THE HOMEOPATHY COLLEGE - BIRMINGHAM

INTRODUCTION
The Founder, David Howell FHMA, MHMA, MCPH.

Welcome to The Homeopathy College.

My introduction to Homoeopathy was through experiencing the effects of being
treated. Maybe you have discovered its effects for yourself or have been stimulated
to discover more from seeing its effects on others.
In my experience most
people become passionate
I initially taught myself Homoeopathy and then
about
Homoeopathy
trained with Robert Davidson who started the first through the joy of seeing
and the largest College for practitioners in the UK. people regain their health
and happiness, the joy of
Together we set up this college in the Midlands in
seeing them develop.
1987 followed by Colleges in London and Iceland.
In 1999 we re-organised the official standing of the College. It is now a Company
Limited by Guarantee which means it is not owned by anyone, it is non-profit
making and all the proceeds from the courses are re-invested in the College facilities
and its courses. To-day all the Colleges work closely together even though they are
separately administered.
Through the years I have seen many changes in Homoeopathy and the way it is
taught. This course is continually adapting to the advances made in Homoeopathic
practice and the demands of students, teachers, course reviews and external inputs.
I believe this is healthy and fits with one of the best definitions of health the ability
to adapt to change.
In order to be able to respond to the needs of individual students and groups of
students, the staff encourage innovation in the course, so there is a balance between
structure and flexibility. Robert recently put this very succinctly Planned
spontaneity is not lack of structure!
In other words some parts of the course are quite rightly going to change, including
some things written in this Prospectus. Each change is evaluated in the same way
as we evaluate Homoeopathic treatment by the results. Further changes are then
implemented as appropriate. It is all part of the process of development.
Here the Prospectus introduces you to the different areas of the College and course
some of which are well structured and some of which are not. I hope it will answer
some of the questions you might have, to assist you in deciding whether to come to
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this College to study Homoeopathy. If you would have liked to have seen more or
different information in this Prospectus please let us know.
If you are considering this course and would like the opportunity to visit the College
and meet us for yourself, you are welcome to contact the office and arrange to visit
during a College weekend. You will be able to
The only way to really get to
meet some of the staff and students, sit in on a
know what our course is like is
to visit us during a College
few lectures and ask questions. This will give
weekend. Do come.
you a better sense of what we do. We can
assess our mutual suitability. If you are planning a visit during a College weekend,
Christopher will endeavour to arrange your interview during your visit if you wish.
You have my very best wishes and I hope to meet you soon.
David Howell

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The Principal, Christopher Hammond

I have always been fascinated by what keeps people healthy. Having started out in
medicine, studying at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, I was left with so many
questions unanswered why did some people catch bugs and not others that were
equally exposed? How did some people stay healthy despite a very poor diet and
lifestyle whilst others fell ill at the slightest provocation?
It struck me that most of the answers available in orthodox medicine actually dodged
the questions by ascribing causes to mechanisms of disease or just giving the
process a name and then calling that the reason. The depth of insight into what was
going on was lacking.
I also eventually wanted a system of medicine that did not use potentially toxic drugs
that only treated the end results of disease in isolated parts of the body system.
Homoeopathy was totally unknown to me and when the name of a particular College
kept being drawn to my attention within a space of a few months, I knew that I had to
go and study. It was the easiest decision of my life and I have no regrets about
taking it.
Starting the course
was like coming
home for me. It
just all made such
sense.

There are many routes to this study. From talking with

others, I have the impression that this sense of being drawn
to it, often not really knowing exactly why, is a fairly common
experience. The why may become clearer much later;
sometimes years later.

Whatever your reason for enquiring about the course, the question why this course?
will be in your mind. I could give many reasons but there are two that stand out.
The first is the practical nature of the course. If you look at our Aims you will see
that they are all geared towards helping you get to a position where you can become
a successful professional Homoeopath. All the Colleges teaching Practical
Homeopathy share this goal. The other very important reason is quite simply the fun
of it!
Obviously the way we teach is important but the most important aspect lies in the
nature of the Homoeopathy that we teach. The single most important criteria is to
find out what works in every individual case of sickness.
Homoeopathy has a method for assessing
whether they are truly getting better or not.
different methods of applying Homoeopathy
to make it easier to find remedies that will
help the healing process and therefore help
us to be more sure of the final result. They
are only short cuts in the sense that it
makes complicated cases simpler to help,

the progress of a client, of deciding

With that to guide us, we have many
If someone gets better, what does
it matter how they did it? They are
healed and that is all that is
important.

