Craig Said:

New College Career in Alternative Medicine?

We Answered:

First thing: Being a doctor has nothing to do with alternative medicine!

Doctors go to medical school, have to have a certain level of human biology and chemistry knowledge before they do and even then are closely supervised by other doctors before being granted a license to practise medicine when they finish training. If they make mistakes their license is taken away and they cannot practise any longer.

'Alternative Medicine' requires little or no knowledge and despite a few colleges and schools saying they offer training in it, they are just a way of taking money off you and leaving you with a 'qualification' which is worthless. Anyone can say they are an alternative medicine 'doctor'! You can print yourself a certificate from the net, there is no one to supervise or regulate you and no one to ensure you behave properly.

Obviously doctors are in demand and the pay is good, whereas alt med rarely advertises anywhere and you have to rely on self-employment as no reputable organisation would offer you a job.

Alt med has little if any value to society as nearly all of its practices have been shown not to work compared to modern medicine. There are plenty of reputable colleges out there that provide training in real medical subjects and there are many careers you could follow if you don't want to be a doctor. Alt med (and the colleges that will take your money) have basically been disproven and it really would be a mistake to waste years of your life and good money studying something that may well be banned completely in a few years (as it is in some areas of the US).

Remember: if it works, it's medicine. If it doesn't work, then it's an alternative to medicine.

Best of luck for the future.

Calvin Said:

i am thinking of becoming a holistic health practitioner, or an herbalist.?

We Answered:

Hi,

Contrary to the answer above you do need qualifications to practice these. You also need insurance (around £70 a year) that covers you for injury to the client and possible sueing for malpractice.

With a recognised qualification you can either find a centre looking for someone qualified in your area or go self-employed. I chose self-employed simply because I like the freedom and flexibility it gives me and it allows me to cater for clients that work during the week in a way that working from a centre only open during working hours doesn't. That said I do work from some centres as a self-employed practitioner. I just rent rooms at an hourly rate and call them when I need one to book myself in.

Going self-employed is definitely the harder way to do it but as I said above it has it's advantages. Whether you go self-employed or corporate you would need to ensure that your qualifications are recognised by a company such as the International College of Holistic Medicine, that way once you've qualified you can join as a member and that not only increases your credibility as a practitioner but also they can provide you with extra support and information.

It's also important to keep continually updating your skills by attending courses, reading up to date information etc even after you've received your qualification.

I started my practice a year ago and put every extra minute I had into advertising. I got my first client after about 2 months, I still wouldn't say I have enough regular clients and word of mouth referrals to make this my full time profession but I'm not far off, so I would say it would take just over a year to go full time self-employed.

I hope this helps

Travis Said:

Why does my family get uncomfortable when I talk about my career/life goals and then they suggest other things?

We Answered:

My mom doesn't like the fact that im studying Graphic Design, but i guess that's how moms are, and always will be, i guess she just wants the best for you and thinks that your not going to be successful with your career, thats how my mom is =/. Just dont pay too much attention to it. Whos doing all the studying anyway YOU ARE not them. >.>

Steven Said:

Should I become a teacher or holistic mental health worker?

We Answered:

I vote for the mental health choice. There's a desparate need out there that is certainly going to escalate because of all the problems in this modern society. You'll have a secure job for life, it is sure to be very rewarding personally, and you'll be bringing help and hope to those who need it most.