Integrative Oncology Fellowship Training in the United States: Uniting Requirements and Core Competencies

Abstract

Integrative oncology (IO) programs in cancer care institutions are increasing. However, specialized training in IO is still limited. In 2022, we launched the first Integrative Medicine in Hematology Oncology (IMHO) fellowship program in the United States. Here, we describe a roadmap and educational model for building a fellowship, utilizing the core competencies from Witt et al. and accreditation requirements of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health (ACIMH) as the foundation to build an IO fellowship program pilot program. The pilot program was based on a national needs assessment identifying the need for an integrative oncology training program. This review presents a theoretical framework for IO education. The framework is based upon the construction and successes of the IMHO fellowship pilot program. The fellowship's foundation was built on the core competencies of integrative oncology knowledge, skill, and ability centered around the requirements of the ACIMH to meet requirement the of 1000 + hours in clinic, didactics, and research. Through the utilization of established integrative medicine curriculum married to integrative oncology-specific didactics, clinical application, and research initiatives, the pilot model has led to successful enrollment numbers, fellowship completion, and integrative medicine board eligibility. We put forward a roadmap for establishing IO educational programs, which can be tailored per center or institution. The IMHO pilot provides a clear and distinctive model to follow, allowing the ongoing need for fine-tuning and exploration of other models in the future to provide education across provider disciplines.

Keywords: Integrative fellowship; Integrative medicine; Integrative oncology.