Integrative Medicine

Integrative Medicine in Residency

Carolinas Medical Center Family Medicine Residency was chosen in 2008 to be one of the eight original pilot sites for the Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) program developed by leaders in Integrative Medicine (IM) through the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. This program has now expanded to over 30 residencies in the US and Canada, serving as a national model for online, competency based education.

All of our Family Medicine residents are given dedicated time during their rotations over their three years of residency to complete this 200 hour online curriculum. This web-based curriculum is case-based and highly interactive. Including streaming video, assessment questions, and links to reference materials and research. The IMR’s content contains both evidence-based conventional and complementary approaches to the management of medical problems common to Family Medicine.

Here at CMC Department of Family Medicine, the resident’s IMR learning is reinforced throughout their three years through experiential and group process-oriented activities, didactics, and direct patient care. We strive for an integrative approach to all our patients, providing them with patient-centered, holistic and evidence based care. Residents receive training in this in both their general continuity clinics as well as through their participation in our Integrative Medicine Consultation Clinic. Patients are referred to this clinic from both within the CMC family of clinics as well as from private providers throughout the community. This clinic is a teaching clinic which allows residents to work with patients under the guidance of our Fellowship trained faculty on an in depth Integrative Medicine approach to the patient’s medical condition or desire for general wellness.

Throughout the curriculum, we will emphasize well-being and balance in residency; this interactive and experiential part of the curriculum will encourage residents to work on an individual plan to maintain well-being and balance while in residency.

For more information on the IMR program, please visit here.

Read the article, "Integrative Medicine in Residency Education: Developing Competency Through Online Curriculum Training." (PDF)

For further information regarding the IMR in general, please refer to the University of Arizona’s College of Integrative Medicine website. For additional information regarding the Integrative Medicine curriculum at Carolinas Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, please contact Dr. Michele Birch.