New Beginnings

Hello, Blogosphere. It's been a while.

I'm no longer in Auvergne, as my old blog's title "Nessages from Auvergne and Beyond" may have suggested, and I'm no longer even in Detroit. I'm in Washington, DC, starting a new chapter. Time to blog again. New beginnings, new blog.

The summer after I graduated from K College, a random google search lead to me to the homepage of Georgetown University's Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Master's Degree program. I fell in love almost immediately - it seemed to perfectly combine my interests in holistic approaches to health and healing with my academic background in Science. I had always told myself I wanted to work for at least two years before going back to school, and I still had a couple of requirements to fulfill before I could apply to the program, so I started working downtown at the Women's Hospital, snuck in a few courses at Wayne State University, and took the GRE. Two years later, here I am, about to start my first class at Georgetown University tomorrow morning.

But what is CAM and why would anyone want a degree in it? CAM is exactly what it sounds like - nonconventional methods for dealing with disease that are either used alongside or in place of conventional medicine. Examples include acupuncture, massage, herbs and supplements, and mind-body interactions.

For those interested, the mission of our program is as follows:

"The intense consumer-driven interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and the increasing clinical integration of various CAM modalities, has led to the demand for well-informed and properly trained health care providers and scientists.

The goal of the innovative Complementary and Alternative Medicine Master of Science degree (CAM-MS) in Physiology is to provide advanced study in the science and philosophy of predominant CAM therapies and disciplines. This program offers an academically rigorous graduate education in CAM anchored in state-of-the-art biomedical science. Our objective is to educate open-minded health care providers and scientists eager to explore the state of the evidence in this field with objectivity and rigor. Graduates receive an M.S. degree in Physiology."

So where does my interest in CAM stem from? I have my own personal experiences with CAM, but at large, it is a rapidly expanding field that is becoming increasingly important as people continue to desire something more from their healthcare. The medical field must adapt to the evolving needs of its patients, and in my opinion, the integration of CAM modalities and mainstream medical practices are the future of medicine. It is therefore our responsibility as scientists to critically evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAM practices and to start implementing them alongside conventional medical practices to improve the overall physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of the patient. Rigorous scientific research is absolutely necessary in order for CAM to gain support amongst the medical community and public alike.

What do I hope to do with this degree? My intent in completing this program is to give me a unique set of skills that will serve me in pursuing a research career in a CAM related field. Whether I do that as an MD, PhD, or both is TBD. Let's see how I do in this program ;)

The purpose of this blog is to keep in touch with friends and family while I'm away, as well as to share my new knowledge and hopefully spark interest in an exciting new field. Oh, and don't worry, there will be plenty of my random little anecdotes along the way. Thanks for tuning in. Feel free to post questions or comments. I'll try to update this blog at least once a week.

V