Our faculty provide education to enrich and cultivate integrative medicine skills for medical students and promote the value of treating the whole person. Using evidence-based perspectives, graduates will be able to address and counsel patients in the use of integrative modalities, improving patient care and satisfaction.
The MSSP in Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine is designed to broaden students' knowledge and experience in the fields of Integrative medicine and Lifestyle medicine to expand the students' expertise as a future physician and to promote self-care and wellness.
Thanks to a generous investment from alumnus Stephen T. Turner, MD, COM75', the Osher Center was able to expand our Medical Student Scholars Program (MSSP) in Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine with three additional students this year.
Meet Our MSSP in Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine Students
2025 MSSP Students
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Ria Jindal“I believe the human body was built to thrive. Integrative medicine is the future of disease prevention.”
Education and Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2028
- Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University
- Research Assistant at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I look forward to learning about all the unique tools that Integrative Medicine has to offer. I want to use these insights as a physician to create comprehensive care plans that empower my patients to proactively manage their health. Ultimately, my vision is to build a healthcare model that emphasizes prevention and whole-person care.
Aadi Pallerla“I believe that our medical system and our communities can be improved by placing an increased emphasis on the way that cultures and lifestyles impact health.”
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine MD-MPH Candidate | Class of 2029
- Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Medical Anthropology, Minor in History from The Ohio State University
- Student researcher at the Spakowicz Lab at Ohio State University focused on the gut microbiome and diet-based interventions for cancer immunotherapy response
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
Studying medical anthropology, I learned about the importance of understanding the sociocultural side of medicine and its potential to improve patient outcomes without an excessive focus on surgical or pharmacological therapies. I am excited for the opportunity to apply some of the principles I learned and discover how evidence-based diet and lifestyle therapies can make meaningful contributions to the management and prevention of illness.
Marcus Grewal“Integrative medicine empowers individuals to take charge of their health by emphasizing prevention and promoting lifelong wellness.”
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2028
- Bachelors of Science in Biology from Stanford University
- Research assistant at the University of Chicago TMW Center for Early Learning, Lifestyle Medicine research intern at Apeiron Life
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I believe integrative and lifestyle medicine are the multidisciplinary cornerstone of treating chronic disease, and through this program I am excited to explore how this approach can impact patient care. I am eager to learn from a variety of physicians who value preventative medicine, and to develop the skills and tools to apply these techniques into my own career treating patients.
2024 MSSP Students
Adam Beucler"I believe that integrative and lifestyle medicine are the future of preventing disease and lessening pain."
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2027
- Bachelors of Science in Health Sciences from Furman University
- Volunteering experience working with community members to develop healthy diet and exercise habits as a FitRx coach
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I believe that integrative and lifestyle medicine are critical in developing a well-rounded and resourceful physician. In an age where chronic disease, polypharmacy, and reactionary procedures lead to high medical expenditures and adverse outcomes for patients, integrative and lifestyle medicine are extremely relevant.
Katie MacVittie
"I believe healthcare in America needs to shift more to preventative and lifestyle medicine, and I am so excited to be learning more about this approach so early in my medical education"
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2027
- Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania, Minors in Nutrition Science, Hispanic Studies, and Chemistry
- Medical Assistant at AIM for Wellbeing, an Integrative Medicine Clinic in Cincinnati, Volunteer at Hospice of Cincinnati
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I am excited to see how UC brings lifestyle medicine and modalities such as nutrition or acupuncture to patients with chronic disease and those undergoing cancer treatment. I am passionate about becoming a physician trained in Integrative Medicine and utilizing this holistic approach to improve the lives of my future patients.
Christen Lescallett
“My goal is to learn how to guide patients towards healthy lifestyle improvements that are implementable and change the course of their healthspan”
Education & Experience:
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate, Class of 2027
- Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the Ohio State University
- Experience as a research assistant studying housing for homeless youth, patient care associate for patients with disabilities, and volunteer at NNEMAP Food Pantry
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP program?
I hope to learn more about the field of Integrative Medicine so that I’m more prepared to provide patients with evidence-based options for complementary therapies and lifestyle changes, so that I can provide holistic and preventative care that’s impactful.
