End of Year Report
A. Group Name: Integrative Health Interest Group
B. Current Officers (Include all elected officers, operating board members, etc)
Coordinators:
Gillian Kruszka, Kruszka.Gillian@medstudent.pitt.edu
Desiree Markantone, Markantone.Desiree@medstudent.pitt.edu
C. Estimated group membership for the past year (If membership includes more than just
medical students, please provide a breakdown): 40
D. Regularly scheduled events, meetings, etc. (Include brief descriptions, costs, and
attendance)
1. Monthly Coordinator Meeting
 Cost: $0
 Attendance: 2-5
 Description: IHIG coordinators meet at least monthly to discuss and plan upcoming
events. These meetings may include coordinators from other interest/student groups
when we are planning collaborative events.
E. Other events, meetings, etc. (Include dates, brief descriptions, costs, and attendance)
1. September 19, 2014. Mind-Body-Spirit Healing of ALS and Other Symbolic Diseases:
Why I Refused the Ice Bucket Challenge.
 Cost: $150 (Lunch Talk)
 Attendance: 30
 Description: Dr. Larry Burke, a Pitt Med graduate, spoke about various holistic
therapies and his journey from a residency in radiology to finding his way into
integrative medicine. He also offered students free electronic copies of his book “Let
Magic Happen: Adventures in Healing with a Holistic Radiologist.”
2. November 17, 2014. Stay in the Moment, Don’t Get Too Stressed
 Cost: $150 (Lunch Talk)
 Attendance: 60
 Collaborators: SHARP
 Description: Dr. Carol Greco, an assistant professor of Psychiatry, discussed
mindfulness-based stress reduction and how students can integrate mindfulness into
their everyday lives. The group practiced some brief mindfulness exercises and
discussed stress reduction techniques.
3. December 16, 2014. Acupuncture Workshop
 Cost: $150 (Dinner Workshop)
 Attendance: 20
 Collaborators: APAMSA
 Description: Dr. Glick and Dr. Liu taught students about acupuncture techniques, the
role of acupuncture in health care, and performed it on students to allow them to
experience it themselves.
4. January 30, 2015. Ayurveda 101
Cost: $150 (Lunch Talk)
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Attendance: 30
Collaborators: APAMSA
Description: Kerry Tombs-Harling, a National Ayurvedic Medical Association certified
practitioner, provided an introduction to Ayurveda, which is a traditional form of
Indian medicine that has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Lunch and samples of
“healing foods” were provided.
5. February 13, 2015. Holistic Aspects of Nutrition
 Cost: $150 (Lunch Talk)
 Attendance: 20
 Description: Dr. John Laird, who has a degree in naturopathic medicine, spoke about
research related to nutrition and medicine.
6. April 24, May 12, May 19, 2015. Tai Chi Class
 Cost: $0
 Attendance: 15
 Collaborators: APAMSA, SHARP, Wellness Committee
 Description: Dr. Glick began teaching students 10 Form. The classes were held
outside or in the Baierl Student Recreation Center fitness room and were 50 minutes
long. Dr. Glick educated students about the health benefits and history of Tai Chi and
answer any questions they had. We plan to continue the class weekly in the fall and
possibly over the summer.
7. May 7, 2015. Integrative Medicine AOC End-of-Year Lunch
 Cost: $0 (potluck-style lunch)
 Attendance: 5
 Description: We celebrated the graduation of two students who completed the IMAOC this year.
F. Future Events: Please list upcoming events that will occur before the end of the ‘14/15 school
year.
G. Prospectus: Please list any events you have planned for the 2015-2016 school year.
1. Event Title: Introduction to Integrative Medicine
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $150 (Lunch Talk)
 Potential Collaborators:
 Description: This panel will introduce students to the many facets of care in the field
of Integrative Medicine. It will stress the importance of complementary and
preventative care in the treatment of certain disorders. We hope to have Dr. Glick
talk about integrative psychiatry, acupuncture and Tai chi, Ms. Cohen talk about
naturopathic care and nutrition, Dr. Greco talk about mindfulness, biofeedback, and
cardiac coherence training, and Dr. Thorkelson talk about child/adolescent
integrative psychiatry. This group of panelist should be able to offer a well-rounded
view of what the field has to offer patients and what it is like to work in integrative
medicine.
2. Event Title: Introduction to Mindfulness
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $150 (Lunch Talk)
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Potential Collaborators: Same as mini-elective (see below)
Description: Given by Dr. Carol Greco, an experienced mindfulness researcher and
certified MBSR teacher, this talk would give an overview of mindfulness meditation
and the evidence supporting its many benefits. This talk would also serve as an
orientation for the Mindfulness Mini-Elective. Dr. Greco would lead several short
mindfulness exercises to give students an idea of what to expect from the minielective. These exercises would be applicable to all students, not just those who are
signing up for the mini-elective, and serve as easy tools for them to use at any time
to de-stress or refocus.
