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Year 3: Clinic

Herbal Therapeutics/Considerations for Special Populations II 45 hours
An overview of practical strategies for addressing pathologies in the human system using herbal preparations, nutritional approaches, and lifestyle suggestions. The class will not only review generally accepted standards of herbal practice for specific conditions, but also explain how to tailor herbal formulas to individual constitutions, assess dosage and formulation requirements, and make recommendations for particular populations (such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, and specific chronic illnesses).

Supervised Clinical Practicum 200 hours
The opportunity for students to gain practical clinical experience. In the first half of the year, active participation in evaluation and formulation of protocols for clients of the free clinic will occur with direct supervision by a member of the core faculty. In the second half of the year, students will be expected to fulfill their remaining hours by scheduling their own clients drawn from the community, with access to a member of the core faculty for questions and support. Students will gain additional experience by shadowing their peers during the second half of the year.

Clinical Roundtable 90 hours
Weekly review and discussion of open cases.

Business Development 15 hours
Introduces the student to the variety of professional opportunities available to herbalists, as well as to the tools necessary for cultivating a successful business in the field. Students will identify their vision and mission for their future work, understand their personal gifts and challenges in maintaining a practice, and ultimately develop a business plan to implement after completion of the program. In addition, students will develop promotional materials for themselves, which they will use to build their student practice. The intention of this course is to provide students with the business confidence needed to support themselves upon completion of the program.

Skills for Complementary Professionals in the Western Medical Paradigm 30 hours
Introduction to some basic diagnostic tools used by the Western medical system: lab results, imaging, histology. Students will practice reviewing and understanding the information many clients bring with them to consultations, and learn how to effectively and confidentially communicate with conventional practitioners. The course will familiarize students with the purpose of tools such as the stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, and urine dips.

Materia Medica III 50 hours
Continued review of fifty additional botanical medicines, including: botany, harvesting, identification, preparation, dosage, indications and contraindications, phytopharmacology, energetics, historic and modern use, sustainable use, and relevant research. Students will research and prepare personal monographs.

Community Teaching Practicum 10 hours
Provides the student with the opportunity to hone their ability to effectively share information with the general public. As health educators, an extension of the work of herbalists is sharing our knowledge in community settings. This course requires students to prepare and teach workshops on basic herbal topics. Students will be given support and instruction in teaching methods appropriate to community health education. Student workshops will be offered free of charge as part of the service mission of VCIH.

Year 3 Total: 440

Back to the VCIH 3-year program; back to current classes

how to apply