The Integrative Medicine and Society course was offered for the first time as a 3-credit course in fall 2001. Several students in the class asked that the course count for a general education requirement. Currently, the course does not automatically satisfy any general ed requirements - each case must be individually petitioned. This course most effectively addresses the requirements in the categories of Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Although the course begins with an examination of the socio- economic and political problems that our conventional medicine system faces, the course largely seriously examines a vast number of healing alternatives and considers their legitimacy and effectiveness. To understand the underlying principles of these alternative schools of thought, it is necessary for us to first review modern science’s understanding of the way the body functions (basic anatomy, physiology and a touch of biochemistry) and the many tools we employ both diagnostically and reconstructively to address our health.

The point of Integrative Medicine is to acknowledge that which modern medicine is best at, but to acknowledge also that there are places where it is weak: particularly in preventative medicine, chronic degenerative diseases, viral infections (e.g. the common cold), most forms of allergy or autoimmune disease, curing most forms of cancer, and effectively managing most forms of mental illness. Alternative healing approaches span the gamut from the rationally-understood effectiveness of chiropractic and nutritional therapies, to the esoteric and poorly understood plant spirit medicine, bioenergy healing, distance healing, magnet therapy and many others. Some of these healing approaches have very different underlying assumptions about the nature of life and living things - particularly the Eastern approaches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, Jin Shin Jyutsu, and others. In exploring these alternatives, students draw upon all of their understanding of biology, chemistry and physics - all of the basic sciences - to try to “make sense” of what often seems like miraculous healing effects, or to at least acknowledge where further scientific investigation is needed.

A good example of the latter is probing the reasoning behind the fact that infinitesimally dilute homeopathic remedies become more potent if they are more dilute - so dilute that the probability of finding a single molecule of the proposed remedy in the solution is effectively zero. It is theorized that molecules in solution leave behind an “electromagnetic blueprint” in the water-based medium, and that this blueprint is actually more effective at positively interacting with our own “vital forces” which may be in need of healing, than a solid molecule. While such reasoning may be questioned, the visible “facts” of scientifically verified healing incurred by ingesting such remedies, even when correcting for placebo effect, cannot be ignored. Overall this course emphasizes how scientists reason, how they draw conclusions and how they think critically - as well as how “bad” science happens and “facts” are often ignored, usually out of the desire for particular outcomes which are (a) consistent with the frameworks of understanding with which we’ve been indoctrinated, (b) of a particular socio-political leaning, or (c) income generators (e.g. biases in research conducted by pharmaceutical companies or in their advertising).

On the practical side, this course teaches a few self-diagnostic methods (e.g. iridology, fingernail and tongue analysis, trace mineral analysis from hair samples), how to spot a “quack”, the many options available for alternative health care, and thinking skills to question and answer “what is the best treatment for my condition?” The text book, Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, by Burton Goldberg (1999) is a great resource and gives an overview of the huge field of alternative medicine, complete with self-help tips and many references on where to find additional help - from both books and organizations. Selections from numerous other journals and books are included in the regular reading assignments and are also given out as supplemental reading. In addition to one class set aside as a lab-like “practicum” for students to learn self- diagnostic techniques, a number of the guest practitioners involve the students in hands-on learning demonstrations and introductory techniques in their field of expertise. Additional learning experiences are made available to them through the local chapter of “Circles of Health”, as well as through workshops offered at the Nittany Institute of Health and the Center for Well-Being. While attendance at these workshops and Circles of Health presentations is not required, interested students often elect to participate.

The course is challenging as a 200-level course because it covers so much (and there is so much to cover!). Appended below is a general course outline of topics, the syllabus, reading assignment table and table of guest lecturers for the course. The course is co-taught by three professors who each lend unique expertise: Professor Rustum Roy, champion of the interdisciplinary Science, Technology and Society educational methods, co-founder of the national Friends of Health organization, colleague of Integrative Medicine founder Dr. Andrew Weil, and strong proponent for rigorously investigating and better understanding successful alternative healing methods which defy modern science’s current understanding; Catherine Augustine, Senior Project Associate in the College of Education, coordinator of the local Circles of Health organization, and practitioner of Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Reiki; and Tania Slawecki, Assistant Professor in STS, Director of the Center for Sustainability at Penn State, practitioner of ecologically restorative Biointensive Mini- farming, who brings expertise in the environmental context for our health (toxins, soil degradation, etc.), as well as a practical knowledge of plants, diet and nutrition.

Because of Professor Roy’s work with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona during the spring semester, we expect the course to be offered annually in fall semesters, when Dr. Roy is available. We also anticipate growing interest and enrollment in this course, as the role of Integrative Medicine in our rapidly changing world is expected to also grow. We would like to formally initiate the process of qualifying this course to meet key general education requirements for students as outlined above. Until that process is completed, petitions will be provided as needed/requested by students.