3. Event Title: Mindfulness Mini-Elective
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4 with preference given to MS1’s, 10 person maximum
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $220
o $70 snacks/food for mindful eating exercise
o $100 binders/booklets with exercises, resources, and other information
o $50 four CDs per person with guided meditations
*All supplies requested are based on supplies provided in MBSR prototype
program
 Potential Collaborators: Possibly SHARP or Wellness Committee (We have not
discussed it with them yet, but would be open to getting either group involved.)
 Description: Medical students are at the beginning of an extremely rewarding and
demanding career. From day one of medical school, we are warned about burnout
and encouraged to develop healthy stress outlets. Assuring that our future patients
are met with empathy and compassion is also imperative. An elective modeled after
the Mindfulness Bases Stress Reduction (MBSR) program would give students
immediate skills to reduce stress, as well as building blocks for life-long mindfulness
and loving-kindness. This program has gained incredible momentum across the
country and world, helping thousands to develop healthy coping skills. Now, at the
beginning of our training, is the perfect time to instill these values.
The elective would consist of weekly two-hour sessions for six weeks, and
participants would be asked to meditate each day. Through UPMC’s excellent
resources, we would have experts in tai chi, mindful yoga, and mindfulness
meditation lead experiential and educational sessions throughout the course. This
will give participants both the chance to develop personal skills and a knowledge
base to spread with others, such as colleagues and future patients, who could
similarly benefit from developing healthy coping skills.
4. Event Title: Weekly Tai Chi Class
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $200 (Intro Lunch Talk and two sessions with
refreshments)
o APAMSA: $50
o IHIG: $50
o SHARP: $50
o Wellness Committee: $50
 Potential Collaborators: APAMSA, SHARP, Wellness Committee
 Description: The ancient art of Tai Chi is great not only for muscle tone, flexibility,
and strength but also for relaxation and mindfulness. This complementary therapy is
currently being used at the Center for Integrative Medicine to help patients with
certain medical conditions reduce stress and increase balance and coordination. We
would like to take advantage of Dr. Glick’s training and learn the 24 Form next year
through a series of classes held regularly, including an introductory lunch talk and
one or two debriefing sessions with snacks throughout the class to further discuss
the impact of Tai Chi in our lives, how it allows us to work better with patients, and
how we can best encourage patients to try this technique.
5. Event Title: Art and Medicine Series
In collaboration with IGN, NSIG, and PsychSIG, IHIG hopes to co-host an “Art and
Medicine” Series consisting of interactive evening workshops and a documentary
viewing. Human beings exist beyond the diseases we treat. Alongside medications, we
often forget that nurturing the soul and keeping alive the human spirit is just as important
to the recovery process. Especially in mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases
where one’s sense of self begins to slip away, art has a way of reaffirming self-identity
and providing a creative outlet for sharing the stories of what it means to be human. In
medicine, a cure is not always possible but we must still strive to apply interdisciplinary
approaches in helping patients manage their illnesses and invest in the healing process.
Event Title: Drum Circle Music Therapy Workshop
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4 capped at 15 students
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $70 (to provide food/snacks at workshop)
o IHIG: $35
o PsychSIG: $35
 Potential Collaborators: PsychSIG
 Description: The drum plays an important role in many cultures through its use in
ceremonies and ritualistic practices. With the power of the drum, we can explore the
many patterns and rhythms that we find all around us: breathing, heart beat, etc.
Robert Miller is a music therapist at WPIC and certified drum circle facilitator. He codeveloped “conscious drumming,” a technique used to express and develop
emotions through drumming. This technique allows people to speak their “truths”
through music. During this workshop, we will learn more about the history of drum
circles and the development and goals of music therapy. We will also then
participate in a drum circle aimed for stress relief since this likely faces us all as
medical students.