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simpler to see what is needed.

If this way of working appeals to you as much as it did to me or you would just like to
know more about this course, come and visit us. You will be made very welcome.
Christopher Hammond

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Homoeopathy is safe, simple and effective.

Homoeopathy is fun
From experience we have found these to be necessary prerequisites for successful
practice.

OUR AIMS
Our aim is to support you, by whatever appropriate means, to become an effective,
successful, safe homoeopath who has fun in homoeopathy.
Basically we all want three things
1 To make a difference
2 To be successful
3 To be happy
If you believe homoeopathy may be for you, we will help you discover if you are right.
The single most important factor which will contribute to your eventual success in
every sense of the word, is
your enthusiasm / passion / love for homoeopathy.
Academic ability is useful but not essential. To some it may even be a handicap as
they will likely be challenged to work in new ways! Of course there is an academic
element to the course but being a homoeopath is not about being an academic.
We aim to help students discover the simplicity within homoeopathy, which helps
them be successful and have fun as practitioners.
We have lots of fun on the training course too.
We work from a basis of mutual respect and encourage you to develop and assess
your ability, to discover when you need support before you get out of your depth, to
discover what sort of support you need and how to get it.
We trust you to act with integrity and only do that which you would wish to be done
unto you. We also keep our ears and eyes open!
All this leads to you developing an inner sense of safety and an appropriate
confidence in your ability, allowing you to make a real difference by practicing
effectively, being successful and enjoying what you do.
We will help you develop your communication skills, especially those of listening and
picking up the subtle and often unspoken information which clients present.

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We will teach you sufficient knowledge of human normality and human pathology
(dis-ease), of the tools and methods of Homoeopathic practice to enable you to be
an effective practitioner.

How did Methods Evolve?

In the mid 80s Robert Davidson, one of the founders of this college, developed the
idea of Methods to help practitioners find the easiest way of applying homoeopathy
for each patient.
Over many years he personally visited practitioners who were being innovative and
successful. One of his many talents is the ability to synthesize information from
different sources, to see the common threads and to distil the essence of what is
going on. He became aware of many distinctly different methods of applying
homoeopathy, each appropriate to distinctly different situations.
It may be likened to running a garage. You would need several sets of tools, each
suitable for certain kinds of vehicle. When a vehicle arrives for repair you choose the
right toolkit and the job is as easy as it can get. Choose the wrong toolkit and it can
be very difficult indeed. Another way of describing this would be to say that if you
only have a hammer then all the problems have to be nails in order for you to be able
to fix them easily.
One method may work well in one situation but be very difficult to apply in another,
which would be simple if viewed from a different perspective or angle.
We call it
standing where you can see the view
Homoeopathy has many different methods of practice and we want you to explore all
the possibilities of Homoeopathy. These methods help to make it easier to cure the
sick and make Homoeopathy much more interesting and fun to work with.
This College has always adopted this very practical approach where we evaluate
Homoeopathy by the results it achieves in practice.
We call it the
What Works principle
We also use this to guide the way we teach.
THC teaches its students to use all the tools available to a Homoeopath. We think
that your clients deserve you to be the best practitioner you can be.
Homoeopathy is continually developing through the experience of practitioners.
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Your teachers are practicing Homoeopaths.

THC and its courses are constantly evolving to reflect these developments in
Homeopathic practice.
The training process at THC does not teach Homoeopathy, rather it helps people
become Homoeopaths.
Being a Homoeopath is not something you learn.
It is who you are.

"Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open."

- Lord Thomas Dewar

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1.

USING THE PROSPECTUS

The prospectus is divided into sections:
2. Practical Arrangements
We introduce you to all the day-to-day, practical arrangements and facilities at
454 - the teaching centre, office and clinic.
3. Resources
Here we outline the main resources and forms of support available to you,
both academically and personally.
4. Overview Of The Course
Then we give you an overview of the program and how it works. This is
divided into two sections. The first covers the lecture based teaching and the
second the clinical training.
5. Your Progress on the Course
This looks at how your progress is monitored and assessed right up to
graduation.
6. Administration
Here we look at how to register, pay fees, change of address etc.
7.

Appendices
Recommended reading
Reflective journal.

