Especialización en Acupuntura y Fitoterapia

Abstract

In the last three decades, Western countries have increased the use, teaching, and state regulation of various therapies based on complementary medicines. The Iztapalapa Unit of the UAM, through the Division of Biological and Health Sciences, began in 1999 with the operation of a postgraduate medical course called Specialization in Acupuncture and Phytotherapy (EAyF) to train human resources in the clinical use of two therapeutic ones acupuncture and related techniques and phytotherapy; as well as carry out basic and applied research in these areas of knowledge. Given that the dominant current in the teaching of acupuncture and phytotherapy is based on theories of traditional Chinese medicine, we consider it essential that the epistemological approach of EAyF allows the necessary conditions for students to distinguish beliefs from facts and traditional knowledge from scientific knowledge. In addition, to ensure that postgraduate medical students use epistemological tools to understand the physiological and therapeutic bases of acupuncture and phytotherapy in a critical, cautious, and questioning manner. The epistemological approach of the EAyF requires using two theoretical currents evidence-based medicine and problem-based learning, that allows students to discern between non-systematized empirical knowledge and information from randomized clinical trials and basic research following the appropriate experimental methodology