The other faculty members are University of Arizona professors and leading alternative practitioners. We challenge physicians to model healthy lifestyles. In medical school, we learn to survive on inadequate sleep and a vending machine diet. In the program, we ask people to explore how best to take care of themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually. Only then are we in a position to teach our patients to do the same.
Fellows receive instruction in yoga, meditation, and guided imagery.
They serve as living laboratories, taking each other's integrative medical histories and receiving acupuncture and osteopathic treatments. In group workshops, the fellows reflect on the impact of medical training. We look at this and at the impact of taking care of very sick patients. In their second year, fellows often serve as clinic chiefs, speak at conferences, and work on refining the clinical model or further developing the curriculum. They also begin specializing.