This paper was published in the International Journal of Integrative Medical Sciences, a peerreviewed scientific journal published in Curacao.

While the use of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is substantial, it continues to exist at the periphery of mainstream allopathic medicine. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the present health care systems, with special attention on availability, affordability, and accessibility of healthcare. The authors emphasize the need for mindset change from an illness/disease/drug-centric viewpoint to a more integrative person/ health/wellness-centric approach. They examine the innovation deficit faced by conventional allopathic medicine and highlight the significant benefits of the integration of conventional medicine with traditional, complementary, and integrative therapies in the medical curriculum.

The authors review the progress made internationally in integrating various TCIM approaches, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Homeopathy, with allopathic medicine or “biomedicine.” They report on the unique integration of Ayurveda and Biomedicine into one Medical Doctor education curriculum that has been developed by the School of Integrative Medicine of the University Universidad Maharishi de Latino America yel Caribe (UMLAC), established in Curacao, an island in the Caribbean.

The goal of this School of Integrative Medicine is to fulfill the current global need to provide a holistic and scientific system of health care for prevention and cure, for both individual and collective health. In this regard, Integrative Medicine is defined as a Patient-Centered Health Approach that uses modern medicine jointly with evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), in particular Maharishi AyurVeda. They examine the unique consciousness-based approach of Maharishi AyurVeda and review the numerous modalities that contribute to its effectiveness.

The full article is available in our NewsMagazine on page 10.

The full text of the paper can be downloaded as PDF from imedsciences.com/vol-7-7.