Novel Model For Integrative Medicine Curriculum

While the use of Traditional, Complimentary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is substantial, it continues to existat the periphery of allopathic medicine. This article provides a global scenario with the strengths and weaknesses of the present health care systems. Availability, affordability, and accessibility of healthcare coupledwith uneven growth and the double burden of diseases have become major concerns around the globe. Thisarticle emphasizes the need for mindset change from illness-disease-drug centric curative to person-healthwellness centric preventive and promotive approaches. It highlights the innovation deficit faced by conventionalallopathic medicine and delineates the significant benefits of the integration of conventional medicine withtraditional, complementary and integrative therapies in the medical curriculum.Medical heterogeneity is a rising trend, and people are trying to explore various options, including allopathic,complementary, and alternative medicine. In such a situation, knowledge from Yoga, Ayurveda, TraditionalChinese medicine/Acupuncture, and Homeopathy may play a vital role. We can progress with an appropriatemodel by integrating allopathic medicine with traditional medicine systems for affordable health care. Severalmedical scientists have contributed positive reflections and benefits of integrative approaches to health. Theseprovide not only clear insight into the historical roots of the healing traditions of traditional and complementary medicine, but also into the entire concept of integrative approaches to health.

Empathy In Caribbean Medical Students Assessed Using The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire

Introduction: Empathy is the emotional process to understand a patient’s state of being and current emotion.Empathy, through humanization of medical students, plays an important role while learning and practicing theart of medicine. Our study aims to quantify empathy as an indicator of humanization, in medical studentsthroughout their education.Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was performed on basic medical and clinicalscience students at Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao. Standard Toronto Empathy Questionnaire[TEQ] was utilized to quantify the empathy.Results: Average TEQ scores of the basic students in MD1 - MD4 were 51.55 ± 4.16, 49.42±3.58, 46.72±4.60,48.86±6.17 respectively. Overall TEQ scores were slightly higher in basic science students in comparison to theclinical students (48.82 ± 5.12 vs 48.74 ± 4.01, P=0.46).Conclusions: Empathy scores were higher in basic science medical students in comparison to the clinicalstudents. Lack of progression of empathy amongst medical students needs to be addressed. We recommendmedical schools to adapt and instill the virtue of empathy in the course curriculum

High Levels Of Stress Causing Anxiety Amongst Medical Students

The medical students undergo tremendous stress and mental pressure during their academic life and clinicalstudies. The high level of anxiety and depression among medical students is very common occurrence combinedwith the academic pressure that has a severe impact on their mental and physical health. The current study aimsto explore various articles presented by scholars in the field of analysing the impact of stress causing anxietyand depression in medical students and evaluating its impact on prevalence of depression among medicalstudents. This study critically analyses and reviews articles published in this decade for analysing the role ofdepression and anxiety and experiences of medical students and the reaction to stress. The central idea of thestudy understands different perspectives presented by scholars in the field of stress and anxiety and its prevalence among the medical students highlighting the causes and key issues. This is vital for understanding thecritical factors affecting the mental health and physical well-being of the medical students in order to derivesuggestions for early identification and providing for support by the medical schools. The study had usedelectronic databases for rummaging and reviewing literature articles published on stress and other psychological determinants among medical students and management of stress. In the current study, data were extractedthrough reviewing various related research articles focusing more on the prevalence and suggest possible stressmanagement strategies in medical students. The current study focuses on findings and views of different scholars with stress as an epicentre of discussion and other factors such as environmental factors, social andeconomic factors and so on that directly or indirectly impacts on the medical student’s mental health. Thepurpose of the study to analyse the research articles to acknowledge the quantum of research done in the fieldof understanding the causes and impact of stress and depression among medical students and mark the areaswhere further research can be conducted