Since there has been an overall focus-shift in the way people think about and manage their healthcare needs, there has been a rise in professions considered alternative medicine. Alternative medicine or complementary options have been around for centuries, but just recently there has been a surge of institutes of higher learning that are considered alternative medicine schools. Choosing the best alternative medicine school requires extensive research and a solid understanding of your interests and career plans.
Careers in complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, encompass a wide variety of wholistic theories and techniques for the treatment and prevention of medical problems. Alternative medicine techniques and options are not generally considered part of conventional medicine practices. However, recently, many health insurance companies have been more open to the idea of alternative medicine and have begun approving certain procedures and treatment options they have not recognized in the past.
The theory behind CAM professions is the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Some alternative medicine schools provide career paths to include such things as acupuncture, herbalism, energy healing, massage and aromatherapy. These professionals believe in empowering the patient to overcome obstacles and maintain a healthy life without relying solely on traditional medical professionals.
There are many traditional and distance or online venues to attain the level of education desired. Alternative medicine schools can offer programs ranging from certification to degree-based education. Degrees can range from a bachelor’s in science to a doctorate degree. Typically, those choosing a master’s degree or higher requires you to sit for a licensure examination before being able to legally practice. However, licensure requirements differ from state-to-state. There are even some areas which do not regulate alternative medicine professionals.
One of the biggest decisions when looking at alternative medicine schools is to decide whether alternative medicine is a good fit for you. Alternative medicine practitioners see each patient as an individual. They also view the body as a whole. CAM professionals often tend to the physical, mental and spiritual needs of an individual instead of just treating the disease process or injury of their patient.
When deciding on which alternative medicine schools fulfill your needs, accreditation should be taken into consideration. Though there is no specific accreditation for complementary and alternative medicine as of yet, the school of choice should be generally accredited. General accreditation should come from the United States Department of Education, or the USDE, or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, CHEA, or both. This accreditation assures the quality of education as well as the educators of the alternative medicine school.