Contents - Middle East Journal of Family Medicine

MEDICINE AND SOCIETY
Complementary and alternative medicine training in medical schools:
Half of residents and professors agree that it should be taught
Selcuk Mistik, M.D
Assistant Professor, Erciyes University Medical Faculty,
Department of Family Medicine, TR-38039, Kayseri, Turkey.
Dilek Toprak, M.D
Assistant Professor, Kocatepe University Medical Faculty,
Department of Family Medicine, TR-03200, Afyon, Turkey.
Cem Evereklioglu
Assistant Professor, Erciyes University Medical Faculty,
Department of Ophthalmology, TR-38039, Kayseri, Turkey.
Ahmet Ozturk
Statistician, Erciyes University Medical Faculty,
Department of Biostatistics, TR-38039, Kayseri, Turkey.
Correspondence: Dr. Selcuk Mistik, Erciyes University Medical Faculty
Department of Family Medicine. TR-38039, Kayseri, Turkey
Phone: +90-352-4374937 (23851), Fax: +90-352-4375285, Email: smistik@erciyes.edu.tr
ABSTRACT
Aims - To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of the academic doctors of orthodox western medicine (OWM)
towards complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and opinions on inserting CAM methods in medical curriculum.
Methods - A questionnaire comprising of 12 items was administered to every third doctor from the list of residents
and Professors of Erciyes University Medical Faculty.
Results - Acupuncture (90.7%), herbal therapy (62.5%), and massage (60.5%) were the most frequently known
CAM methods. Thirty-seven doctors (18.9%) interested in CAM, and three doctors (1.5%) had a course on a kind
of CAM. Ninety-nine doctors (50.7%) suggested any CAM method in case of the existence of an incurable disease.
One hundred and sixteen (59.4%) stated that CAM methods must be licensed in Turkey. If CAM methods were
licensed, 76 doctors (38.9%) stated that they would suggest any one of them. There were 151 doctors (77.4%) who
thought that information about CAM should be given, and 93 (47.6%) thought that CAM should be taught in medical
schools.
Conclusion - This study evaluated for the first time the opinions and attitudes of OWM academic doctors on CAM
and demonstrated that OWM doctors should have basic knowledge on the indications of CAM methods, and be able
to consult their patients.
INTRODUCTION
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a
group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices
and products that are not presently considered to be part of
conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used
together with conventional medicine, where alternative
medicine is used in place of conventional medicine (1).
In 1992, the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the
United States of America convened a meeting to discuss
the major areas of alternative medicine and to direct future
research activities. The group defined seven fields of
alternative therapy; alternative systems of medical practice,
bioelectromagnetics, diet and nutrition, herbal remedies,
manual healing methods, mind/body interventions,
pharmacological and biological treatments (2).
The use of CAM by the community has recently been
increasing in many countries. The percentages of people
who have used CAM were 42.1% in the USA in 1997
(2). In Far East countries, there is no nation-wide
random sampled or population weighted survey on the
prevalent use of CAM. Because of geographical, cultural
and historical differences, there might be different
characteristics of CAM used in Far East countries,
compared to the situation in the West. (3).
There are many other forms of CAM therapies that are not
mentioned above (4,5). CAM methods are being used for
different kinds of diseases in different parts of the world
such as multiple sclerosis, atopic disorders, menopause,
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