Last month nearly 150 medical students and physicians gathered to celebrate International Integrative Medicine Day in Portland.  This was the second annual IIM Day event hosted by the Student Alliance for Integrative Medicine, a group comprised of medical students from NCNM, Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Western States, and Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.  The event took place Saturday January 22rd at the lovely Bamboo Grove Salon in SE Portland.  It brought together naturopathic, chiropractic, Chinese medicine, and MD students for a night of thought-provoking discussion and socializing.

The evening began with a presentation by Dr. Satya Ambrose, ND, LAc, about her nonprofit organization, the Chitari Foundation, which is working to create a truly integrative inpatient hospital, The Chitari Center of Collaborative Medicine.  Students then broke up into smaller groups for breakout sessions on topics such as primary care, sports medicine, pediatrics, and treatment of addiction.  Each session was led by physicians who specialize in each of these areas and who utilize integrative medicine in their practice.  Discussion focused on the barriers and benefits of integrating and collaborating with other healthcare providers in each of these areas, and the specific ways these obstacles can be overcome. 

The night capped off with a social hour of food, drinks, and music.  Students mingled and networked, danced, and sampled a variety of delicious herbal concoctions whipped up by NCNM student Stephen Jacobsen. 

This event was one of the many taking place worldwide to celebrate International Integrative Medicine Day on January 23rd.  IIM Day inspires dialogue and collaboration between healthcare professionals with the goal of moving towards a model of medicine that is truly patient-centered, holistic, and economically and environmentally sustainable.