Ethnopharmacology: Design of an Undergraduate Course

[Alchemica]

Ethnopharmacology: Design of an Undergraduate Course

The purpose of this paper is to describe a design for a course in ethnopharmacology offered through a pharmacy school. The course was developed in response to the growing public interest in medicinal plants and alternative medicine and is intended to foster global-oriented thinking and multiculturalism from the perspective of medicinal plants. The general objectives of the course are to introduce students to the history, demographics, and cultural context of medicinal plant use, field and laboratory methods in ethnopharmacology, conservation and ethical issues, and alternative medicine. Problems selecting course content and readings are discussed. An extensive reading list is provided. Student evaluations have been positive.

http://www.ajpe.org/...fs/aj590134.pdf

 

CURRICULUM IN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE: CAHCIM Implementation Guide for Curriculum in Integrative Medicine

 

 

More than 40% of the US population is now using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches on a regular basis.1 Patients’ perceptions about the deficiencies in their medical care are reflected in their increasing expenditures for alternative care, votes in favor of medical freedom acts (Minnesota, North Carolina), and petitions to Congress for access to over-the-counter herbs and supplements. The public desire for the integration of "alternative" or "unconventional" treatment approaches into conventional health care settings has been well documented. Physician dissatisfaction with the current system of care is also prevalent, with the limitations imposed by managed care as a major contributing factor. Integrative medicine is a new approach to medicine that embraces the concerns of the public and medical profession for more effective, compassionate, patient-centered medicine. Integrative medicine has been defined as healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.2 Over the past 10 years, the number of medical schools providing education related to integrative medicine has grown rapidly. As of 1998, 64% of schools responding to a survey in the United States had curriculum offerings in this area.3 However, many of these offerings have been elective and thus not part of the learning experience of most students. In addition, different areas of content and instructional strategies have been used to teach topics in integrative medicine. The wide variation in content and delivery stems in part from the absence of explicitly designed educational objectives and learner outcomes for integrative medicine. The development of student competencies in integrative medicine and methods for evaluating curricular interventions is only underway at a few institutions

http://www.imconsortium.org/prod/groups/ahc/@pub/@ahc/documents/asset/ahc_58948.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2010 by Alchemica

[indigo264nm]

Ethnopharmacology: Design of an Undergraduate Course

The purpose of this paper is to describe a design for a course in ethnopharmacology offered through a pharmacy school. The course was developed in response to the growing public interest in medicinal plants and alternative medicine and is intended to foster global-oriented thinking and multiculturalism from the perspective of medicinal plants. The general objectives of the course are to introduce students to the history, demographics, and cultural context of medicinal plant use, field and laboratory methods in ethnopharmacology, conservation and ethical issues, and alternative medicine. Problems selecting course content and readings are discussed. An extensive reading list is provided. Student evaluations have been positive.

http://www.ajpe.org/...fs/aj590134.pdf

 

Very interesting. Thank you =).

[Sola]

Excellent reference list Alchemica, there's enough there to keep one busy for a while.

I have some of them already but will get more soon. Seems like a very good idea, have

been doing my own research for a while but a course may be very useful for some.

Thanks

Sola