An Innovative Selective for Medical Students on Patient Elicitation and Clinical Implications of Traditional Health Beliefs in the US

There is continued debate surrounding the most appropriate approach to integrate cultural competency into medical education. In order to avoid stereotypes and generalizations, many schools use an approach that may be summed up as "treat everyone as an individual". Although this type of education has it's benefits towards the training of cultural sensitivity, it omits learning about culture-bound beliefs and conditions that may impact a patient's health behaviors as well as interpretations of the appropriateness of biomedical treatments. Without practitioner awareness of these beliefs, mistrust and miscommunication can ensue.

This presentation will describe a two-session selective designed to develop sensitivity and awareness among medical students related to the diverse nature of medical beliefs in the US. With a focus on commonly held beliefs among Latinos in the US, students are introduced to illnesses such as "empacho", "mal de ojo", and "susto". A review of common causes, methods of diagnoses, and treatments are presented, including the use of herbal remedies and traditional healers. A review of the current research on clinical efficacy of plant-based remedies is included.  Students are then presented with tools to elicit cultural beliefs in the clinical encounter.

Students are asked to apply the tools provided to interview someone who they believe may have medical beliefs and treatments that differ from the biomedical model. The follow-up session presents student findings and explores similarities and differences among cultural groups, and methods to elicit cultural beliefs in the clinical encounter regardless of the type of clinical practice or background of the patient.