Background Anthroposophic Medicine (AM) belongs to the holistic medical systems. It considers four layers of man in diagnosis and therapy: physical, vital, emotional and I(ego)-organization. Since 2004, an optional curriculum in Integrative Medicine was established at Witten/Herdecke University in Germany with the goal to complement conventional medicine with Anthroposophic Medicine. The Integrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM) is inserted in the regular curriculum over full length (6 years) including clinical clerkships in different specialities. Setting Paediatrics are taught at UWH at year 4, mainly based on a 4-week clerkship. A clerkship in integrative paediatrics was implemented and fully integrated in the regular curriculum since 2006. In 2008 didactics were changed towards student- and patient-centeredness. Research questions (a) How do students rate this integrative paediatric clerkship compared to the conventional ones? (b) Do more students get attracted to this clerkship if didactics change towards student- and patient-centeredness? Methods and outcome measures: Comparison of intervention group (IG) and 2 control groups (CG). CG were students of the same year in a paediatric clerkship at two different teaching hospitals. Quantitative analysis of: (a) Questionnaire concerning 1. self-reported number of explored patient (complete history taking and physical examination), 2. students’ judgement on effectiveness (relation learning benefit to time spent in hospital), 3. overall rating. (b) Development of number of applicants for integrative paediatric clerkship. Results (a) Of the 36 participants 26 answered (overall return rate 72.2%). Subgroup analysis: intervention/CG 1/CG 2: 75.0/73.3/69.2% 1. Students reported mean=12.0 patient explorations in IG (CG 1/2: 4.8/7.4). 2. Effectiveness – rated on 9-point Likert scale (1—very bad; 9—very good) – had highest ratings in IG: mean=8.3±SD 0.82 (CG1: 7.6±1.57; CG2: 3.4±1.88). 3. Overall rating: IG scored highest (same scale): mean=8.8±SD 0.41 (CG1: 8.2±1.08; CG2: 4.7±2.00). (b) Number of applicants raised 53.8–61.5% from N =7–8 (2006–2008) to N =13 (in 2009). Conclusions Changing the didactics towards more patient- and student-centeredness in an integrative paediatric clerkship was very well accepted and led to a high increase of applicants. Further research is necessary to see if effects are long-lasting, qualitative research might uncover specific experiences students gain in this new setting.