2023 MSSP Students
Nithya Trichy
"I want to improve the health of the community by educating and making healthy food options more affordable for under-resourced populations and, ultimately, alleviate food insecurities."
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2026
- Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences, Minors/Certificate in Public Health, Nutrition, and Global Health Studies from the University of Cincinnati
- She currently serves as a Bearcat Mentor and Lead Teacher at New Leaf Kitchen. She also helped develop the Bearcats Food Recovery Network, a public health program in partnership with the University of Cincinnati, to distribute extra food from campus dining locations to communities in need.
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I hope to learn about the cultural and historical backgrounds behind integrative therapies and the systemic challenges associated with implementing them. Utilizing this knowledge, I will read, learn, and share existing journals focused on current innovations in Lifestyle Medicine and Integrative Health with my colleagues during journal clubs and interest group meetings. After consolidating this information, I aspire to contribute to research oriented around identifying the health disparities that exist within the community and developing effective avenues to address them.
Megan Knauer“We must shift medicine to emphasizing prevention and meeting people where they’re at in their journeys. This begins with figuring out what patients can control, and what lifestyle factors are mutable.”
Education & Experience
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine M.D. Candidate | Class of 2026
- Bachelor of Sciences in Medical Utilitarianism from Duke University
- She also worked as a research assistant and as an intern at Duke University’s healthcare policy center
What do you hope to gain from participating in the Integrative Medicine MSSP Program?
I hope to participate in the integrative medicine MSSP because I want to understand how to incorporate stress management, dietary changes, and every other aspect of holistic care into my practice. Further, I want to make this model of care possible for every patient. Further, I want to make this model of care possible for every patient. I hope that participating in this MSSP program will expose me to the different tools that integrative medicine incorporates, will allow me to make connections with leaders in the field so I can discover where I can be useful in expanding this model, and will teach me to connect with patients in a way that sees each as their story, not as their diagnoses.
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Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine for Everyone (LIME)
In 2023, the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC, in partnership with the UC College of Medicine and with support from the Dean’s office, received grant funding from the Weil Foundation to integrate a new longitudinal wellness thread into the medical school curriculum focused on integrative and lifestyle medicine. The thread has been integrated into existing required coursework for all 1st and 2nd year medical students, transforming the way our medical school is positioned as a leader in advancing integrative and lifestyle medicine education and prevention for the next generation and has expanded UC medical students’ breadth of core competencies and evidence-based treatment options to empower them to be at the forefront of an emerging value-based care and prevention model in the approach to chronic disease.
Graduate Medical Education: Residency Education
The Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC has received grant funding from the Weil Foundation to create and implement a micro-learning pilot to increase knowledge and use of whole person care in residency education, beginning with a proposed pilot within the UC Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine in 2025/2026.
Leading this project will be Jennifer Molano, MD, Professor, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine; Osher Collaborative Faculty Fellow. Dr. Molano says, "As I went through the Osher Integrative Medicine Faculty Fellowship in 2023-24, I wondered how we can offer a primer on whole person care to residents in a way that is respectful of the variable and already packed schedules that they already have. This pilot is designed to address both of these areas."
This new micro-learning curriculum will provide learners with tools to implement a whole-person health care plan for their patients and can transform the way our healthcare workforce is positioned as leaders in advancing integrative medicine education and practice. While many comprehensive curricula in whole-person and lifestyle medicine exist, they often require 2-3 years for implementation. The proposed virtual micro-learning videos can enhance any specialty residency curriculum, with the goal of piloting the videos in neurology.
The benefits of whole person healthcare as a foundation of patient care, self-care and general well-being will ripple out into all areas of study and professional practice, with the potential to affect a system-wide cultural change and eventual policy shift that further makes the case for supporting integrative medicine, prevention and whole person healthcare education as a value-based care model.
Both the Weil Foundation and the Osher Center at UC are keenly focused on advancing integrative medicine education, and we strive to reach as many learners as possible through our programs, including student wellness retreats, interprofessional mind-body skills courses, on-campus mindful moment sessions, lectureships, and more. One of our overarching academic goals is to incorporate integrative medicine into the required medical school curriculum and into educational opportunities for our community. This curriculum integration is the next step toward increasing the visibility and availability of lifestyle and integrative medicine education for the GME/resident population, the future of healthcare.