Event Title: “Dance for Parkinson’s Disease” Workshop
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4, capped at 20 students
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $100
o IGN: $25
o IHIG: $25
o NSIG: $25
o PsychSIG: $25
 Potential Collaborators: IGN, NSIG, PsychSIG
 Description: Dance for PD® is a renowned program that offers specialized dance
classes accompanied by live music for people with Parkinson's. It has emerged as
an innovative global program impacting thousands of people with Parkinson’s, their
families, and caregivers in more than 100 communities in 9 countries. “The program
is built on one fundamental premise: professionally-trained dancers are movement
experts whose knowledge is useful to persons with PD. Dancers know all about
stretching and strengthening muscles, and about balance and rhythm. Most
importantly, dancers know how to use their thoughts, eyes, ears, touch and
imagination to control their movements.” The program’s specifically trained artists
integrate movement from different styles of dance to create an aesthetic experience
that uses the elements of narrative, imagery, live music and community to develop
artistry and grace while addressing such PD-specific concerns as balance, flexibility,
coordination, isolation and depression. The classes engage the participants’ minds
and bodies, and create an enjoyable, social environment that emphasizes dancing
rather than therapy. We are lucky to have one of their sites here with the Pittsburgh
Ballet and faculty like Dr. Samay Jain from the Movement Disorders Division who
has previously worked with the organization. We hope to bring in a trained instructor
to lead an experiential evening dance session where students can participate in a
simulated class and learn about the cognitive/movement strategies that are naturally
beneficial for people with Parksinon’s. Such a workshop will contribute to enhancing
the working knowledge of future healthcare practitioners in this field.
Event Title: Documentary Viewing of “Alive Inside: The Story of Music and Memory”
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $0
 Potential Collaborators: IGN, PsychSIG
 Description: This will be a social evening viewing of this documentary followed by a
discussion concerning the topic. “Alive Inside is a joyous cinematic exploration of
music's capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our
humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing
experiences of individuals around the country who have been revitalized through the
simple experience of listening to music. His camera reveals the uniquely human
connection we find in music and how its healing power can triumph where
prescription medication falls short. This stirring documentary follows social worker
Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fights
against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music's ability to combat
memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. RossatoBennett visits family members who have witnessed the miraculous effects of
personalized music on their loved ones, and offers illuminating interviews with
experts including renowned neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks
(Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain) and musician Bobby McFerrin ("Don't
Worry, Be Happy"). An uplifting cinematic exploration of music and the mind, Alive
Inside's inspirational and emotional story left audiences humming, clapping and
cheering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.”
Event Title: Art Therapy Workshop
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4 capped at 20 people
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $100 (art supplies)
o IHIG: $50
o PsychSIG: $50
 Potential Collaborators: PsychSIG
Description: Art therapy has many roles in treating patients; it allows for self-expression,
development of emotions, reduced stress and anxiety, and increased selfawareness. Art therapists work in a number of settings including inpatient hospital,
rehabilitation centers, and out in the community. A variety of patients benefit from art
therapy, including those with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction, dementia,
history of trauma, cancer, and those in palliative care. The art therapist creates a
session that caters to the needs of the individual or group. Art acts as a medium for self-
exploration and completing a piece of artwork is satisfactory. Outside of the creative
benefits, the act of making the artwork helps with fine motor skills and provides
socialization, which has been shown to increase the quality of life of a number of
patients with neurodegenerative diseases. The group sessions provide social support
and can help increase self-esteem. During this workshop, we hope to learn more about
art therapy in everyday practice, what patients benefit most from this type of therapy,
and about the field in general. We will then be lead by a certified art therapist through a
session catered towards stress and anxiety reduction. We hope that this intimate
experience of learning and practicing will give students a better understanding of the
benefits of art therapy.
6. Event Title: Acupuncture Workshop
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4, capped at 15 students
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $150 (Dinner Workshop)
o AMSA: $50
o APAMSA: $50
o IHIG: $50
 Potential Collaborators: AMSA, APAMSA
 Description: This workshop has been popular in recent years, and we are hoping to
provide this opportunity for new students and those who were not able to participate
in the past. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapy that has been practiced for
thousands of years. It has gained popularity in the West for treatment of many
conditions and has become one of the most sought-out alternative treatments in the
United States. For this reason, we think it is important for future physicians to be
educated about it. Dr. Betty Liu is enthusiastic about teaching medical students and
will share both research behind acupuncture and experiential learning with the
workshop participants.
7. Event Title: Uniting Conventional and Integrative Medicine
 Target Audience: MS1-MS4
 Amount Requested ± cost breakdown: $150 (Lunch Talk)
 Potential Collaborators:
 Description: Integrative medicine has seen a surge in recent years, and this trend is
expected to increase. It is important for medical students to start thinking of how
these therapies could impact their future patients, even if they do not end up working
closely with alternative practitioners. For this talk, we hope to find a physician who
does not practice alternative therapies him/herself, but has seen his/her patients be
helped by such therapies and can speak about this. We think that coming at this
topic from a different perspective might catch the attention of a broader audience.
Cardiology, oncology, and family practice are three areas that are often associated
with utilizing IM approaches. We are still exploring our resources to find the best
physician for this talk, but are hopeful that we will find a great fit.
H. Additional Comments: Is there anything else you’d like us to know?