What will I learn?

You will discover a more satisfying and effective way to practice. In this course you will learn foundational skills for adding evidence-supported integrative symptom management to your practice. Your patients will feel better and you'll enjoy your practice more.

Is 5 weeks enough to learn everything that I need to know?

No, but 5 weeks is a great start! The program is structured to give you practical tools that you can bring back to your practice immediately. If you get excited by this approach and want to dive in with both feet, you can sign up for the 10-month Integrative Symptom Management Scholar Program. The 5-week program is a prerequisite for the more in-depth Scholar program. (If you think you should "test out" of the prerequisite program let me know).

What if I can't attend the weekly sessions?

Of course I would love to see you at the live weekly sessions, but I know that schedules are complicated. Every session will be recorded and sent to you so you can do the entire program on your own if that fits your life better. Once the group starts we can pick a time for a weekly "office hours" when I will be available to answer questions about topics or discuss cases.

I'm so busy. Do I have time for this?

I totally get it. You have to balance the fun and interesting things that you want to do with charts and inbox and family responsibilities - it can feel overwhelming. This course is designed with this reality in mind. The weekly live online sessions will feed your mind and your soul - they will count toward your self-care time! You will have evidence supported recorded didactic sessions that are available to you but not required to participate in the weekly sessions. So if you have time for "homework" it is there for you, but if you don't that's just fine. You can get back to it when you have time. 

Doesn't this kind of practice take more time?

It can, but it doesn't have to. The integrative approach can fit into whatever kind of practice you have. You will learn how to weave new skills into the work that you are already doing. In fact, the tools and patient education materials that you will get in this course can save you time with challenging patients.

Is it expensive?

Learning new practice tools is an investment in your excellence as a clinician. Does it have a cost? Sure. But your continued growth and wellbeing as a physician is well worth the cost.

Will this be helpful for all specialties? 

No. Everyone is welcome, but not every speciality will get equal benefit. This program is targeted to physicians who care for patients with significant illnesses such as cancer, rheumatologic disease, neuropathic pain, multisystem trauma, etc. If you care primarily for children or generally well adults this program is not for you.

Week 1: Transformation: Becoming an integrative physician

Transforming into an integrative physician is about much more than knowledge. It involves a frame-shift in how you view health, wellbeing and your role as a health guide for your patients. We will explore the integrative model and how we, as human beings as well as physicians, can best contribute to the wellbeing of our patients and ourselves. We will explore mind-body medicine, body-based approaches, biofield therapy and complementary medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine and naturopathy.

Week 2: Integrative Pain Management

The brain is a pain management organ. We will discuss how the brain impacts pain severity, why you must teach patients about central sensitization, and how to figure out if the patient's pain is coming from the periphery, the brain or the affective system (hint: it's usually a combination). You'll learn to see your patients' pain as a fun mystery to solve rather than a burden. We will cover cancer pain, neuropathic pain, and the management of chronic pain in patients with superimposed acute pain.

Week 3: A Humanistic Approach to Anxiety and Depression

Anxious people are sensitive and depressed people have deep feelings. You'll learn how to explain depression and anxiety to your patients, using both science and humanism, in a way that opens them up to accepting your help. And then you'll learn how to help them!

Week 4: Brain, Gut & Energy

When the gut or brain does't  work as it should patients suffer, and both uncontrolled nausea and fatigue rob people of the enjoyment of life. With a thoughtful combination of medications and non-pharmacologic approaches your patients will be able to re-engage in a life that makes them happy. Happy patients make for happy doctors!

Week 5: Integration - From Learning to Doing

While we will talk about patient cases every session, this week we will take a deep dive into the real-life complex types of patients that you see every day. I will have cases ready, but we can also discuss any actual patients that you are struggling with. 

In addition, I'll have weekly "office hours" where you can come if you'd like to talk about cases, treatment modalities or anything else that is on your mind.

Here's how it will work:

• Program starts on October 24th, 2022
• There will be 5 live group sessions via Zoom
• Zoom sessions will start at 7:00pm Eastern time (U.S.) and run for approximately 90 minutes. 
• You will have recorded evidence-supported didactic sessions to review as you are able. Ideally you would watch them before we meet but I know you're busy and that isn't required
• You will have weekly self-care resources (both recorded and live)
• Patient education resources will be provided that you can print out and use in your office. We'll discuss the best way to implement these resources
• Bonuses: you will get several surprise bonuses including interviews with experts in the field created especially for this program
• You'll get your questions answered. The group will choose a time for "office hours" when I'll be available to answer questions and discuss your real-life cases.

Dr. Chiaramonte is a Board Certified Palliative Medicine physician and clinician leader and educator in the fields of Integrative Palliative Medicine and Integrative Oncology. She is a deeply experienced medical educator with a passion for physician wellbeing. Practicing and teaching integrative symptom management, a unique, skill-based, patient-centered style of medicine, has fueled her passion to help other physicians do the same

The Professional Side:

• Founder of The Institute for Integrative Palliative Medicine
• Former Division Chief of Integrative and Palliative Medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center
• Former Associate Director of the University of Maryland Medical School Center for Integrative Medicine
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy - teaches Self-Care in Palliative Care Master's Degree Program
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Maryland Graduate School - teaches Clinical Application of Integrative Medicine 
• Voted Top Doc by peers 2019, 2020, 2021 in both palliative care and complementary medicine categories

The Human Side:

When I began practice as a new family physician, I was surprised that many of my patients were suffering from symptoms that I couldn't fix with a pill. They were exhausted, but their thyroid and blood counts were normal. Their bodies ached but I couldn’t find a lesion. Their life felt flat even though everything was fine. I desperately wanted to relieve their suffering, but the skills that I learned in medical school weren’t what these patients needed. 

Once I started teaching patients my own wellbeing tools, I was surprised to find that many of them got better. As I taught them about the stress response, cognitive distortions, meditation, guided imagery, therapeutic arts, positive psychology, the importance of sleep and much more, their pain, fatigue and mood improved. Wow! This sparked my interest in Integrative Medicine.

The integrative approach to care spoke to me. It honored the whole person and highlighted the importance of stress management, sleep, healthy movement and nutritious food. It brought other healing systems to the party, such as traditional Chinese medicine and naturopathy, and encouraged community, creativity and positive coping skills. Integrative medicine seemed like the right approach. I did notice a subtle preference in the field for non-medical approaches, which I didn't love, but it didn't concern me at first.

Then my 12-year-old daughter fell off a horse and our world turned upside down.

There were months of disabling headaches. Brutal neck pain that kept her in bed all day. She could no longer read and had to leave school. Light was unbearable. Sound was too loud and language was confusing. Her world got smaller and darker until she could barely imagine her way out.

Ultimately it was a combination of medications, surgery, guided imagery, positive psychology, pain education, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, neurofeedback, vision therapy, EMDR and creative arts that gave her her life back. I was the captain of that ship because none of her clinicians could put together a truly integrative symptom management approach.

This fueled my passion to mentor physicians to become the kind of physician that I wish my daughter had had. The thoughtful use of conventional medicine alongside complementary approaches, focused on supporting coping and symptom management, is the way to go! 

I created and led an integrative palliative medicine program at a community hospital to test the ideas on a larger population. It was beautiful and it worked.

Now it's time to spread this practice outside of my little world.

Come join me!