In today's complex world, with an ever increasing number of therapies on offer, those seeking traditional medical treatment have become discerning and demanding about the qualifications and professionalism when choosing a therapist to help with their health problem.
Membership of the International Register of Consultant Herbalists and Homoeopaths not only gives the practitioner the status of belonging to a professional Register established for over thirty years, but also allows any member of the public to have confidence that they are consulting a competent, well-trained, bona-fide, professional Registered Practitioner who conforms to a Code of Ethics and holds a valid Malpractice Insurance Certificate.
Members of the IRCH benefit from the campaign being made on their behalf by the EHPA (European Herbal Practitioners Association) & CORH (Council of Organisations Registering Homoeopaths) respectively, to ensure not only the survival of the tradition of both Herbal and Homoeopathic Medicine in this country and abroad, but the continuous increase in standards of these therapies.
A valid Malpractice Insurance Certificate is obligatory for members of the IRCH and a copy of the certificate must be produced when applying for full Membership.
Every October, the IRCH holds a Conference on relevant topics for both student and full Members. It is a unique opportunity for an exchange of ideas and mutual support.
At the Annual General Meeting, the officers of the Executive Council report on the various activities of the association during the previous year. Proposals for future projects and activities are heard and far-reaching decisions relating to the future of Herbal and Homoeopathic medicine are taken. For those students pursuing the Professional Diploma, the ensuing program of lectures and workshops constitutes another period of training. Full Members are required to attend as part of CPD (Continued Professional Development).
Families and friends of both Practitioner
Members, Student Members AND Associate Members are cordially invited to this
venue, which takes place over an October weekend.
The Annual Conference is currently being held in the Gables Inn, Falfield, Gloucestershire. (click here for a map) (click here for a picture)
All members and student members receive regular Newsletters, keeping them up to date with changes in the fields of Herbal and Homoeopathic medicine, the general activities of the Registered Office and its Executive Council.
The IRCH publishes The Journal of Natural Medicine for practitioners of Herbal and Homoeopathic medicine. It is provided free to all members and student members and regularly features news and views from the profession, Materia Medica of Herbal and Homoeopathic Medicine, details of upcoming books, up-to-date reports of research and case histories, as well as major articles by some of the leading practitioners and researchers in our allied professions. There is a Student Corner and contributions from all full and student members are most welcome.
The Journal of Natural Medicine is
also available by subscription to other interested parties and through public
libraries.
The IRCH regularly publishes a Register of its Members, a copy of which can be obtained by contacting the Registered Office. A copy can also be found of this website. Anyone wishing to consult an IRCH member may telephone for details of their local practitioner or visit the IRCH website at www.irch.org.
Information about the IRCH with its
address and telephone/fax number regularly appears in relevant periodicals,
books, on various databases and other information resource facilities, including
the Internet.
Becoming a Student Member is a prerequisite of the IRCH. The membership includes free subscription to the Journal of Natural Medicine, a Register of Members, regular Newsletters, help and advice on any relevant matter. Information on Seminars organised both by the IRCH and other relevant professional bodies with preferential attendance fees, where appropriate.
Associate Membership is open to the public and all friends of the IRCH who would like to show their support to a professional, traditional medicines organisation. It includes free subscription to the Journal of Natural Medicine, Register of Members and invitation to Annual General Meetings. Associate Members may also apply to attend seminars and workshops.
The practical aspect of training to become a practitioner of Herbal or Homoeopathic Medicine cannot be emphasised enough. It is estimated that during the years of tuition, a student will experience over four hundred contact hours of which a minimum of one hundred hours are spent on a one to one basis at approved Clinics and under close supervision of a qualified Herbal or Homoeopathic Consultant.
