Medicina Alternativa e Integrativa

A Minor with a Major Impact: A Holistic Health Interdisciplinary Program - Assessment & Alumni Data

Abstract

Tara L. Crowell*, Anthony Dissen, Mary Lou Galantino

The Holistic Health Minor (HHM) is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to advance the understanding of complementary and alternative health care through interprofessional education, critical thinking and evidence-based research that can be applied within a variety of different healthcare professions. This interdisciplinary minor provides students the knowledge and background necessary to understand relevant issues in the holistic health field by emphasizing the importance of Interprofessional Education and Information Literacy/Research Skills. This manuscript provides an overview of the minor’s curriculum, review of students’ capstone portfolios, essential learning outcome assessment and alumni data from graduates over the last 5 years. More specifically, this paper provides logistical data about the minor, students’ capstone portfolio instructions along with implementation, completion and assessment of this process through a grading rubric. Alumni data, both quantitative and qualitative data suggests long-term impact of the HHM in graduate’s personal and professional lives. Results of descriptive statistics and qualitative data indicate the majority of participants currently incorporate knowledge, obtained during their minor, in their daily lives. Over half of the participants reported obtaining the minor contributed to securing their first job upon graduation. This material can assist institutions in establishing or rethinking and expanding interdisciplinary programs educational and professional growth. Finally, this article touches on areas of future research needed to assess and strengthen similar program offerings with a focus on sustainable impact.