Student Interest Groups & Wellness
Integrative Medicine Medical School Electives
Mind-Body Medicine Fourth Year Elective
The Mind-Body Medicine Elective provides students with self-care and reflection skills combined with group support to adaptively deal with stressors, leading to overall improved well-being and empathy, and ultimately healthier, balanced professionals. This course will focus on the evidence base and indication for use of mind‐body techniques in both a personal and professional/clinical setting.
Learning Objectives:
1.Describe the evidence base for a variety of mind-body medicine modalities including meditation, guided imagery, autogenic training, journal writing and movement and reflect on the ways these skills can be helpful both personally and professionally.
2.Articulate the importance of and create a plan for self-awareness and self-care for personal health and well-being and the importance of maintaining a balance between the intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual aspects of their lives as developing physicians.
3.Experience and practice a variety of mind-body techniques.
4.Understand the potential use of mind-body techniques for stress management, wellness promotion, lifestyle management and optimal learning performance both as students and as future physicians.
5.Conduct a scientific literature review and presentation in the area of mind-body medicine as it relates to a specific area of student interest.
Course Co-Directors: Barbara Walker, PhD (walkebr@ucmail.uc.edu) and Sian Cotton, PhD (cottons@ucmail.uc.edu)
Administrative Director: Kelly Lyle, MS, MHA (woosleka@ucmail.uc.edu)
Credit weeks: 2 (80 hrs)
Full time – 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Planetary Health and Medicine Online Fourth Year Elective
The Planetary Health and Medicine course will be a 4-week part-time elective. The first 3 weeks will be completed online, and students will be tasked with a reading list, prerecorded lectures, and other online curricula. At the end of this course, students will have a better understanding of the impacts of climate crisis on the individual health of their patients, the populations they care for, and the community in which they live.
The last week will be devoted to the development and submission of a proposal on climate crisis/sustainability, focused on improvement of practices within our hospital system, medical school, and the surrounding community. Students will address a topic from among the following categories: medical waste, food sustainability, clean air, clean water, or energy utilization. They will have the opportunity to engage community leaders, advocates, educators, and policymakers on how to implement solutions outlined in their submission. This climate and health proposal will contribute towards future policies and one that can be acted upon to improve the health and wellbeing of the patients at UC Health or the larger Cincinnati community.
The course will be offered in October and November, and then again in March and April with a maximum of 6 students in each block.
Course Director: Chad Coe, MD
M3/M4 Narrative Medicine Course
The field of Narrative Medicine was developed by Rita Charon, MD, PhD at Columbia University in 2000 and has since been integrated into Columbia’s clinical medical education curriculum. Over the years, many educators have followed suit as they have learned of the many benefits this type of training can have on budding physicians. Currently, there are almost 20 Colleges of Medicine that have incorporated Narrative Medicine into their curriculum, including, Harvard, Stanford, NYU, Yale, Duke, Georgetown and UCSF. Very simply, Narrative Medicine honors the story that the patient is telling. It fortifies clinical practice with the ability to recognize, absorb, interpret, and be moved by stories of illness. One of the biggest challenges in medicine is being able to understand that a patient's story is not just a description of symptoms, but an emotional, living narrative that is shared between the patient and clinician. The ultimate goal is for the patient to feel that their story has truly been heard by the physician. The ultimate goal for the physician is to better understand the patient’s needs. Consequently, the clinical encounter can become more therapeutic and can lead to self-reflection and empathy in the physician. Interestingly, Narrative Medicine workshops have been used to prevent burn-out which is an all too familiar issue. Many participants feel that they became more in touch with their human side and felt that their passions had been sparked again.
PREREQUISITES:
Students will need to have completed all M3 Core Clerkships.
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Contact Us
Osher Center for Integrative
HealthMedical Sciences Building Suite 4358
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670582
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0582
Mail Location: 0582
Phone: 513-558-2310
Email: osher.integrative@uc.edu
