All patients with valid appointments for US internal medicine resident teaching clinics at two publicly supported centres were surveyed about current medications and a variety of CAM modalities. Medical records were reviewed for demographic information and to confirm diagnoses, allergies, medications and any documented adverse effects. Use of CAM was common in 85.4% of patients, including those using some form of diet, exercise and prayer. A smaller number (32.3%) were currently using alternative healthcare providers and products. About 5% of the population used six products or more.