Integrative Medicine (IM)

Integrative medicine (IM) can be defined as an approach to the practice of medicine that makes use of the best available evidence taking into account the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. Integrative medicine is an emerging field that emphasizes the combination of both conventional and alternative approaches to address the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of health and illness. It emphasizes respect for the human capacity for healing, the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient, a collaborative approach to patient care among practitioners, and the practice of conventional, complementary, and alternative health care that is evidence-based.

Treatment modalities included in this definition include but are not limited to: dietary supplements, botanicals, mind body therapies, stress reduction, movement therapies, whole systems healing traditions such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, and diet counseling.

We are excited to offer this innovative fellowship program in pediatrics integrative medicine! 
 

Overview

This fellowship is a one-year, non-ACGME accredited training program that features a concurrent 1-year of clinical training on-site at Lucile Packard Children's Hosital (LPCH) Stanford campus with a two-year (1,000 hour plus 3 separate residential weeks) distance learning curriculum with the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (UACIM). It is housed under the department of pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine.

The successful finalist will enroll in the spring UACIM Fellowship Program in February 2018 and satisfactorily complete that program's online coursework and required residential weeks over two years. Recognizing that applicants may already have completed this exact curriculum, the curriculum during the one year of clinical training may alternatively be provided by our faculty and customized to your interests and needs.

The fellow will concurrently enroll as a 1 year fellow at Stanford with a hire date of July 7, 2019 (allowing 2 prior days for required orientation) and end this clinical training on July 6, 2020 while continuing to finish the UACIM course work for a total fellowship program duration of 2-years (1 on-site and 2 including the distance learning component).

In addition to our program, the  fellow has full access to the department of pediatrics office of education programming. They offer a core curriculum for fellows as well as research and grant writing clubs, a fellows' council, wellness programming and more opportunities to connect with peers for networking and social support as interested.

Fellowship Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Practice integrative medicine either in an academic setting or in private practice
2. Conduct research in integrative medicine to advance the evidence base
3. Train students and colleagues in the basic principles and practices of integratice medicine
   
   

We propose a three-pronged approach to the integrative medicine training: 1) clinical experience 2) self-directed learning and 3) research.

1) Clinical: Fellows in the Stanford Pediatric Integrative Medicine program will work side by side with pediatric integrative medicine providers / subspecialists in pediatric rheumatology, pulmonary, gastroenterology, pain and neonatology to develop an integrative medicine outpatient practice that puts in place the integrative medicine approach. Fellows with have their own clinic that will be precepted by the integrative medicine faculty. Fellows will have a case review on a bimonthly basis of interesting / challenging cases for faculty discussion and review.

2) Self-directed Learning: We plan to partner with University of Arizona Center of Integrative Medicine (AZCIM) and enfold their 2-year distance learning fellowship through AZCIM into the Stanford Pediatric integrative medicine fellowship. More information about this program can be found here: https://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/education/fellowship/. This 1000 hour Continuing Medical Education program offers rich evidence-based educational online modules and resources for a didactic adjunct to the clinical exposure available at Stanford. Furthermore, this training program has trained more than 1000 physicians in integrative medicine. Fellows going through this program will network with other fellows who are currently training in IM and alumni who have gone through the program.

3) Research: Fellows will conduct original research in integrative medicine with a research mentor during their fellowship and write a manuscript suitable for publication. Assessments of the program and the fellowship will occur on a regular basis. We will use the ACGME pediatric subspecialty milestones for evaluation. Fellows will evaluate integrative medicine faculty 1x per year, and faculty will evaluate the fellow semi-annually. The fellow will meet with the program director semiannually for formative and summative evaluation. There will be an annual program evaluation by faculty and fellows.
 

NOTE: Upon completion of the AZCIM fellowship, the fellow is eligible to sit for the ABOIM boards.

IM Scholars Program for Stanford Pediatrics Residents

Due to a generous grant from the Weil Foundation, 3 residents have been accepted in the Pediatric Integrative Medicine in Residency Program in partnership with University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. 

The practice of evidence based integrative medicine with children and their families is a unique opportunity because it has the potential to impact the life-long health and wellness of entire communities. The integrative medicine approach can be more effective and less costly to practice than traditional medicine, yet there are too few trained physicians to support the growing number of families seeking more natural treatments.
 

The Stanford Pediatric Integrative Medicine Fellowship Program is the first clinical training program of its kind, yet hosts one fellow per year and must focus effort to secure grants.
 

It will take passion and vision to grow this program to it's potential of training a field of pediatric IM specialists!


To explore partnership possibilities, please contact the program director or our foundations relations partner:
 

Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health
Foundation Relations
Ann Rose, Senior Director of Foundation Relations