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OPATHY COLLEGE - BIRMINGHAM

PRACTIC
CAL ARR
RANGEM
MENTS:

The College use

es its own
n site for tteaching which
w
also
o houses T
The Home
eopathy
Practicce & Natura
al Therapie
es Clinic an
nd is the site of the College
C
offifice.
2.1

LOCATIO
ON 454 HAGLEY
H
R
ROAD WEST

College te
eaching we
eekends ta
ake place roughly once a mo nth at 454
4 see
map above
e.

There is ample
a
free
e car parkiing in the surrounding side sttreets. Th
he main
entrance iss at the fro
ont of the b
building.

Teaching rooms are equipp

ped with facilities
f
for OHP, slide and
d video
presentatio
ons.

There is a refreshm
ment area d
downstairs
s and a kitchen upstaairs where
e drinks
are on sale
e in the bre
eaks.

A large se
election of books
b
is avvailable fro
om The Ho
omeopathicc Book Company.
Books ma
ay be ord
dered for collection
n usually on the ffollowing College
C
weekend.

Homoeopa
athic supp
plies are a vailable and there is
s a demonnstration area
a
for
Homoeopa
athic comp
puter progrrams etc.

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2.2

The administrative office is also at 454 Hagley Road, which houses the
Colleges multidisciplinary natural health centre. Consulting rooms are
available to qualified practitioners when not being used for teaching weekends
and the Student Group Clinics.

In your third and fourth year you will be coming here on one extra day a
month for Student Group Clinics (see Section 4.1). You will need to register
and meet in the upstairs seminar room.

We have a homoeopathic and herbal pharmacy for the supply of remedies to

clients at the Clinic.

THE COLLEGE CLINIC AND OFFICE also at 454

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3
3.1

RESOURCES

PERSONAL SUPPORT
We provide specific supports within the College for students but it is our
deliberate policy to help you to recognise when you need support and to
strongly encourage and actively support you to develop and use your own
support structure. This is part of your development into a successful
Homoeopathic practitioner, which reflects how it is out there in the real world.
If you learn to know when you need help and how to get it in College, you will
be far more able to access the support you need as a practitioner, which at
times we all do.

In the first year you will be assigned a Buddy from the year above to help
you. They will welcome you to the College and show you the ropes in your
early days. What develops out of this in the future is up to the two of you. If
at a later date you wish to have a different Buddy, you are welcome to
arrange this or we can suggest one to you. The Buddy system continues
through the years and later you will be invited to be a Buddy to one of the new
first years.

We strongly suggest that you organise yourselves into study groups of

between 3 and 6 students from your year. Ideally you should arrange to meet
between College weekends but when this is not possible you may choose to
conference call or meet on the Internet. This gives you the opportunity to talk
Homoeopathy and study together on a regular basis. It is a very valuable
resource if well used. How you organise your meetings and what you study is
up to you but we can make suggestions if needed for how to go about it.
Allow space for both study and socializing. A bit of both is good. In these
groups you have the support and resources of your peers. We also
encourage you to make connections between study groups so you get some
idea what the others are doing and you can use them as an additional
resource.

Early in your first year you will be helped to organise yourselves into tutorial
groups to meet with an experienced practitioner and study together. This is
the next level up of support.

You will be strongly encouraged and helped to find a mentor someone

already qualified and in practice, to whom you can turn if you are stuck with
anything. Most students already have an effective network of support by this
time.

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Then there are College weekends and twice yearly interviews when we review
how you are getting on. You can raise any issues and ask questions which
you have been unable to answer through the above supports.

Each college weekend there is a Suggestions folder in each years room.

Please use this to make suggestions, give immediate feedback, raise any
problems or issues etc. It goes to be read by Christopher at the end of the
weekend. Anything more urgent can be raised with Christopher during the
weekend.

I hope you can see that we have in place a graded system of support and
feedback, including your peers, the year above you, tutors, later to mentors, to
lecturers and finally the staff. Please try to resolve issues through this
structure and dont jump straight to the top missing out the middle. The
top gets easily overloaded if you do! Having said that, we must emphasis that
we do want you to learn to ask for what you need and do not want you to sit on
problems when help is available. Learning to help yourselves in this way is part
of your development. You may also give us feedback through many of the above
mechanisms and there is a suggestions folder in each teaching room at
weekends where you can leave any written feedback, comments or suggestions.

3.2
ACADEMIC RESOURCES
Obviously much of the structure outlined in 3.1 Personal Support comes into play for
academic resources too. Please read the following in conjunction with 3.1

Lectures and workshops are friendly and informal. Constructive questions are
welcomed during the lectures and are a necessary part of the learning
experience. We recognise that although you may be called students, you are
all responsible, mature adults and will be treated as such. Besides lectures to
the whole class we form small groups for discussion exercises, practical
demonstrations and experiential work.

