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Curriculum Development of a Research Laboratory Methodology Course for Complementary and Integrative Medicine Students

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Abstract

Training in fundamental laboratory methodologies is valuable to medical students because it enables them to understand the published literature, critically evaluate clinical studies, and make informed decisions regarding patient care. It also prepares them for research opportunities that may complement their medical practice. The National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM)’s Master of Science in Integrative Medicine Research (MSiMR) program has developed an Introduction to Laboratory Methods course. The objective of the course is to train clinical students how to perform basic laboratory skills, analyze and manage data, and judiciously assess biomedical studies. Here, we describe the course development and implementation as it applies to complementary and integrative medicine students.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported NIH NIH/NCCAM grant: 2-R25AT002878-01A1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Helfgott Research Institute, National College of Natural Medicine, 049 SW Porter Street, Portland, OR, 97201, USA

    Nicole Vasilevsky, Morgan Schafer, Deanne Tibbitts, Kirsten Wright & Heather Zwickey

Authors
  1. Nicole Vasilevsky
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  2. Morgan Schafer
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  3. Deanne Tibbitts
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  4. Kirsten Wright
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  5. Heather Zwickey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicole Vasilevsky.

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Vasilevsky, N., Schafer, M., Tibbitts, D. et al. Curriculum Development of a Research Laboratory Methodology Course for Complementary and Integrative Medicine Students. Med.Sci.Educ. 25, 171–175 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-015-0113-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-015-0113-y

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