Reimagining Integrative Medicine Fellowship Core Competencies with a Health Equity Lens

Authors

• Vincent Minichiello, Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Osher Center for Integrative Health, 610 N Whitney Way, Ste 200, Madison, WI 53705, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Health Sciences Learning Center, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53726, USA. Electronic address: vincent.minichiello@fammed.wisc.edu.
• Melinda Ring, Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University, 150 E. Huron St, Ste 1100, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 420 E. Superior St. Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Electronic address: mring@nm.org.
• Shelley R. Adler, University of California, San Francisco, Osher Center for Integrative Health, Box 1726, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF School of Medicine, 533 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: shelley.adler@ucsf.edu.
• Suhani Bora, Lawrence Family Medicine Residency 34 Haverhill Street, Lawrence, MA 01840, USA; Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, USA. Electronic address: suhani.bora@glfhc.org.
• Ann Marie Chiasson, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, 1502 E. Mabel Street, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA. Electronic address: chiasson@arizona.edu.
• Taryn De Garber, Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health, 4800 Meadows Rd, #300 Lake Oswego, OR 97035, USA. Electronic address: taryn.desiogarber@imconsortium.org.
• Anand Dhruva, UCSF School of Medicine, 533 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
• Katie Hu, UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, 2336 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 301, Santa Monica, CA, 90404, USA; UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Geffen Hall, 885 Tiverton Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: khu@mednet.ucla.edu.
• Mikhail Kogan, GW Center for Integrative Medicine, 908 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC, 20037, USA; George Washington University School of Medicine, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington DC 20037, USA. Electronic address: mkogan@gwcim.com.
• Wendy Kohatsu, Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency, 3569 Round Barn Circle, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, USA; UCSF Dept of Family and Community Medicine, 995 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. Electronic address: wkohatsu@gmail.com.
• Tieraona Low Dog, University of California-Irvine, 856 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, 856 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617, USA. Electronic address: tlowdog@hs.uci.edu.
• Darshan H. Mehta, Osher Center for Integrative Health, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 850 Bolyston Street, Suite 422, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: dmehta@mgh.harvard.edu.
• Adam Rindfleisch, Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin Osher Center for Integrative Health, 610 N Whitney Way, Ste 200, Madison, WI 53705, USA; University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Health Sciences Learning Center, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53726, USA. Electronic address: adam.rindfleisch@fammed.wisc.edu.
• Jill Schneiderhan, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Suite 2300, Ann Arbor, MI 48107, USA. Electronic address: jillsch@med.umich.edu.
• Scarlet Soriano, Duke Health & Well-Being, Duke Integrative Medicine Center, 3475 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC, 27705, USA. Electronic address: scarlet.soriano@duke.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-16-2025

Journal

The American journal of medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.07.013

Keywords

Competency-Based Training; Fellowship Training; Health Equity; Integrative Medicine; Medical Education; Whole-Person Care

Abstract

Integrative medicine (IM) fellowships have grown significantly over the past decade. This review examines gaps in the original IM competencies and key revisions aligned with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) domains, informed by a multi-phase stakeholder engagement process. A task force from the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health conducted a systematic review of existing IM competencies, ACGME core competencies, and relevant Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) frameworks. A survey was sent to 23 IM fellowship programs, yielding a 96% response rate. Competencies were revised and refined through stakeholder input via conferences, focus groups, and surveys. Thematic analysis in December 2024 identified priorities for final revisions. Key updates include inclusive language and integration of underrepresented areas such as health equity, trauma-informed care, clinician well-being, interprofessional collaboration, and planetary health. Cultural humility and epistemic inclusivity are emphasized throughout, with health equity principles embedded across all domains. These updates mark a shift toward an inclusive, equity-centered model of whole-person care. Future efforts will focus on implementation, faculty development, and standardized assessment to support adoption in IM fellowship programs.

APA Citation

Minichiello, Vincent; Ring, Melinda; Adler, Shelley R.; Bora, Suhani; Chiasson, Ann Marie; Garber, Taryn De; Dhruva, Anand; Hu, Katie; Kogan, Mikhail; Kohatsu, Wendy; Dog, Tieraona Low; Mehta, Darshan H.; Rindfleisch, Adam; Schneiderhan, Jill; and Soriano, Scarlet, "Reimagining Integrative Medicine Fellowship Core Competencies with a Health Equity Lens" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 7577.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/7577

Department

Medicine