Homoeopathy involves a lot of home study and work with books. Some of
your study is through guided reading but most will be self-directed. If you
want to start reading now, please see the Book List near the end.

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4.

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

4.1.

ACQUIRING SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

We use a variety of ways to help you acquire skills, knowledge and experience,
many of which, depending on your background, will already be familiar to you.

Lectures and workshops at 454. Six lectures a day of one hour each with
timetabled breaks for refreshment and lunch.

We employ the use of visual aids such as overhead projector, slides, videos,
live case taking exercises, group exercises and occasional tapes and videos.

Lectures take place on 11 College weekends each year approximately every 4

weeks throughout the four year part time course.

Home study, guided and self directed.

Self-reflection see Appendix at end.

Study groups

Tutorial groups

Student Group Clinics. During the last two years of the course you will be
attending Student Group Clinics at the Homoeopathy Centre approximately
once a month. Here you will work in groups with an experienced Supervisor.
You will gain hands on experience of case taking and the whole process
leading to the prescription of remedies and case follow up. Two students see
each client, one as practitioner and one as observer. They then report the
case back to the group who discuss the case and come to a decision on what
to do. This structure gives Student Practitioners superb experience and
support. It is just like running your own practice but with the help of your
group and an experienced practitioner.

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4.3.

THEMES FOR THE COURSE

Five main themes can be identified in the course:

4.31

Materia Medica

4.32

Methods and Philosophy

4.33

Integrated Human Sciences

4.34

Personal, Professional and Clinical Development

4.35

Nutrition

Casework, rather than being a separate theme, is an aspect of the course that runs
through all themes cases are used for teaching and illustrative purposes in all
areas.
Casework is the thread that pulls together all aspects of the course
into an integrated whole.

Below is some information about each theme. To some of you this may appear a bit
daunting.
Please keep the following in mind as you read this and dont let it put you off. Come
and ask us about anything that concerns you.

What each item actually involves in practice is generally not as

daunting as it sounds but reflects the difficulty of putting in a few
words on paper that which can be easily grasped when discussed
in class.

4.31. Materia Medica

Materia Medica is the name for the pictures of all the remedies which homoeopaths
use. It is just Latin for medical material! These pictures determine how remedies
may be used in sick people to promote healing.
Each remedy has a picture or pattern of disease symptoms for which it is useful.
This includes mental and emotional symptoms as well as physical aches and pains.
So each remedy has a character and personality. Discovering Materia Medica is like
discovering people and really getting to know them with all their strengths,
weaknesses and funny little habits and foibles.
You will start off by learning some of the basic characteristics of the common
remedies. By looking in the different Materia Medica textbooks you will see how
different homoeopaths have understood the remedies. After all, if you ask three
people to describe a mutual friend, they will all tell you slightly different things! The
lecturers will expand the broader remedy picture and its uses and will very often tell
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stories from their own clinical experience of using the remedy, which helps to bring
the remedy alive.
As the course continues and your reading, experience and knowledge develop, you
will gradually add to your understanding of each remedy. Your Materia Medica notes
will grow and who knows, one day you might even be publishing your own Materia
Medica textbook when you are a famous and successful homoeopath!
We recognise that some people are not good at learning through reading but do
learn through their experience or listening. Audio taping of relevant lectures is
encouraged here. Experience shows that such people may find working with the
books difficult in the early years but once they get into clinics they flourish.
We provide lots of different opportunities for increasing your knowledge of remedies
and their uses. One of the most valuable is through using them. You will be
encouraged to prescribe tissue salts and acute remedies from your first year on the
course.
4.32. Methods and Philosophy
These are about the fundamental principles of Homoeopathy and how they may be
applied in different situations so that it is easier for you to be more effective for more
of the time for more sorts of people with their diseases.
At first this may sound a bit complicated but it is actually simple. There are a few
very basic principles that are quite easy for most people to understand. Their
implications in the reality of each person joining the course may take a bit longer to
sink in!
Based on these simple principles it is possible to apply them in lots of different ways
that suit the variety of situations faced today by homoeopaths. This is methods.
Basically they are tools in a tool bag. If you see a nail then you need a hammer to fix
it. If it is a nut and bolt you are faced with, then a hammer is of very limited use to
you but the job can be done really easily with a spanner.
4.33. Integrated Human Sciences
The aim of this part of the course is to firstly acquire sufficient knowledge of normal
human biology in order to be able to make sense of how it goes wrong, which is the
pathology part of the course. You only need to know the broad principles and not the
mass of detail in order to be able to function competently as a Homoeopathic
practitioner. After all, the homeopathic diagnosis is the remedy or remedies that the
client needs, not their orthodox medical diagnosis!
This involves home study of the course text and in class summary and discussion. It
will be finished well before the end of your second year, leaving you free to start a
self-study course designed for alternative practitioners in pathology to finish before
graduation. In class sessions are also included for this when appropriate.
The anatomy and physiology covers such things as:

