The Oriental Herbal Medicine Curriculum

The Oriental Herbal Medicine portion of the curriculum is an integral part of the program which provides didactic, clinical, and hands-on experience enabling students to utilize Oriental herbs in the practice of Oriental medicine. It contains the full complement of herbal classes in addition to all of the Chinese diagnostics covered in Oriental Medical Theory (OMT) classes, which are needed to appropriately understand and prescribe herbs. The classes listed below are didactic herbal classes.

The Pharmacopeia A three semester course of study covering physical herbal identification, Chinese, Latin and pharmaceutical names of the herbs, the properties of over 300 individual herbs and the categories those herbs belong to.

• Chinese Herbal Materia Medica I 162 (45.0 hrs.)
• Chinese Herbal Materia Medica II 204 (45.0 hrs.)
• Chinese Herbal Materia Medica III 322 (45.0 hrs.)

The Formulas A two semester course of study addressing a minimum of 150 classical formulas, their functions, the methods of dispensing them, their contraindications and differentiations followed by a one semester review of these two courses and then another one semester course, now discussing the formulas according to Zang-fu pathology.

• Traditional Herbal Prescriptions I 262 (45.0 hrs.)
• Traditional Herbal Prescriptions II 311 (45.0 hrs.)
• Herbal Review 410 (45.0 hrs.)
• Internal Medicine 420 (45.0 hrs.)

The Patents The use of prepared, “over the counter” preparations for internal and external conditions.

• Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines 261 (45.0 hrs.)

The Classics The study of how herbal formulas were used historically along with their contemporary applications.

• Classical Herbal Theory 392 (45.0 hrs.)

Nutrition Class and Clinic Practicum on how to use foods and condiments therapeutically.

• Oriental Nutrition 111 (45.0 hrs.)

Chinese Pharmacology An adjunct to Pharmacology 291, this course discusses the information pertaining to the newly emerging field of drug herbal interactions.

• Chinese Pharmacology 430 (15.0 hrs.)

The Pharmacy A small group tutelage of students who work with an experienced herbalist to learn how to select classical herbal formulas and tailor them to the needs of the individual patient. Additionally students rotate several times to serve as the clinic pharmacist by filling formulas and making substitutions when necessary.

• Intermediate Clinical Herbal Prescribing 312 (52.5 hrs.)
• Advanced Clinical Herbal Prescribing 362 (52.5 hrs.)

Total Herbal Didactic (570 hrs.)

Clinical Herbs Students are exposed to herbal prescribing in virtually all clinic levels from observation through internship. In addition, a full year of focused clinical prescribing is undertaken in all Phase II clinics. Phase II clinics are devoted to prescribing, adjusting and tailoring classical formulas to the needs and complexity of each individual patient.