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HOMOEOPATHY By Laurel Alexander First published in "Health Advisor" magazine Would you like to work for yourself, helping people back to good health? DO you enjoy listening and diagnosing? Then a career in homoeopathy might suit you. Over 200 years ago, a German doctor, Samuel Hahnemann discovered
a newa pproach to healing sickness which he called homoeopathy.
Today, it has evolved into a sophisticated and complete system
of medicine.
There are many homoeopathic courses on offer so you need to be selective in choosing a training route. Any school or college offering courses resulting in a qualification should be associated with the Society of Homoeopaths. Correspondence courses are not regarded by the Society as adequate preparation for professional practice. 1978 saw the first non-correspondence course for lay practitioners offered through the College of Homoeopathy in London. They offer a course which can be taken full or part-time. The British School of Homoeopathy offers a four-year, part-time course to those without any medical qualifications comprising of 11 weekend seminars and 20 hours of home study per week. The London School of Homoeopathy offers both a four-year, full-time and a four-year, part-time course. Applicants need to be over 21 and have GCSE human biology. The Faculty of Homoeopathy offer postgraduate courses to qualified doctors and other medically qualified orthodox health practitioners who wish to extend their skills and knowledge into the field of homoeopathy. Qualified doctors practising homoeopathy may work within an NHS environment while homoeopaths who are not medically qualified usually work from their own practice or in a natural health clinic. Most homoeopaths are self-employed and while formal training leads to a solid grounding in homoeopathic knowledge and application, additional skills which would prove useful include:
Once you're qualified Pema Sanders is a practising homoeopath with over 12 years' experience. Her initial interest with natural health arose from a history of back problems and an involvement with osteopathy. An additional interest in nutrition led to her working for Weleda (makers of aromatherapy and beauty products) and through this, she developed an awareness of herbalism and homoeopathy. As she wanted a career which was flexible enough to go hand in hand with motherhood, she decided to take the part-time course at the College of Homoeopathy and began working from home in the early 1980s with help from the Government's Enterprise Scheme. Initially Pema rented
a room in a clinic one day per week (costs range from £40
per day - this included the hire of a room plus a receptionist).
Now she works primarily from home in a separate
room. A typical working week covers four consulting days, seeing
no more than ten patients per day, plus one day a week for administration.
An hour every day is put aside to deal with telephone enquiries.
Any time in between is filled with study and sending out repeat
prescriptions.
How this career can differ from some is that many homoeopaths are able to work from home. This makes their workload more controllable and helps patients to feel more relaxed, plus a major bonus is that money is saved on overheads. On the downside, family life can interfere with business and vice versa. Most homoeopaths don't advertise. Business usually comes via word of mouth and additional business can be generated through health shops and doctors. In general, homoeopaths see their clients for an initial appointment and then for follow-up appointments. Fees range from £20 -£50 for the initial session to £15 - £40 for follow-ups, often with concessions for OAPs and students. Those who earn a large income usually supplement their practice with shorter sessions to fit in more patients and sales of related products. Because working from home can be lonely, professional support is important. Homoeopaths are able to network through attending conferences and gain the peer support of fellow professionals. As a member of the Society of Homoeopaths, Pema receives a regular magazine which keeps her informed of current ideas and new remedies. In order to develop new business, homoeopaths sometimes link in with the allied field of nutrition. Working within a home based practice is only part of being a successful homoeopath. In order for homoeopathy to be more fully integrated into healthcare, education is needed. Pema teaches a six-week 'First Aid in Homoeopathy' course, three times a year. In order to further educate the community, she spreads her wings internationally and visits Bucharest in Rumania four times a year to teach homoeopathy to local doctors. A current project she is working on out there, is the 'Homoeopathy Recovery Project' which is taking homoeopathy into orphanages. Many homoeopaths teach in the London Colleges of Homoeopathy or run adult education classes for lay people on the subject. Homoeopathy is a rewarding career and can give you a window into people's lives. You need to enjoy talking and analysing. Much of the work involves just sitting and listening, so if you are a tactile person or need constant movement, homoeopathy isn't the career for you. Maturity is an advantage and according to the Career and Occupational Information Centre, most avenues of natural health are growing. The
future's bright The trends in work are changing. There is a growing emphasis on the service industries including health. Homoeopathy has a positive future. However, a compassionate and caring nature alone will not ensure your success. Alongside the medical knowledge and application, you will need to gain business skills and an understanding of the marketplace so that you can ensure not only your own working future, but the sustained and informed growth of homoeopathy within mainstream healthcare.
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