The organisation of the body and the functions of the different organs
and systems.

Maintenance of life and the processes of normal human function.

Adjustment and control.

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Growth, reproduction and the essentials of heredity.

Response and co-ordination.

The pathology covers such things as:

An outline of the relationships between organs and disease processes.

Understanding and recognition of common disease processes.

Ability to research disease processes.

The uses and abuses of allopathic and other drugs, vitamins, diet,
exercise, foodstuffs and food supplements.

Ability to research the actions and side effects of drugs, vitamins and
food supplements.

Recognition of healing signs.

Recognition of warning signs for serious pathology.

When to refer to another professional.

Simple clinical examinations, for example blood pressure, pulse,

respiration.

4.34. Personal, Professional And Clinical Development

This part of the course is about becoming a Homoeopath. It is about the
professional skills you will need. On the clinical side we can offer very direct training
and support to help you but it is also about personal growth. This is not something
we can teach. What we can do though, is to provide the environment and
opportunity for you. You know the old saying you can take a horse to water but
you cannot make it drink? Well the second part is up to you but we will do our best
to provide the water the setting in which growth can take place. If you really dont
want to change then we recommend that you dont join this course!
Another part of this more experience based area of the course involves having
experienced Homoeopathy from the clients perspective. Many students starting the
course have already done this and may even be on the course because of it. Those
that havent should do so at some stage during the course.
Natural consequences of all this is a commitment to continuing your personal and
professional growth after graduation, developing an involvement with the wider
Homoeopathic community and discovering yourself to be an effective, competent,
confident and happy practitioner practicing in your own unique way.
We start off early in the course by introducing you to the concepts and then some
very practical exercises areas like:

Reviewing our paradigms

Simple observation skills and skills when gathering symptoms

Behaviour types and body language

Learning to ask appropriate and powerful questions

Practical case taking

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Some simple NLP of value to Homoeopaths

Interpreting observations and perceptions - evaluation skills.

Self-evaluation

The reflective cycle

Self-esteem.

Giving and receiving praise and criticism.

Useful information for running a successful practice

Being successful what it means for each graduate

Basic practice survival skills

Practitioner peer group relationships building a network

Introduction to Professionalism

Ethical considerations including reference to Codes of Ethics and Codes

of Conduct

Professional Homoeopathic and medical organisations

4.35. Nutrition
This part of the course is about gaining a basic understanding of the
importance of nutrition and how deficiencies arise so commonly these days.
We will not be teaching all the details of the biochemistry of minerals and
vitamins etc. It is much more about understanding the aspects of nutrition
that are important in relation to health, disease and homeopathy and what
you can practically do about it.
STUDENT CLINIC HANDBOOK
This handbook gives all the details for this part of your training. It will be issued early
in your third year, prior to attending the Student Group Clinics, usually the following
February.

"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure."
-George E. Woodberry

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5.1

YOUR PROGRESS ON THE COURSE

We provide a range of assessment styles, processes and feedback, so as not

to disadvantage any particular individual or group of learners. We strive to
make assessments student centred and mainly use self assessment methods.
We also use Clinic logbooks, subject based workbooks and reflective journals
(see 5.4 below and Appendix at end).

By its nature Homoeopathy requires a certain amount of basic information to

be recalled and a certain amount to be found when needed. Both recallability and find-ability are appropriately supported.

Clear criteria for written assessments (mainly of your own cases) are given
during the first two years of the course.

Assessment tasks are designed not only to demonstrate the acquisition of

knowledge or skills but also to promote learning and to produce material,
written or otherwise, that will be of value during your career.

Assessments play a positive role in your learning experience and are normally
designed to encourage you to show creativity, comprehension and the ability
to apply knowledge to the world of sick humans.

