The Admissions Review Advisory Committee (ARAC) has temporarily paused accepting new Registered Herbalist applications. We are in the process of updating the RH application process, an update that we believe will benefit all future applicants, and we'd like to explain why.
ARAC recognizes the need to enhance and clarify the Registered Herbalist application process. We want to address common areas of confusion and create a more transparent and easy-to-navigate system for all applicants. To this end, we initiated a comprehensive review and update of the entire process last year.
We have set in motion several key improvements:
1. Develop a transparent scoring rubric to ensure that all criteria for admission are clearly and explicitly stated.
2. Revise the application to make it more user-friendly and reflective of current herbalism practices.
3. Establishing clearly outlined core competencies expected of a Registered Herbalist.
After dedicating significant time and effort to these updates, we submitted our recommendations to the AHG Board of Directors for final review last year. We're excited about these changes' positive impact on future applicants and the herbalism community.
Since we're so close to implementing these improvements, we've decided to pause the Fall review process to give the Board the time it needs to thoroughly review and approve the updates. If all goes well with the Board's review, we anticipate reopening applications this spring.
When we resume accepting applications, you can look forward to:
· A more streamlined application process
· Clearer, easy-to-understand requirements
· A transparent scoring system
· An overall more efficient and pleasant process
We understand that this pause may cause some inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be assured that this temporary measure is in the best interest of all current and future applicants, as it will ensure a more equitable and transparent process moving forward.
If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please don't hesitate to contact our Admission Coordinator. They can provide any additional information or updates.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in the AHG Registered Herbalist program. We look forward to unveiling the improved application process and reviewing your application when the process reopens.
Are You Ready to Apply for Registered Herbalist Membership?
We invite all clinical herbalists to apply for Registered Herbalist Membership. Applicants must have specific amount of training in botanical medicine and experience in clinical practice along with the other criteria described below.
Education and Training: Approximately 800 hours of comprehensive training in botanical medicine achieved through formal education, independent study, or both. See the Suggested Education Guidelines above for an overview of what AHG considers a comprehensive education in botanical medicine. Learn more about how to track your independent study here.
Materia Medica: A working knowledge of at least 150 medicinal herbs. You will demonstrate your knowledge by providing information about the clinical application of herbs from one of three categories of materia medica: Western, Ayurvedic, or Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Basic Sciences: A practical understanding of human anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and basic plant chemistry, obtained through independent or formal education, and applied in your differential assessment of cases.
Clinical Experience: Approximately 400 hours of clinical experience obtained through independent practice, structured mentorship, supervised clinical training as part of an academic program, or a combination of these experiences.
Supervised clinical experience, where you are not the primary practitioner, should account for no more than 100 of your total clinical hours. Examples of supervised clinical experience include roundtable discussions of a specific case or herbal protocol and supervised clinical training. A clinical hour is an actual hour spent with a client. The initial intake/consult and research for your herbal protocols counts for a maximum of two hours (even though we know it often takes much longer); follow-up visits count as one hour.
Independent clinical experience, where you are the primary practitioner, should include approximately 80 individual clients within two years. Your independent practice may include clients you have worked within a clinical training program or supervised clinical practice, and may consist of cases you have presented for review while working with a mentor based on your independent intake and herbal protocols. The requirement of a minimum number of clients within two years may be waived or adjusted for situations such as an interruption of your clinical practice due to personal or financial reasons, or if you are a practitioner in a rural area. If you believe you may qualify for this adjustment, contact the Admissions Coordinator before submitting your application.
AHG Definition of Clinical Experience: Clinical experience must encompass more than casual consultations with family and friends. To qualify, sessions with individual clients must include a full health history intake, differential assessment, herbal protocols, and a reasonable number of formal follow-up visits. Providing herb recommendations in a retail sales environment does not count as clinical experience unless it includes all of the above. Although everyday health upsets are part of the herbal care herbalists routinely provide, we expect that Registered Herbalist applicants have spent most of their 400 clinical hours addressing health issues that require a broad and comprehensive process of differential assessment, herbal protocols, and follow up care.
We realize that it may be challenging to complete the amount of clinical experience required to apply for RH membership. To address this, we've created an array of Mentorship Resources to support you as you build your experience.
Case Histories and Therapeutics: Demonstrated ability to conduct a comprehensive intake, compile a case history, and provide a differential assessment by presenting three case histories from your practice. Click here to learn more about case histories.
Practice Management and Ethics: Show your understanding of your scope of practice and personal practice limitations by supplying the names and contact information for three health care practitioners with whom you consult or to whom you refer clients when a case is beyond your scope of practice.
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation from colleagues familiar with your training and experience as a clinical herbalist. At least one letter of recommendation should be from one of your primary botanical medicine instructors. If this is not possible, you will need to provide a detailed explanation.
