Introduction Complementary & Alternative Medicine

This course will introduce the student to the field of complementary of and alternative medicine (or CAM). In addition to providing an overview of several common modalities and systems currently used in the U.S., the course will explore such topics as health belief systems, spirituality and health, ethnomedicine, the holistic paradigm, the social context of health, healthcare as a cultural construct, and the contemporary emergence of integrative medicine. I invite students to approach the subject matter with open-minded skepticism.