Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the difference between the diploma and a BSc?

Those who successfully complete the Professional Course are awarded a Diploma in Herbal Medicine, which confers eligibility to apply for membership of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, the largest and oldest professional body of herbal practitioners in the UK. The course involves study up to the equivalent of Level 6 (i.e. BSc level) but we have intentionally chosen a diploma award in order to offer a fully comprehensive training and broad-based clinical apprenticeship at a more affordable fee.

How does the Professional course compare to an MSc in Herbalism?

The Professional Course is at the level of an undergraduate honours degree (encompassing levels 4, 5 and 6) and is designed to educate students in the clinical practice of Western herbal medicine. An MSc in Herbal Medicine is a post-graduate qualification (level 7) and is not usually seen as sufficient, on its own, to meet the requirements to practice that are placed on individuals by professional bodies of practitioners, such as the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Is there a difference between achieving a Diploma or degree in terms of acceptance to the professional and the reality of practising professionally upon completion?

No. The key factor is recognition of the qualification by a professional body of practitioners. We are one of only three educational institutions that are currently training students that are recognized as conferring eligibility to apply to become members of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.  

Approximately, how many hours of study is the course a week?

A professional training course demands a serious investment of time.

For the 4 year course, the recommended study time is 21-30 hours per week depending on the demands of the course at the particular time and relevant prior learning. For the 6 year course the recommended study time is 14 to 21 hours per week. 

Of these hours, 30-50% would typically be computer based (watching videos and completing online tasks, attending webinars, and completing quizzes and short tests). The remainder comprises directed or self-directed background reading, research and project work, tutorials, residential gatherings and herb garden projects. Students are expected to engage in their studies for at least 40 weeks of the year.

I haven’t completed your Foundation Course, am I able to enrol directly on to the Professional Course?

Students do not normally enrol on the Professional Course without having completed a suitable Foundation Course (such as the Heartwood Foundation Course), except in cases where previous educational or professional experience qualifies them to register. We can supply a list of suitable Foundation courses on request.

Where are the clinics based and how are the clincal hours organised?

The clinical training is managed and overseen by Heartwood.

When clinical training commences during the second or third year (dependent on which pathway you follow), an initial 100 hours will need to be completed with the Heartwood Online Clinic which are currently run on weekdays. Students will then organise placements for themselves from our list of approved herbalists. Since most of our herbalists are based within the UK, students who are in different time zones will need to also carefully consider this. Please also bear in mind that it may not always be possible for you to attend the closest clinic to you.

Please email us at admin@heartwoodteam.net for an up-to-date list.

Is it possible to complete the Professional Course without the clinical element?

The professional course is a training course for herbal practitioners, and the clinical element is an integral part of that training.

I live overseas, am I still able to enrol onto the Course?

For overseas students, we work on a case-by-case basis to establish training clinics in all relevant territories for those who cannot travel to the UK. Such clinics already exist in North America and Canada.

I work full time, am I able to enrol on this Course?

Yes. The provision of the 6 year course has been designed specifically for students who have other demands on their time, to ensure that they do not feel that they have to make compromises either in the training or in their other commitments, and in particular, there is time to complete some of your clinical training after the main academic modules are complete.

Can the course be completed in a shorter time period than 4 years?

The training is already very concentrated and it would not be realistic to complete it in a shorter time than 4 years.

Does your approach value scientific knowledge or tradition more highly?

Science and tradition are woven together throughout your studies. Science provides us with an understanding of how the body works, what happens when things go wrong and how to examine patients as well as useful information on the activities and applications of herbal medicines. Tradition, including the experience of contemporary herbalists and authors, provides us with much of our materia medica and therapeutic knowledge and pharmacy skills. Nicholas Culpeper, the famous 17th century herbalist, said that good medicine required the attendance of Dr Reason, Dr Tradition and Dr Experience. We hope that our course follows in that tradition. 

Do you teach herbal energetics?

We have a range of tutors who contribute to the materia medica and therapeutics modules on the course. These tutors draw on diverse sources, including various understandings of energetics. We don’t teach degrees of heat, cold, damp and dry, but tutors encourage you to get to know the herbal medicines as directly as possible, including through tasting them and knowing them as living plants, which we believe is a very useful way of getting to know them energetically. 

What is your approach to nutrition?

We don’t teach a particular approach to nutrition that is suitable for everyone. Instead, while we do encourage the importance of diversity of whole foods in diets, and the value of plant foods (we are herbalists, after all), dietary suggestions for conditions and presentations are made where appropriate within the herbal therapeutics and integration modules.   