We tailor assessments to the needs of each group in other words we do not

have a fixed assessment schedule. It is more of smorgasbord from which we
select different things as and when they are called for.
ACADEMIC PROGRESS

5.1.1 Assessments
You are encouraged to start using homoeopathy right from the beginning of the
course. In the early part of the course academic assessment is made by essay and
paper case assessments to work on at home. There will usually only be about 3 or 4
written assessments a year plus some in class, short Materia Medica recognition
tests. You will be given feedback on all assessment cases but the cases themselves
will be retained for our records of your progress. All written work handed in for
assessment must be type written and a copy made for you to keep.
I cannot emphasis enough that assessments are about giving us all feedback about
how you are getting on and what you might need to focus on in order to aid your
progress. They are not about passing or failing or having to be the best or top of the
class. With this in mind, wherever possible we do not grade assessments. They are
given a pass or a needs practice. Even the most excellent ones get individual

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feedback about which aspects you did well and which ones you may need to learn
something from.
A further use of all assessments is to tell us how well we are teaching the different
aspects of the course. Should a large number of students be falling down in one
area, it indicates we are not teaching that area well enough and we have some work
to do!
You will need to keep a reflective journal (see 5.4 below and Appendix at end). You
will be asked to bring your journal to personal interviews and a group session with
your peers. You may either bring the whole journal or you may edit out anything that
you are not happy to share with us or your peers or you can make a summary of it.
5.1.2 Interviews
We employ a system of self-assessment, plus lecturers assessment before each
interview. Your own assessment of your ability in various areas and your lecturers
assessments are compared where they match everyone knows what needs to be
done. Where they dont, either you are not seeing yourself correctly or we are not
either way we need to find out and take any appropriate steps.
Self-assessment and personal interviews take place twice a year throughout the
course.
5.2
CLINICAL PROGRESS
During the last two years of training you are required to attend and achieve a
satisfactory standard in the Student Clinics. These clinics are held monthly and
supervised by trained supervisors who oversee and assess your work in practice.
You also have to record more than 40 hours external sitting in time with a variety of
qualified practitioners during the last 2 years of the course.
5.2.1 Assessments
Assessment of clinical competence is through its demonstration. This is based on
our assessments of you during your time in Clinics (usually between 150 and 200
hours) and on your case and graduation case submissions. This involves attending
the Student Group Clinic, 21 hours of video Clinic teaching during teaching
weekends, reports from external sitting in with other professional Homoeopaths and
personal interviews see below.
Clinic supervisors assess your progress in the Student Clinic. These reports are
monitored and any problems that cannot be dealt with immediately are brought up at
regular supervisors meetings when all the supervisors compare notes with the Clinic
director before Student Clinic interviews take place allowing appropriate action to be
considered and implemented.
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External Homoeopaths, with whom you sit in, furnish the College with a report of
their observations and assessment of you.
Self-assessment techniques as described below are used as well.
5.2.2 Interviews
We employ a system of self-assessment plus Clinic supervisor assessment before
each interview. Your own assessment of your ability in various areas and your
supervisors assessments are compared where they match everyone knows what
needs to be done. Where they dont, either you are not seeing yourself correctly or
we are not either way we need to find out and take appropriate steps.
Self-assessment and personal clinical interviews take place twice a year during
clinical training.
5.3
VIVAS
If, after all the observations, assessments and records have been reviewed, we are
not certain of the standard of a particular student we will assess them by a viva
where any suspect aspects of their ability can be looked into. Usually the Principal
and one or two appropriate others will facilitate the viva and then decide whether the
student is ready to graduate or not and what needs to be done.
5.4
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRESS
Self-reflection is the ability to honestly look at ourselves, our reactions, our
experiences in different situations and to see what meaning they have for us.

Self-awareness is necessary for growth and is an essential component of

being a Homoeopathic Practitioner. This tool helps you monitor your progress
and become aware of your needs and how to satisfy them.

Most College assessments contain a reflective component.

You are required to keep a self-reflective journal (see Appendix at end), in

which you record your experiences and observations etc.

Assignments may be given based on your experience of doing self-reflection.

5.5
PROGRESSION BETWEEN YEARS
You will usually need to fulfil all the attendance, assessment and administrative
criteria in order to progress to the next year.
5.6
GRADUATION CASES
Completion and acceptance of six or more graduation case studies from your own
cases is required. A senior member of staff confidentially marks these, with a
second member of staff available for reference if necessary.

