Tag: university of michigan

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Cancer Integrative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

The Integrative Oncology Scholars Program: Indoctrinating oncology professionals into pseudoscience

Integrative Medicine as the Trojan horse
The Trojan Horse (Rabbit) of quackademic medicine approaches the walls of medical academia. Unfortunately, all too often, the rabbit is often taken within the walls, allowing the woo to escape into the medical school and academic medical center. The result: Integrative medicine.

“Integrative oncology” involves “integrating” pseudoscience, mysticism, and quackery with science-based oncology and co-opting science-based lifestyle modalities as “alternative” in order to provide cover for the quackery. Unfortunately, my alma mater, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is running a course to indoctrinate 100 health care professionals in the ways of “integrative oncology.” The Trojan horse of “lifestyle interventions” and “nonpharmacologic treatments for pain” is at the gates. The quackery will leap out as soon as it’s in the fortress.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Integrative medicine Medicine Naturopathy Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

What the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan teaches about acupuncture

University of Michigan Integrative Family Medicine Program
University of Michigan Integrative Family Medicine Program

The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan has embraced integrating quackery with medicine in its “integrative medicine” program. But what is it teaching its trainees? Unfortunately, I’ve started to find out.

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Bad science Homeopathy Medicine Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

First anthroposophy, now homeopathy? Quackademic medicine at the University of Michigan marches on.

Homeopathy at the University of Michigan
Homeopathy at the University of Michigan

A few years ago, it was anthroposophic medicine. This year, it’s homeopathy. Quackademic medicine at the University of Michigan marches on.

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Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Hallelujah! The mainstream press finally notices quackademic medicine!

Imagine those buildings are an academic hospital. This is what's happening in medical academia.

I’ve been writing a long time about a phenomenon that I like to refer to as “quackademic medicine,” defined as the infiltration into academic medical centers and medical school of unscientific and pseudoscientific treatment modalities that are unproven or disproven. Few seem to listen. That’s why it’s reassuring to see a mainstream news publication get it (mostly) right about this phenomenon.

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Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Quackademic medicine and acupressure at my alma mater

Given the study that I’m going to discuss, I can’t help but start out with a brief (for me) reminiscence. Longtime readers know that I graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in the late 1980s. Back when I attended U. of M., its medical school was considered stodgy and hard core even by […]