Capacity Building in Research on Traditional Medicine: Experience of a Workshop Conducted under the Aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research

Abstract

Training healthcare professionals in research methodology is essential to promote research and innovation. This is particularly relevant in India, where there is a wealth of potential drug candidates from Indian Traditional Medicine (TM) systems that await exploration and scientific validation using modern medicine principles. Surprisingly, there is a lack of reported activities to train modern medicine practitioners in TM research in the literature. Recognising this need, a structured training program was planned and conducted under the auspices of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to train modern medicine practitioners in TM research. A survey was conducted among modern medicine practitioners to assess training gaps and identify key areas to be covered in the workshop modules. The workshop received a positive response, as evidenced by the numerous registration applications and positive feedback from participants. The present article shares the experiences of conducting the pilot workshop, which may serve as a valuable resource for planning similar workshops.