Current trend of American medical education-the place of alternative medicine

In recent years due to the growth of biotechnology, advancement in scientific knowledge, economic, social and international challenges, the practice of medicine is at a turning point. More and more physicians are playing a major role in both "care" and "cure". To work effectively in this environment, medical students must be carefully trained, not only to provide medical treatment, but to provide compassionate support and comfort to their patients. Every physician must recognize that their patients are highly knowledgeable and want to be the partners in their care rather than passively follow the orders. The future patients will demand from their physicians not only thorough knowledge in clinical medicine but knowledge in basic science like molecular biology and immunology to other issues such as public health and human rights. Medical students must learn the economic issues of medical practice, basic laws and policies regarding the health care system. They will not only prescribe medicine, but will discuss about nutrition, family and social welfare, provide counselling as needed and adopt any other means to support their patients including stress relief through relaxation techniques. Future patients must be treated as a total person. To meet these needs, the medical schools must train their students to be receptive to all new knowledge, both traditional and nontraditional.