Indoctrination in the eclectic healing arts yields CME credit for doctors

While examining the brochure cognitive dissonance set in: just as my trusty baloney detector was going off I said to myself “Wait---this activity is cosponsored by two reputable medical schools, accredited by the ACCME and approved by the AMA for credit toward the Physicians Recognition Award!” Not only that, there’s no support from Evil Pharma and the faculty list reads like a parade of stars including Andrew Weil, Larry Dossey and Tieraona Low Dog.

While a few scientific trappings are included in the language (“evidence based”, “critical”, “findings”) most of the titles are promotional or, at the very least, non critical. A sampling from the list includes Qi Gong: Enlivening Energy through Ancient Practice; Reiki: Healing Yourself and Others; The Ayurvedic Understanding of Chronic Diseases: Arthritis, IBS and Asthma; Revival of Curanderismo: Mexican Folk Medicine and Rituals and, finally, a sweat lodge ceremony.