Why is the Heartwood Professional Course more demanding than some other courses?

Our Professional Course involves around 3,600 hours of study and 500 hours of clinical training. It is certainly a big commitment. But it is a training course for practitioners who will face a wide range of situations in which the depth and type of knowledge covered in many of the teaching units are absolutely essential. The study required in some other courses is equivalent to our Foundation Course, which we consider to be in no way suitable as training for a professional medical herbalist, and which we generally ask people to undertake before engaging on the Professional Course.

Without exception, the teaching staff have encountered patients facing difficult medical choices, sometimes life-threatening ones. It is important in those situations to understand in proper depth what is going on, how one can help and where the limits to herbal treatment lie. 

It is also important to be able to correspond with other health professionals on a basis of shared understanding and mutual respect. A practitioner should, when reading a doctor’s report, for example, fully understand not only the medical terminology used but also the clinical reasoning. Not to do so makes meaningful exchange and potential collaboration impossible, and that is very much not in the patient’s best interest.

This type of communication with other health professionals is also invaluable in establishing a thriving practice. Many doctors are frustrated by seeing patients with long-term problems that are hard to treat safely with pharmaceutical drugs and would like to be able to do more. It helps greatly if they can refer such patients to a practitioner whose treatment is gentle, safe and effective, and in whose professionalism they can be fully confident.

And lastly, there is the need for self-evaluation, research and communication that enable the profession to grow and to be taken seriously by the wider world. This is what being in a profession really means.

We do not claim to be the only course to offer such thorough training, and we are only too happy for there to be a choice. But we are very firmly committed to offering the standards we would like the public to be able to expect in all herbal practitioners.

Will the course curriculum change during my studies?

Heartwood is constantly involved in a process of review and improvement to benefit our students and to remain faithful to the spirit of the accreditation process with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. As part of the process of improvement, we may make some changes to module content or the order in which modules are taught, but the curriculum outline given here will not change dramatically. We notify students of any changes as they occur, usually via announcements on the online learning management system used to host all Heartwood courses.

What if my personal circumstances change and I need to take a year out from my studies?

Yes, this is possible. The stipulation is that the 4 Year Course pathway is completed within 6 years and the 6 Year Course within 8 years. Students are able to switch between pathways at appropriate points if their circumstances change. 

Since all of the study is online, if a student is having an issue or struggling with a topic how would this be best resolved – i.e. what support is there to overcoming these types of situations?

Since all of the study is online, if a student is having an issue or struggling with a topic, how would this be best resolved – i.e. what support is there to overcome these types of situations?
 In addition to the online studies, you have access to the following opportunities: 

• Herbal Medicine Study Library at Emerson College, Sussex. 
• a personal tutor scheme
• a vibrant student forum for each student group as well as a community forum
• regular live webinars with Module tutors

Cost

The cost of the course substantially less than that of a degree course and allows students the flexibility to complete their studies around work, family commitments. As a matter of policy, the Charity aims to promote professional education at minimum cost to help avoid students incurring debt.

Completion of modules

A new lesson in each module component is posted each week, but learners always have access to all previous lessons for the entire year of study in which they are engaged so that they can adapt their study routine to their personal timetable. However, the end of term and end of year summative assessments must be completed according to terms set out in the relevant assessment briefs.

Do I need to attend all the webinars?

Heartwood webinars are live events, but they are always recorded and archived so that they are available for all learners to view at any time. 

Moreover, you are still able to post questions to the webinar leader after you have viewed a recording, so missing a live webinar session because of family, work or other prior commitments will neither detract from your learning nor adversely affect your fulfilment of assessment criteria.

Do you have international recognition?

No UK trainings in Herbal Medicine have formal international recognition, but membership of the NIMH is respected world wide.

Career opportunities

The majority of graduates go on to set up in private practice as professional medical herbalists, and on the Professional Course we cover the process of setting up, developing and managing a practice in great detail. Many practitioners develop networks with local GPs and other practitioners, and again we offer guidance about this process. After some time in practice, opportunities may arise for teaching in the field of medical herbalism, and for some practitioners this is an important part of their work portfolio. Some herbalists choose to move into product manufacturing and herbal supply, and also into growing and herbal horticulture. Whatever path is chosen, there is a network of support offered.

What next?

Successful completion of the on-line course and clinical training scheme leads to the award of a Diploma in Herbal Medicine which confers eligibility to apply for membership of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, thus enabling graduates to practice as professional consulting medical herbalists.