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You will be given helpful feedback on the cases you submit to assist your
understanding and development until they are of a standard to be accepted by the
College.
5.7

GRADUATION

You will graduate when you have achieved clinical competence, fulfilled the
academic, graduation case and administrative criteria including full payment of fees.
As soon as you have fulfilled all the criteria you will graduate. If you need further
time to complete the course, we can usually accommodate you on a personally
negotiated basis.
Most people graduate in June/July of the final year. The graduation ceremony
normally takes place in the following October and the Sunday afternoon is
traditionally reserved for ceremony and celebrations!

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THE HOMEOPATHY COLLEGE - BIRMINGHAM

PRACTICAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE COURSE

6.1

FEES

Part-time Course
Sept 2013 to July 2014

2765.00

Course fees can be expected to rise in line with inflation

6.2

METHODS OF PAYMENT

6.2.1 Deposits for Year 1

ENROLLING - A non-refundable deposit of 500 may be paid to ensure a
place on the course by the date given on your acceptance letter.
6.2.2 Fees Years 2, 3 and 4 and the balance for Year 1
Method 1. In full before the start of the academic year.

Method 2. Standing order - payments must be initiated before the start of

the course and completed before the end of June of the same academic year.
This method adds an administrative charge of 100.00 to the fee.
Arrangements for standing orders are given when you attend the College
office for interview or can be arranged with the Principal - telephone 0121 423
1913 or 01803 834499.

Method 3. Under special circumstances individuals may make

arrangements with the College administration to pay by alternative means.
This method also adds an administrative charge of 100.00 to the fee.

Once the course you are booked on commences then if you leave the
ny
course you forfeit the course fees for the year and if full payment has stu
not been made at that time, you are liable to pay the full course fees
de
irrespective of your reasons for leaving the course.
nt
lea
ving the course or dismissed by the College following disciplinary action, is
required to meet any outstanding balance of their full years fee within 14 days
of the date of their departure.
6.3

LOANS & GRANTS

For information on financial assistance to support your learning please visit
www.dirct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Next Step 0800 100 900

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6.4

ATTENDANCE

You are expected to maintain a minimum attendance of 85%. This means that
2 days can be missed in any single year on the part time course with another
day as an emergency only reason for non-attendance, e.g. accidents,
serious illness etc. Non-attendance is sufficient reason in itself, to be required
to repeat the year.

6.5
CHANGE OF PERSONAL DETAILS
If any of your personal or contact details change, please inform the College Office
and change them on your web site account.
We have developed an on line system for students to keep their details up to date. If
you have not already registered on it as an enquirer about the course, we will inform
you how this works when you join.

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Introduction to Books Before Starting the Course

A brief explanation of some of the different types of books:
Materia Medica
Contain comprehensive descriptions of homoeopathic remedies taken from provings
and clinical observation. They vary in content and have different uses. e.g.
reference, study, comparison of remedies and everyday clinical use. Others are
transcripts of lectures given by renowned homoeopaths of the past and present.
Some tell stories, others are drier and more factual but you will need both as they
present different aspects of remedy pictures. Practitioners and students use a
number of different ones in order to study and obtain an accurate and extended
picture of each homoeopathic remedy.
Therapeutics books
A cross referencing book with disease symptoms and related remedies. More useful
later in the course.
General text books
Cover the philosophy and methodology of homoeopathy.
Books highlighted in blue are good reading for before you start the course but feel free
to go further down the list!
Books in yellow are a little less easy reading and those with no colour are less easy
still
You will be given a full book list when you start.
Fun and Bedtime reading before the course begins
Physicians Posy by Dorothy Shepherd
This book is good fun easy reading that has inspired over many years
(Not available at the moment! Try Amazon etc second hand books)
Homoeopathy for the First Aider by Shepherd
OUT OF PRINT Try Amazon etc second hand books
Another good fun easy read that has inspired over many years
More Magic of the Minimum Dose by Shepherd
And another good fun easy read that has inspired over many years
In fact, any books by Dorothy Shepherd that you can find are good
Drug Pictures by Tyler
A great materia medica very readable and lots of stories
Philosophy of Natural Therapeutics by Lindlahr
An excellent book that sets the tone of natural healing
Homoeopathy & Homoeopathic Prescribing by Farrington
Amazing book, take a look
Case Analysis and Prescribing techniques by Murphy
Another but different basic course text
Keynotes of the Materia Medica by Murphy
5 volumes of easy to read lecture transcripts on Materia Medica
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Lectures on Materia Medica by Kent

