UIHC release/edit
10/21/22
Students at the Carver College of Medicine will now be required to receive addiction treatment training as part of their curriculum starting next semester.
In a release from University of Iowa Health Care, it’s estimated that about 40 million Americans meet the clinical criteria for addiction involving nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs, yet only 10% of those with addiction receive treatment, according to a study by the nonprofit Center on Addiction.
As the main health care contact for many patients, primary care physicians are often the first to discover mental or behavioral health issues, including addiction. However, many physicians lack the skills to diagnose and treat addiction, largely because addiction treatment has not historically been included in medical education.
Carver College of Medicine recently received a $450,000 grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This year’s College of Medicine graduating class also petitioned for the requirement.
You can see more on the development of the new curriculum at this link: