM and the more exposure I get, the more I want to make it a priority. I want to keep exposures going on and observing throughout medical school, it seems integral to maintaining my interest. The pressures physicians face, they end up working systematically and not necessarily creative approaches [get used].”
–Sarah Bliss, M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“Having a limited knowledge of acupuncture going into the visit, I was quite skeptical of its benefit. But, the two sessions that we were able to sit in on showed me how much it had done for the patients. Such positive results included an increase in energy, a drop in pain, and a decrease in the inflammation of certain areas. While I am not fully convinced about its direct effects myself, the patients definitely tell otherwise.”
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“It is amazing how something so simple can relieve so many symptoms in such a short period of time. It is a shame that insurance companies rarely cover such treatments, since it seems as though the addition of regular therapeutic massage to a pain or anxiety regimen could have extremely positive effects for patients. Instead, for the most part, only those who can afford the extra cost are able to obtain treatment from these massage therapists. As a physician I think it will be important to understand the benefits of complementary medicine and have a working knowledge of the evidence for and against specific complementary therapies. This would allow me to act as a valuable resource for patients deciding whether the out-of-pocket costs of a given treatment are worth it.”
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“I see nothing wrong with using energy healing for relaxing or spiritual purposes, but I am nervous about people who are overly confident in the practice and how that could influence the management of their care.”
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“After the visit, I realized that energy healing could have some serious effects on people suffering from serious illnesses. Even though I was still not sure whether this form of healing would have an effect on my mental and physical state, I was able to appreciate the tremendous impact it leaves on many people coming for help. It would be a significant technique to integrate into clinical practice to improve outcomes of overall treatment of patients.”
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
“The afternoon was much more substantive than I expected. The practitioner walked my partner and me through the anatomy and physiology of the muscles she would be working on, described the benefits of massage in a medical context, and related her work to material we have studied so far. I was struck by her presentation of massage therapy as integrating aspects of medicine and physical therapy.
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
As someone who has received relaxation massages, I was not expecting to be so impressed with her techniques. She did a great job of explaining why she was doing something before she did it, and I immediately felt the effects of the massage.”
–Anonymous M.D. Candidate, Class of 2017
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