A great classic Materia Medica with many practical tips
Health Defence by Clayton
The basic nutrition text book for the course
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Covey
Get the CD or the book, it is truly great.
Introduction to Homoeopathy by Gunavante
This is a basic course text you will need to study
The 12 Tissue Remedies of Schussler by Boericke & Dewey
A classic text either get this or Phataks Rep of the Tissue Salts in
recommended list
Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines by Phatak
A good basic reference Materia Medica. Standard text before Murphy
Remedy Notes by Wallace
A good way of learning the key notes of Materia Medica from an old
student of ours
Repertory of the Biochemic Remedies by Phatak
Good stuff on the tissue salts; essential in practice
The Beginners Guide to Homoeopathy by Iyer
Davids favourite homoeopathy book! Great therapeutics. A bargain
Homoeopathic Remedies by Hershoff
A very good basic therapeutics book. You will want this by year 2
Accelerated Learning by Rose
How to make learning and study effective easy and fun. We dont stock
this one.

Buying Books
We have outsourced our book supplies to Homeopathic Book Company. There are
others. Do tell them that you are joining the course. www.homeopathicbooks.com

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Year 1 Books
A brief explanation of some other types of books:
Repertories
A cross referencing book with symptom and remedy lists. We will teach you all
about repertories on the course. Suffice it to say that you need them!
Miasms
A big subject covered from the end of the first year.
A&P
Basic understanding of the layout and workings of the healthy human body. If you
have already have a qualification in this, you should see Christopher to agree your
exemption and start on the Pathology course which covers the ways in which the
body goes wrong from a traditional and energetic perspective. This course was
written for alternative practitioners.
Books highlighted in blue are good reading for before you start the course but feel free
to go further!
Books necessary at the beginning of Year 1
Homoeopathic Clinical Repertory by Murphy
Get one - just because you need it!
Natures Materia Medica by Murphy
This is a recommended Materia Medica. If you cannot afford it yet, buy
Phataks Materia Medica (in recommended list) but you will need
Natures Materia Medica in the second year.
Introduction to Homoeopathy by Gunavante
This is a basic course text you will need to study at home
The 12 Tissue Remedies of Schussler by Boericke & Dewey
A classic text either get this or Phataks Rep of the Tissue Salts in
recommended list
Case Analysis and Prescribing techniques by Murphy
Another but different basic course text
Keynotes of the Materia Medica by Murphy
5 volumes of easy to read lecture transcripts on Materia Medica. Highly
recommended
Health Defence by Clayton
The basic nutrition text book for the course
Books necessary by Weekend 4
A Guide to the Methodologies of Homoeopathy by Watson
Does what the title says!
Commentary on the Organon of Medicine (6th Ed) by Murphy
Up to date interpretation of the masters final insights (Hahnemann of
course)

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Books necessary by Weekend 7

Indications of Miasm by Choudhury
Chronic Diseases & The Theory of Miasms by Jain
Both are basic texts on miasm and their indications
Additional Books That Are Highly Recommended
Homoeopathy for the First Aider by Shepherd
OUT OF PRINT Try the internet
Another good fun easy read that has inspired over many years
More Magic of the Minimum Dose by Shepherd
And another good fun easy read that has inspired over many years
Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines by Phatak
A good basic reference Materia Medica. Standard text before Murphy
Drug Pictures by Tyler
A great materia medica very readable and lots of stories
Lectures on Materia Medica by Kent
A great classic Materia Medica with many practical tips
Remedy Notes by Wallace
A good way of learning the key notes of Materia Medica an old student
of ours
Homoeopathy & Homoeopathic Prescribing by Farrington
Amazing book, take a look
Repertory of the Biochemic Remedies by Phatak
Good stuff on the tissue salts; essential in practice
The Beginners Guide to Homoeopathy by Iyer
Davids favourite homoeopathy book! Great therapeutics. A bargain
Philosophy of Natural Therapeutics by Lindlahr
An excellent book that sets the tone of natural healing
Homoeopathic Remedies by Hershoff
A very good basic therapeutics book. You will want this by year 2
Accelerated Learning by Rose
How to make learning and study effective easy and fun. We dont stock
this one.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Covey
Get the CD or the book, it is truly great.
There are so many books out there. You can never have too many so long as you
dont just use them as wall paper!
Happy hunting and happy reading

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