Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interdisciplinary Concentration (CAMIC)

The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interdisciplinary Concentration (CAMIC) offered through the School of Public Health is a unique opportunity for SPH students who are pursuing an M.P.H. degree to acquire and cultivate professional skills in an emerging area of health care that is expanding and altering the field of public health.

The concentration includes coursework from the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota (CSpH), a nationally recognized leader in integrative medicine that brings together biomedical, complementary, cross-cultural, and spiritual care.

Public Health and CAM - The Connection

A dramatic increase in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is changing the way in which disease is treated and prevented. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), 62 percent of Americans have tried to manage their medical conditions with unconventional healing therapies and practices.

An increasing number of health care providers are also exploring new approaches to care that are outside the realm of mainstream medicine. Many insurers now cover the cost of some CAM treatments. The shift is influencing health care policy and systems and affecting the health of populations--the primary focus of public health.

Research already exists indicating that some complementary and alternative therapies and practices can promote healthy behaviors, help manage disease and prevent illness and injury. However, questions remain about the efficacy and safety of many CAM modalities. Those inquiries are driving demand for skilled public health professions.

The application of epidemiologic methods and other public health approaches to CAM are a necessary and natural merger. Well-designed scientific studies are needed to determine which CAM therapies and practices for health and healing are truly effective. M.P.H. graduates can provide answers to epidemiologic questions about CAM usage patterns among different populations as well as comparison of these treatments to each other and to conventional medical therapy.Public health professionals can also provide guidance to health insurers considering reimbursement for evidence-based CAM therapies.

CAMIC Curriculum

Public health M.P.H. students who take the concentration's coursework will get an introduction to the evolving world of CAM therapies and practices, and deepen their understanding of health and healing.

CAMIC prepares students to:

• Apply theoretical concepts and models to complementary therapies and healing practices

• Conduct research in complementary therapies and healing practices

• Work collaboratively with other health care professionals and patients in cross-cultural health care systems

• Help to design, implement and analyze trials of various CAM practices
  

CAMIC Course Requirements

CAMIC is currently only available to SPH students pursuing an M.P.H degree program. It requires completion of 12 credits from CSpH and SPH.

The following two CSpH classes must be taken by all students in the program:

• CSpH 5101 - Introduction to Complementary Healing Practices (3 credits)

• CSpH 8101 - Critiquing and Synthesizing CAM Research (2 credits)

The remaining 8 credits can include any CSpH course and at least one of the PubH courses on the curriculum list. Field experiences can be proposed within the CSpH as well as other local or international sites working on CAM issues.

SPH graduate students must complete a formal program plan if they want the CAMIC to appear on their transcripts. For more information, contact Carol Francis, Interdisciplinary Concentrations Coordinator, at franc004@umn.edu or (612) 624-6952.