[Attitude of medical students to alternative healing methods]

In Austria, the interest in alternative healing is obviously increasing, particularly among aspiring physicians. Several separate surveys were carried out by the Institute of Social Medicine in Graz among established physicians, general practitioner trainees and students of the Medical Faculty in order to learn something about their attitudes to alternative therapies. The surveys were directed towards the acceptance or refusal and the utilization of main alternative practices. The attempts show the difficulties in obtaining valid information. Only two satisfied the stringent criteria for the evaluation. This showed that popularity of alternative medicine was pronounced with students. The interest could be explained in part by the insufficiencies in the quality of medical education and by the influence of biased mass media.