ABOUT SIM
Students for Integrative Medicine (SIM) is a student-based organization at UCLA that promotes awareness of evidence-based, integrative, and whole-person approaches to medicine and health. The healthcare paradigm we support not only focuses on disease prevention, but also inter-professionalism, holistic health, and person-oriented care.
WHAT IS INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE?
Integrative Medicine (IM) is the practice of medicine that combines conventional medicine with Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for which there is evidence of safety and effectiveness.
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CAM includes a wide range of practices - including whole medical systems, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, and Ayurvedic Medicine; mind-body medicine such as Yoga, meditation, and music therapy; biologically-based practices such as herbal medicine, natural food products, and vitamins; manipulative and body-based practices such as chiropractic treatment, osteopathic manipulation, and massage therapy; and energy therapies including reflexology, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Reiki.
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The goal of Integrative Medicine is to safely and appropriately merge the strengths of modern biomedicine with the strengths of whole-person healing in order to bring optimal care to patients and advance healthcare in the U.S.​
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WHAT IS SIM'S MISSION?
SIM encourages students to be aware of our current medical system, methods of self-care, and healing ideologies, while also learning from those across cultures. By providing a forum to learn, experience, share, and explore topics in Integrative Medicine, we aim to build a community of students interested in these topics and connect them with a network of professionals in various fields.
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WHEN DOES SIM HOLD MEETINGS?
SIM holds meetings every Thursday from 5-6pm, where we continue our speaker series or host self-care workshops and socials. For our speaker series, we invite professionals to discuss and demonstrate their expertise in their respective fields of Integrative Medicine. In the past, physicians from the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, acupuncturists, physiotherapists, music therapists, and more have come to our workshops to speak about their respective fields and interact with our members.
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WHAT IS THE YO SAN SHADOWING PROGRAM?
Yo San University (YSU) offers acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Masters and Doctorate programs, which includes practices in Qi Gong, Tai Chi, cupping therapy, electrical stimulation therapy, herbal medicine, and moxibustion. Our shadowing program offers students the unique opportunity to observe at Yo San's Blount Community Clinic and learn alongside YSU graduate interns. Participants gain first-hand experience of how a patient is treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine and how a diagnosis is reached by a practitioner.