How to become a medical herbalist
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
University
To prepare for work as a medical herbalist, you should complete a degree level course in herbal medicine approved by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists or one of the organisations represented by the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.
Courses last 3 years full time or 5 to 6 years part-time and include at least 500 hours of supervised clinical practice with patients.
If you're a trained medical practitioner like a doctor or nurse, you could take a postgraduate degree in herbal medicine.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including biology for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
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Volunteering
You'll find it useful to arrange some work shadowing with a practising medical herbalist before you begin your studies.
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Professional and industry bodies
There is currently no statutory regulation for medical herbalists.
Check with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association for the latest information about regulation.
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a medical herbalist from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.