Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Utilization Rates in New Mexico: Recommendations for Marketing and Mentorship between Professionals and Students

This paper aims to engage in the process of closing those gaps by discussing specific areas related to CAM. First, to provide a national context of CAM, authors discuss industry size and ethnicity based utilization trends in the US. Second, to survey CAM usage levels across ethnic groups in the state of New Mexico. Third, to explore potential engagement strategies for underserved communities in New Mexico through marketing, continuing education, and mentorship. Lastly, to discuss contextual issues such as cultural appropriation and the ethical questions involved in integrating these therapies into the menu of mainstream healthcare options. The literature is consistent in its declaration that CAM usage varies by ethnicity [5-7, but whether that variability is replicated in New Mexico or not requires further investigation.