HEAL-IM About Us Admissions Core Curriculum Culinary Medicine Elective Additional Opportunities Financial Support Our Team Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM) The UC Irvine School of Medicine HEAL-IM program is designed to provide a future generation of physicians with training and skills in integrative medicine. The program prepares medical students to be clinical leaders in effective, compassionate, whole-person care. Home Education Medical Education Mission-Based Programs HEAL-IM Admissions Core Curriculum Financial Support Additional Opportunities Our Team What is Integrative Medicine? Integrative medicine is a whole-person approach to healthcare. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or a single condition, integrative medicine involves the patient as an active partner in their care. Providers consider the complex interplay of biological, behavioral, social and environmental factors that influence well-being. This includes teaching self-care and self-management tools, as well as supporting healthy lifestyle behaviors that form the foundation for optimal health and wellness. This whole-person approach combines conventional treatments with evidence-informed therapies to deliver a patient-centered and personalized approach to care. By emphasizing lifestyle changes, healthy habits and proactive strategies, integrative medicine aims not only to treat disease but to prevent it — promoting long-term health and enhanced quality of life. “Being part of HEAL-IM has challenged me to think beyond the traditional boundaries of medicine and reconsider what it truly means to care for a patient. Through motivational interviewing, stress management and nonpharmacological approaches to treatment, I am learning that meaningful healthcare isn't simply about prescribing a treatment, but understanding the person behind the diagnosis, recognizing the factors that shape their health and empowering them to become active participants in their own care. -Lithinkhaa Mageswaran, MS1, 2026-27 Who is Part of HEAL-IM? UC Irvine HEAL-IM medical students represent the next generation of health care leaders. Each student brings a unique story and a shared commitment to whole-person care. Some students have championed health equity for underserved populations, while others bring firsthand familiarity with cultural healing traditions such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other time-honored practices from around the world. These rich and varied personal, professional and cultural backgrounds shape the way our students approach integrative medicine. Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute UC Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) created the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM) in partnership with the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Students learn from the institute’s clinical faculty and researchers at seminars and conferences, and by rotating through the SSIHI clinic to observe integrative and interdisciplinary approaches. Learn More About SSIHI Why Us? The combination of training in evidence-based integrative care, together with the core medical school curriculum foundation of cutting edge conventional treatment, gives HEAL-IM students the unique knowledge and skills they will need to provide their future patients with the most effective, compassionate, whole person medical care for the 21st century. Unique Program Focused on Integrative Health UC Irvine School of Medicine is one of the few medical schools in the country to offer a 4 year longitudinal educational training track in Integrative Health, equipping medical students to be future leaders in effective, compassionate, whole-person care that will benefit their patients no matter what specialty they plan on going into. Exposure Across a Broad Spectrum Students accepted into the HEAL-IM program participate in a variety of didactic and experiential training opportunities taught by a diverse and experienced multidisciplinary faculty from across the spectrum of Integrative Health which help provide a broad exposure to the tools and philosophies of integrative medicine. Counts Toward Elective Time HEAL-IM students may also choose to use elective time to complete additional selected integrative medicine certificate training in areas such as biofeedback, acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation techniques, medical hypnosis or culinary medicine to support innovative integrative medicine practice in their future careers. Giving Your gift supports training of medical students in foundational elements of integrative health, so they can help build a future in which wellness will be systematically promoted and chronic disease prevented. Support Our Mission Contact Us For more information about our Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM) program, please contact Laurie Skorheim, HEAL-IM Program Coordinator. Reach Out