Continuing Education: A demonstrated commitment to ongoing botanical medicine education.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCMENT - OCTOBER 24, 2024
The Admissions Review Advisory Committee (ARAC) has temporarily paused accepting new Registered Herbalist applications. We are in the process of updating the RH application process, an update that we believe will benefit all future applicants, and we'd like to explain why.
ARAC recognizes the need to enhance and clarify the Registered Herbalist application process. We want to address common areas of confusion and create a more transparent and easy-to-navigate system for all applicants. To this end, we initiated a comprehensive review and update of the entire process last year.
We have set in motion several key improvements:
1. Develop a transparent scoring rubric to ensure that all criteria for admission are clearly and explicitly stated.
2. Revise the application to make it more user-friendly and reflective of current herbalism practices.
3. Establishing clearly outlined core competencies expected of a Registered Herbalist.
After dedicating significant time and effort to these updates, we submitted our recommendations to the AHG Board of Directors for final review last year. We're excited about these changes' positive impact on future applicants and the herbalism community.
Since we're so close to implementing these improvements, we've decided to pause the Fall review process to give the Board the time it needs to thoroughly review and approve the updates. If all goes well with the Board's review, we anticipate reopening applications this spring.
When we resume accepting applications, you can look forward to:
· A more streamlined application process
· Clearer, easy-to-understand requirements
· A transparent scoring system
· An overall more efficient and pleasant process
We understand that this pause may cause some inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding. Please be assured that this temporary measure is in the best interest of all current and future applicants, as it will ensure a more equitable and transparent process moving forward.
If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please don't hesitate to contact our Admission Coordinator. They can provide any additional information or updates.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in the AHG Registered Herbalist program. We look forward to unveiling the improved application process and reviewing your application when the process reopens.
Are You Ready to Apply for Registered Herbalist Membership?
We invite all clinical herbalists to apply for Registered Herbalist Membership. Applicants must have specific amount of training in botanical medicine and experience in clinical practice along with the other criteria described below.
Education and Training: Approximately 800 hours of comprehensive training in botanical medicine achieved through formal education, independent study, or both. See the Suggested Education Guidelines above for an overview of what AHG considers a comprehensive education in botanical medicine. Learn more about how to track your independent study here.
Materia Medica: A working knowledge of at least 150 medicinal herbs. You will demonstrate your knowledge by providing information about the clinical application of herbs from one of three categories of materia medica: Western, Ayurvedic, or Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Basic Sciences: A practical understanding of human anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and basic plant chemistry, obtained through independent or formal education, and applied in your differential assessment of cases.
Clinical Experience: Approximately 400 hours of clinical experience obtained through independent practice, structured mentorship, supervised clinical training as part of an academic program, or a combination of these experiences.
Supervised clinical experience, where you are not the primary practitioner, should account for no more than 100 of your total clinical hours. Examples of supervised clinical experience include roundtable discussions of a specific case or herbal protocol and supervised clinical training. A clinical hour is an actual hour spent with a client. The initial intake/consult and research for your herbal protocols counts for a maximum of two hours (even though we know it often takes much longer); follow-up visits count as one hour.
Independent clinical experience, where you are the primary practitioner, should include approximately 80 individual clients within two years. Your independent practice may include clients you have worked within a clinical training program or supervised clinical practice, and may consist of cases you have presented for review while working with a mentor based on your independent intake and herbal protocols. The requirement of a minimum number of clients within two years may be waived or adjusted for situations such as an interruption of your clinical practice due to personal or financial reasons, or if you are a practitioner in a rural area. If you believe you may qualify for this adjustment, contact the Admissions Coordinator before submitting your application.
AHG Definition of Clinical Experience: Clinical experience must encompass more than casual consultations with family and friends. To qualify, sessions with individual clients must include a full health history intake, differential assessment, herbal protocols, and a reasonable number of formal follow-up visits. Providing herb recommendations in a retail sales environment does not count as clinical experience unless it includes all of the above. Although everyday health upsets are part of the herbal care herbalists routinely provide, we expect that Registered Herbalist applicants have spent most of their 400 clinical hours addressing health issues that require a broad and comprehensive process of differential assessment, herbal protocols, and follow up care.
We realize that it may be challenging to complete the amount of clinical experience required to apply for RH membership. To address this, we've created an array of Mentorship Resources to support you as you build your experience.
Case Histories and Therapeutics: Demonstrated ability to conduct a comprehensive intake, compile a case history, and provide a differential assessment by presenting three case histories from your practice. Click here to learn more about case histories.
Practice Management and Ethics: Show your understanding of your scope of practice and personal practice limitations by supplying the names and contact information for three health care practitioners with whom you consult or to whom you refer clients when a case is beyond your scope of practice.
Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation from colleagues familiar with your training and experience as a clinical herbalist. At least one letter of recommendation should be from one of your primary botanical medicine instructors. If this is not possible, you will need to provide a detailed explanation.
Continuing Education: A demonstrated commitment to ongoing botanical medicine education.