Integrative Healthcare: An Exploration of Students Who Choose This Undergraduate Major.

Objective: Given the dearth of literature on this topic, the aim of this study was to understand who chooses to study integrative healthcare at an academic institution and why they choose to do so, the demographic characteristics of the student population, their background, and postgraduate plans.

Design: A cross-sectional survey design.

Setting: Data were collected at a large, urban, public university with a well-established undergraduate bachelor of science program in integrative healthcare.

Participants: A total of 105 declared integrative health undergraduate majors.

Measurements: Online research software collected anonymous survey responses during a 2-month period.

Results: Survey participants were more likely to be white and full-time students compared with the general undergraduate population. Many respondents discovered the integrative health major and then decided to enroll at the university. Most had used complementary and alternative medicine modalities, such as massage, yoga, and meditation. More than half of the survey participants were dissatisfied with conventional/Western medicine and its providers. Most respondents had a personal interest in complementary and alternative medicine and holistic health that influenced their decision to declare the major. Additionally, more than half of the respondents want to become a complementary and alternative medicine provider. Most survey participants plan to pursue postgraduate training/education in an integrative healthcare-related field.

Conclusion: Students who choose to study integrative healthcare in an undergraduate academic institution may mirror the patient population of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners. Their profile, rationale, exposures, intentions, and directions may be helpful to universities considering adding this type of program or postgraduate education programs in attracting new students to integrative health fields. It also informs existing integrative healthcare programs regarding program enhancement. A larger sample involving more integrative health academic institutions would be useful for a future study.