After my three year stint as CIM chair  bringing in yoga training and an academic perspective on massage therapy, I think we need to expand our range of experience in management of CIM (now renamed CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE) to bring in M.Ds. or other allied health professionals trained in CAM modalities to head CIM this coming school year(s), so we can expand our ranks, and not limited by my perspectives and experience. A person with CEO capabiliies is strongly needed to generate more  revenues and grants.

 

In that way, I can  direclty focus on yoga training and support the evolving massage therapy program with development of instructional materials from an academic perspective, while the future, new CIM chair can develop other areas of complementary and integrative medicine, to add to our existing programs on acupuncture, and herbal medicine. It will also be an opportunity for me to have time to generate a wellness analytical and descriptive research initiative for both the research and academic services  after the immersion training I have done in yoga therapy and massage. Overseas, curricular programs in integrative medicine, encompassing health, exercise, massage, acupuncture, and herbal and natural products research have become increasingly interwoven with the health science curriculums. This can only happen when many faculty members immerse themselves in various areas of complimentary and healing modalities for research and training purposes, and integrating this in mainstream health care.

 

Bringing in wellknown leaders in CAM  from outside can also  help a lot in attracting funds and consequently fulltime personnel to beef up the ranks of CIM.