Forum focuses on burgeoning field of alternative medicine

For once, modern technology has to take a back seat to more basic practices. That was the general consensus Tuesday night in Logan Hall, as the second annual Forum on Complementary and Alternative Medicine kicked off. Sponsored by the Multiculturalism Committee of the Graduate Students Association Council, the three-day forum brings several of the world's leading research and clinical experts to Penn this week to share their findings and discuss ideas related to the very controversial field of alternative medicine. The event, which was organized entirely by members of Penn's graduate student community, is expected to draw interest from students and faculty because of its relevance to various areas of academic study. "There's a lot of interest in alternative medicine across disciplines, especially among many of the groups represented by GSAC," forum organizer Jerome Bauer said. GSAC President Ina Warriner echoed those sentiments, saying, "One of the strengths we can get from this program is really bringing people together from across the disciplines, from folklore to mythology to the medical studies." Alternative medicine is commonly defined as those treatments which are generally not taught in medical schools, not practiced in typical hospitals and not reimbursed by most insurance carriers. Highlights of the forum's first day included presentations by Patrick Lariccia, director of acupuncture at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Narayan "Anil" Patel, one of the world's most well-known practitioners of "Ayueveda," a traditional Indian medical practice. Over the course of the three days, approximately 30 experts, clinicians and students are expected to present their research on various topics such as spirituality, aromatherapy, energy medicine and homeopathy. In addition, the final day of the event has been designed to honor the 25th anniversary of Penn's Women's Studies Department. Presenters on that day will discuss topics including home birthing and the various midwifery practices around the world. Yesterday's audience, a mixed group of approximately 30 graduate and undergraduate students, responded to the presentations with great interest, at one point delaying the agenda slightly with a constant flow of questions. College junior Elizabeth Jacobson, who is considering entering medical school upon graduation, was interested in the topic for its relevance to her field of study. She said that the forum provided "an excellent chance to get an overview of alternative medicines." This year's program was patterned on another conference on alternative medicine last year, which was also sponsored by GSAC's Multiculturalism Committee. "We've been committed to making sure that different kinds of the world's cultures are covered here at the university," forum organizer and School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Margaret Magat said. "We are hoping to build a popular base with this topic for years to come."