Here's some exerpts from the American Herbalist Guild on Herbal Education Guidelines.
http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/
Recommended Hours of Training
Hours of Study...........................1200
Clinical Hours...............................400
Total Hours of Study..............1600
Core Curriculum - 7 Recommended Modules
These hours can be obtained through correspondence, self-study, and university courses.
1. Basic Human Sciences - Total Hours 200
Anatomy
Physiology
Pathology
Biochemistry
Medical Terminology
Nutrition
2. Botany and Plant Identification - Total Hours 60
Plant Identification
Ethical Wildcrafting and Sustainability
Harvesting
Field Identification Procedures and Safety
3. Materia Medica / Therapeutic Herbalism - Total Hours 400
The student should have a core knowledge of 150 plants. Study should include the following for each plant:
Dosages and Dosage Forms
Historical Uses
Botanical Name
Major Plant Constituents
Parts Used
Therapeutic Actions and Applications
Indications/Contraindications/Cautions
Toxicology/Potential Adverse Effects
Review of the Literature
Harvestable Status
Plant Families
Specific Life Cycles (i.e., pregnancy, elderly)
4. Pharmacy, Pharmacognosy and Dispensing - Total Hours 80
Plant Chemistry and Pharmacology
Herbal Formulation
Basic Principles of Medicine Making
Modes of Administration/Delivery
Maintaining a Dispensary
Raw Material Identification
Laws Regarding Labeling and Dispensing
Dispensing Strategies
Herb-Drug Interactions
5. Clinical Skills - Total Hours 400
Counseling Skills
Personal Development and Professionalism
Physical Assessment Skills/Constitutional Analysis
Laboratory Findings Assessment
Dosing Strategies
Interview and Case Taking Skills
Record Keeping for the Clinical Herbalist
History Assessment
Lifestyle/Wellness Counseling
Nutritional and Dietary Counseling
Informed Consent and Disclosure
6. Career Preparation / Practice Development / Ethics - Total Hours 20
Understanding AHG Ethics
Maintaining Records
Professional Networking & Referral
Scope of Practice (still being developed)
Confidentiality, Legal and Legislative Issues
Basic Small Business Management
Promoting and Marketing and Herbal Practice
7. History & Philosophy / Introduction to Research - Total Hours 40
Philosophy of Western Herbalism
History of American Herbalism
World Models of Herbal Medicine
Additional Clinical Hours Requirement: 400
Some Suggestions for Achieving Educational Guidelines for the Guild:
Keep an updated resume.
Document every class or workshop you take. Include the following information: title of course, number of in-class hours (breaks not counted), topics learned, instructor name, address, phone number, email address.
Keep a scrapbook that includes certificates of completion of workshops and courses.
Get letters of recommendation from teachers or herbalists or clinicians who know you well.
To get teachers to know you, work with them, engage them in conversation at symposiums, contact them for assistance.
Attend symposiums, weekend workshops and take college courses, but make sure they count towards the hours you need.
Follow the AHG Code of Ethics.
Achieve these hours within 7 years time.
Write up and use a full disclosure/informed consent form with all clients.
Some Ways to Achieve the 1200 Coursework Hours:
Correspondence course on herbal medicine. Check to see which ones qualify.
Residential course on herbal medicine. Check to see which ones qualify.
Short herb workshops, either correspondence or on-site.
College or community college courses, seminars or workshops.
Herb symposiums and conferences. (Number of credit hours attained is limited.)
Tapes from herb symposiums and conferences. (Number of credit hours attained is limited.)
Some Ways to Achieve the 400 Clinical Work Hours:
Use the AHG Mentorship Program.
Attend clinical training intensives.
Volunteer your clinical skills at herb clinics. (Client contact or case discussion counts only.)
Sit in on cases with an herbal practitioner.
Keep thorough case records of all client contact.
Be sure to document everything carefully and make sure the experience is counted towards the 400 hours.
Check out the links on this site. They list some of places you can take courses and which ones are online. Good Reading!
Night!
