Sections
Medical Education: Introduction | Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Habits | Training Initiatives on Substance Use Disorders in
Medical School | Training Initiatives on Substance Use Disorders in
Residency | Postresidency Training Initiatives on Substance Use
Disorders | Observations About Effective Educational Strategies | Persistent Barriers to the Diagnosis and Referral
of Substance-Abusing Patients | Conclusion | Key Points | References
Excerpt
During the past five decades, there has been
an increasing awareness of the need for improvement in substance
abuse education for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians.
In 1956, the annual report of the American Medical Association emphasized
that alcoholism is an illness and should be regarded within the
purview of medical practice. This set the stage for a series of "milestones" outlined by Lewis (1990) that included a federally funded Career Teacher Program
in 1971, the establishment of several specialty organizations (e.g.,
the American Society of Addiction Medicine [ASAM],
initially known as the American Medical Society on Alcoholism; the
Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse;
and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry [AAAP]),
and the development of fellowships in alcoholism and substance abuse
(Galanter and Burns 1993).