Medical Education Curriculum

Our primary mission is to train health care providers in relation to the culturally and religiously grounded complementary and alternative therapies used by patients from African Diaspora communities in the United States. Our work integrates areas that, in medical training, are frequently separated under the headings of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Spirituality, and Culturally Competent Medicine. Our curricular materials represent the intersections of these three domains.

We are guided by an understanding that cultural issues are present in every medical encounter, and therefore must be an integral part of every phase and facet of medical training. Our curricular initiatives address the pedagogical challenges of teaching medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty, and include didactic materials and the writing and teaching of teaching narratives. We build on the experiences of each level of learner, developing existing strengths and providing resources that will promote the growth of physicians as healers.