Press Briefing And Luncheon To Highlight The Myths And Misconceptions Of Herbal Medicine

***MEDIA ALERT***

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

OFFERS 7TH ANNUAL BOTANICAL MEDICINE

CONTINUING EDUCATION

COURSE

Leading experts

explore the role of botanical medicine in modern clinical practice

WHAT:       

Columbia University’s 7th annual Botanical Medicine in Modern Clinical

Practice course, the first such program of continuing education in herbal

and alternative medicine ever offered at a major medical center. This introductory-level

course will focus primarily on the uses of Western botanicals, covering

a wide range of clinical areas and applications. Course faculty will provide

practical information on a number of related topics, including clinical

research findings in botanical medicine; the safety and toxicity of herbal

remedies; the ethno-botanical sources of many common drugs used in medicine;

the combination of botanicals with standard medical treatments; and the

legal considerations in the use of botanical products.

WHY:         

Botanicals and herbal remedies have been around—and used to treat a variety

of medical

conditions—as long

as people have sought to heal themselves and others. Use of botanicals,

however, has increased markedly over the past decade, prompting many health

care providers to seek reliable information on behalf of their patients.

With this in mind, the Botanical Medicine in Modern Clinical Practice course

was established and designed as an in-depth learning and training opportunity,

giving physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other medical professionals

the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively integrate botanical medications

into their practices.

WHEN:     

Monday, May 20 through Friday, May 24, 2002

7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Monday through Thursday); 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Friday)

WHO:       

Course faculty includes:

· Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the University of Arizona’s Program

in Integrative Medicine

· Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, medical director of the Treehouse Clinic

of Natural Medicine and

New Mexico School of Herbal Medicine

· Dr. Michael Balick, vice president for botanical science research

& training, New York

Botanical Garden

· Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director, American Botanical

Council

· Robert S. McCaleb, president, Herb Research Foundation

WHERE:   

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday                 

Friday (field trip)

Hammer Health Sciences Center

New York Botanical Garden

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center

Bronx River Pkwy. at Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY

701 W. 168th St., Room 401, NYC

(Note: Space is limited for this portion of the course.)

Wednesday

New York Academy of Medicine

1216 5th Ave., NYC

FYI:           

RSVPs are required for the both the general sessions and the botanical

garden field trip; please call Leslie Boen (212-305-4966) to register.

For more detailed course information, please visit  http://www.rosenthal.hs.columbia.edu.

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