These take place every Spring, Summer, Autumn and at other times of the year and are intended to expand upon the subjects learned in the home-study lessons. Seminars offer fresh information, insights, practical experience and an opportunity for meeting with tutors and other students. All seminars are held during weekends. The following is a minimum requirement for Seminar attendance for the professional course:
|
Module 1
|
Anatomy &
Physiology
|
3 Seminars
|
1 Field Day
|
|
Module 2
|
Naturopathy
|
3 Seminars
|
1 Field Day
|
|
Module 3
|
Materia Medica
|
3 Seminars
|
1 Field Day
|
|
Module 4
|
Herbal Medicine
|
10
Clinical Skills
|
1 Pathology
Seminar
|
|
Module 5
|
Principles of
Homoeopathy
|
3 Seminars
|
3 Field Days
(to be completed before graduation)
|
| Module 6 | Homoeopathic Medicine | 8 Clinical Skills |
1 Pathology
Seminar
|
|
Module 7
|
Practice Management
|
No Seminars
|
|
|
Conference
|
Lectures/Workshops
|
1 Weekend Annually
|
* Autumn & Spring Seminars are currently being held in the Bristol Inn, Falfield, Gloucestershire, GL12 8DL. (Formely the 'Gables Inn'.)
(click here for a map) (click here for a picture)
The student's progress is evaluated
by continuous assessment and formal written examinations which are held annually,
on the Friday prior to the Annual Conference in October.
All question papers are based on the lesson text and set textbooks. The examiners'
decisions are, in each case, final and not negotiable. Proficiency certificates
are issued upon successfully completing examinations of each Module.
No examinations are required and seminars and clinical training are optional for home-study without intention to practice.
Whichever path is chosen, the tutors will guide the student through the different courses with equal consideration. The student may apply to the Registered Office within the first year to have his/her status reversed. The IRCH hopes that all students will enjoy their work and benefit personally in every way.
Members can issue "Sick Certificates" to patients for presentation at branches of the DHSS for payment of sick benefit during incapacity.
The IRCH believes that the most important qualities in the prospective student are an eagerness to learn, the ability to dedicate sufficient time to study, maturity and an enthusiasm for safe traditional medicines. Thus, previous formal academic qualifications are not required for entry into courses run by the Faculty of Herbal Medicine and the Homoeopathic Foundation. Entry, however, is not automatic and the prospective student is required to provide a current curriculum vitae (CV) with their application and attend an interview at the Registered Office where mutual discussion can take place, giving both parties the advantage of knowing one another and establishing a good working rapport with the right support for the student.
Membership is not automatic upon completion of all work. It is bestowed upon the successful completion of all work and requirements for the Herbal or Homoeopathic Faculty and the approval of the Examination Board.
The IRCH operates a 'pay-as-you-learn' scheme for students, allowing them to commence their studies without an excessive financial burden. Full details of current tuition fees and deferred payments can be found on the application and booking forms found with this Prospectus.
Career Development Loans (CDLs) are available and are given usually for a period of 2 or 3 years, during which time the government pays the interest. The balance should be re-paid within 5 years of completion of the Course. Students may also be eligible for a grant.
Further information and forms can be obtained from the Career Development Loan, Co-operative Bank, Tel. 0845 7212 212 or telephone 0845 609 0060, Royal Bank of Scotland, Tel. 0800 121 127 or any branch of the Barclays bank.
For up-to-date information on CDL's, click here.
For a current cost of our course, click here (for a .pdf version, click here)
Please print, fill in and forward us, by post, the application and booking form provided on this web page. You should complete the details and sign the declaration where appropriate. Please send this with the correct course fee, Student Membership fee, full CV and two recent passport-sized photographs to the Registered Office. Please telephone during office hours to arrange a suitable time for attendance at an interview. Your cheque will be kept on file pending acceptance and registration following the interview.
The IRCH training is increasingly attracting students who reside outside the United Kingdom who can take the home study courses (which must be paid for in sterling) on the same terms as UK resident students.
Students with limited or non-attendance of Seminars, Clinical Training or the Annual Conference abide by the rules and regulations of their own country, but cannot practice in the UK.
More information on all these aspects of training, particular course contents and structures can be found under the individual course entries of this Prospectus.
Further details may be obtained upon request by telephone/fax/e-mail or post from the Registered Office.
Last updated 11/9/2007