Medical EducationCOMMENTARY
Addiction Medicine: A Model Osteopathic Medical School Curriculum
J Osteopath Med; 110(3): 127-132
Abstract
The World Health Organization has identified nicotine, alcohol, and illicit drugs as among the top 10 contributors of morbidity and mortality in the world. Substance use disorders are preventable conditions that are major contributors to poor health, family dysfunction, and various social problems in the United States—problems that have a profound economic impact. The American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine seeks to promote teaching of addiction medicine at colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs), which—honoring the osteopathic concepts of holistic medicine and disease prevention—are well poised to develop a model addiction medicine curriculum. Educators and students at COMs can use guidelines from Project MAINSTREAM, a core addiction medicine curriculum designed to improve education of health professionals in substance abuse, for developing addiction medicine curricula and for gauging their professional growth. These guidelines should be incorporated into the first 2 years of osteopathic medical students’ basic science didactics. The authors encourage the development of addiction medicine courses and curricula at all COMs.