Abstract:Background: In view of the increasing popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), it is imperative that medical students, the health professionals of tomorrow, possess adequate knowledge on the topic. Objectives: This is a descriptive study designed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of medical students about CAM and to capture their perceptions and opinions about its integration into the medical curriculum. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was done on 198 medical students selected randomly from a Pakistani medical college. Associations between different variables were tested using the χ2-test of significance. Results: Among the 198 participants, a majority believed that some of the CAM modalities are useful; they lacked knowledge, however, about their safety and efficacy. Most of the students believed that it should be used in conjunction with conventional medicine and that, if given adequate training, they would incorporate it in their future medical practice. One-third of the respondents voted in favor of incorporation of CAM into the medical curriculum. Conclusion: Despite being aware of the usefulness of CAM only a few medical students had pursued further knowledge. In order to prepare the medical students of today to better fulfill their duties as tomorrow's physicians, consideration should be given to incorporating CAM in the medical curriculum.

This report describes the case of a 45-year-old woman with a history of Behçet’s disease and complex regional pain syndrome of her legs who presented with severe pain and swelling in her left lower extremity. The patient was initially diagnosed with exacerbation of complex regional pain syndrome, which fit the symptom complex of hyperalgesia, oedema and skin temperature changes. However, after unsuccessful attempts at significant pain relief during admission, CT angiography demonstrated occlusion of the left common and external iliac arteries, a limb-threatening emergency. This case describes an example of anchoring bias, a type of cognitive bias in which there is a tendency to rely too heavily on an initial piece of information, the ‘anchor’, when making decisions. This report emphasises that clinicians should be aware of biases when making decisions and avoid anchoring bias by asking themselves if their diagnosis is influenced by any leading pieces of information.

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