National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the ultimate resource for anyone who is looking for information about Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). With offices and laboratories in Bethesda, Maryland, NCCAM is a component of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It first opened in 1992, under the title of Office of Alternative Medicine. In November of 1996, it was designated a World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Traditional Medicine. Among NCCAM’s responsibilities is to conduct and sponsor (by offering grants) scientific research of CAM, training of CAM practitioners and distribution of information to health care professionals. They also work to integrate CAM methods into mainstream healthcare. The website, www.nccam.nih.gov, offers information about CAM including how to find a practitioner and what questions to ask while you are searching for one. They do not offer a referral service, but they do suggest ways to go about locating a practitioner.

For those who are in the CAM research field, NCCAM’s website offers information about applying for a grant and who is eligible to receive a grant from them. They provide advice on writing a grant with samples to view. When you’re ready to apply, you can do it right from the site. There is further information and advice for their grant holders. If you’re not in the field but would like to be, the website offers information about training and how to get involved in clinical trials. But you don’t need to be a CAM expert to find this website useful. It includes explanations of everything you need to know about CAM, from just what it is to what exactly a clinical trial entails. And there’s a medical dictionary, to help with those words that might be new (or you’ve heard them but never really knew what they meant). In the “health information” section, there is list of various topics with information about how they each relate to CAM, including acupuncture, various herbs, homeopathy, menopause, dietary supplements, arthritis, depression, chiropractic and cancer.

In the “News and Events” section, you can find information about upcoming meetings and lectures, a staff bibliography, and list of alerts and advisories and other information that is valuable to both the casual reader and the health care professional. The site includes the history of NCCAM as it has developed and progressed over the years, and also its legislative history. In the area and looking for an interesting place to visit with your family? You’ll find detailed information about locations of all the labs and offices (and the food court!) on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and rules about security. Looking for a new job in the healing field? There are listings for openings at NCCAM as well as the NIH, jobs for students and information about training and education as well. This site offers some great information to help professionals apply for federal jobs, and even offer information on expected pay and salary schedules.

Students may be interested to read about summer educational employment programs, combining school with work. NIH also offers summer internships. The site has useful links to lead you to the right place for more information. For specific training and career development, the site offers an extensive list of opportunities, for both undergraduate and post-graduate study. And if you are looking for creative ways to finance your ongoing education, the NIH offers loan repayment programs that can help make training opportunities affordable. In addition to loans, there are also training grants available.