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Clinical Training in
Primary Care Herbalism in
Nicaragua
Our 2015 trip ran from March 8 to 17. Please visit again for
our 2016 dates.
Spanish
language skills are not necessary, translation
provided, previous experience not necessary
Podcast
interview with Paul Bergner and Tania Neubauer, ND about this trip
Join a faculty
of clinical herbalists and naturopathic physician experts in
botanical medicine at the Natural
Doctors International clinic in Nicaragua for a holistic
clinical intensive unlike any other!
New Faculty: Eric
Yarnell, ND, Clinical Faculty, Bastyr University,
President, Heron Botanicals.
Tania Neubauer,
ND, Clinical Faculty, North American Institute of Medical
Herbalism, Colorado
School of Clinical Herbalism, School of
Traditional Western Herbalism.
Paul Bergner, Clinical Director of North American Institute of Medical
Herbalism, Clinical faculty, Colorado
School of Clinical Herbalism, School of
Traditional Western Herbalism.
Mary Barnes, Clinic Director at the Colorado School of
Clinical Herbalism
Plus an international faculty
of naturopathic, herbal and flower essence experts
This delegation provides invaluable clinical learning to
students and practitioners of all skill levels. Spanish
language skills are not necessary. Previous
clinical experience is not necessary, this could be an
inspiring and intensive beginning to your clinical training, or
a chance to practice and develop your current skills in a
primary care setting.
Medical Herbalism in a
Primary Care Clinical Setting
- Twenty four hours of collaborative primary
care clinical experience with ND and herbalist
faculty supervision.
- Six hours of special classes relevant to
therapeutics in the clinic: Herbal Acute Care; Herbal
Therapeutics for Pain; formulation on the Fly and other
clinical topics TBA;
- Additional Classes on Global Health
- Up to 50 units of CE may be available for NDs.
Please let us know if you want CE.
Cultural Immersion
Since 2004, Natural Doctors International has placed naturopathic
physicians in long-term service on the enchanting island of Ometepe,
Nicaragua, an extremely medically-underserved area. NDI physicians
collaborate with Nicaraguan doctors, nurses and other staff in the
public hospital and clinics of the island, as well as operating a
natural medicine clinic in the village of Los Angeles.
Delegation participants will accompany NDs who are enmeshed in the
community for the long-term in a culturally fluent medical clinic
that is worlds apart from the typical short-term medical relief
approach. The cultural immersion experience includes lodging and
meals with Nicaraguan families who share the warmth of their homes
and hearts.
Left: a rural Nicaraguan home
.
Clinical experience
Participants in this course will
work in a primary care setting under the supervision of licensed
naturopathic physicians and will observe all phases of the
clinical visit – interview, physical exam, differential diagnosis,
and preparation and administration of integrative treatments,
which may include herbal medicine, nutritional supplements,
homeopathy, acupuncture, massage and bodywork, flower essence
therapy, counseling, and pharmaceutical medicine. You can expect
to see a vast range of conditions during the clinic time. Many
ask, ‘Is this course relevant to my practice in the Global North?’
The answer: a resounding YES! A recent clinical course
included attention to colds/flu, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis,
COPD, parasites and infectious diarrhea, malnutrition, diabetes,
hypertension, bladder and kidney infections, kidney stones,
cancer, scabies, eczema, psoriasis, allergies, wounds, depression,
anxiety, all manner of musculo-skeletal concerns, STIs, Pap
smears, acute abdomen, and many more. You will collaborate with
NDI physicians, medical herbalist faculty, and Nicaraguan holistic
medical practitioners to interview patients and form treatment
plans for any number of conditions common wherever you may
practice. You will practice thinking on your feet. This course
will help you develop flexibility in your treatment approach, as
we work with an extensive but largely donation-based natural
product pharmacy, where medications available may change
daily. We provide translators, either the physician herself
or an NDI staff translator will translate everything that happens
in the visit. Beginning students or practitioners will find this
course gives you an enormous head start in your learning and your
practice. Practitioners with many years’ experience will find the
opportunity to flex your clinical muscles, seeing a wide range of
health concerns far more diverse than often encountered in most
holistic medicine practices.
In addition to this extensive clinical
component, this course includes classroom case-based reviews of
herbal therapeutics for conditions seen in the clinic, as well as
NDI’s famed Global Health course, an interactive course on the
roots of the current global health situation. All participants
will receive a certificate from NDI for their participation in the
course, which may be eligible for continuing education credit. If
you are interested in CE, please contact the trip organizers ASAP
for more information.
Pre-Clinical Intensive Options
NOTE: In 2015 we will not be
offering the Pre-clinical options (See options 2 and 3
below).
On the previous 3 trips, we offered Option 2 which takes place take place in Esteli,
and offers a more rounded picture of Nicaraguan life outside of
the countryside, and a chance to develop Spanish language skills
at the Escuela
Horizonte. It also features visits
to two Nicaraguan medicinal plant foundations, Cecalli
and Isnaya,
which grow their own herbs; make their own teas, tinctures, and
salves; publish books on Nicaraguan medicinal plants; and train
community health workers throughout Nicaragua in the use of herbal
medicine. Option 3 takes
place in Miraflor,
an eco-reserve in the mountains high above Esteli, where you can
hike among organic shade-grown coffee and in a native cloud-forest
blooming with orchids and full of exotic bird calls. The cloud
forest guides are veterans of a movement to bring the herbal
knowledge of Nicaraguan elders into practical use throughout the
country. We hope to bring these options
back at some time in the future.
2015 Clinical
Intensive March 8-17, 2015
10 days including travel – $1800 includes all classes, food
and lodging and in-country travel (airfare to Managua not
included)
Faculty: see more info
- Tania Neubauer, ND. Clinical Herbalist. Clinical
Faculties, NAIMH, Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, and
School of Traditional Western Herbalism.
- Paul Bergner, Clinical Herbalist and Nutritionist.
Director, North American Institute of Medical Herbalism,
Clinical faculty, Colorado School of Clinical
Herbalism, and School of Traditional Western Herbalism.
- Eric Yarnell, ND, Clinical Herbalist, Clinical Faculty,
Bastyr University, owner, Heron Botanicals.
- Mary Barnes, Clinical Herbalist and Nutritionist, Clinic
Director, Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism.
- Natali Montoya Sequeira, Psychologist, naturopath, flower
essence therapist. Matagalpa, Nicaragua
- The ND-physician faculty of NDI.
Activities
1. 24 hours of supervised clinical training with patients of the
NDI clinic.
2. Observation of, or practice in, complete physical examination
skills (depending on your training)
3. Participation in intake, physical exam, and development of
herbal therapeutics.
4. 6 hours of classes on materia medica and therapeutics for
acute conditions.
5. Classes on working in the medical field in the Global South.
6. Classes on global economics and their relation to global health
issues.
7. Lodging and meals with Nicaraguan families on the island.
8. Visit to the beaches, forests and volcanoes of the Island of
Ometepe
Tania
Neubauer leading a group awareness exercise
We know of no other clinical learning opportunity like this
anywhere in the world! We hope you can join us for this
transformative educational and cultural experience. Although we
hope to offer this course in the future, it’s possible this may
be your only chance. We encourage you to apply early.
Left: Tecoma stans, an indigenous
diabetes remedy in Nicaragua
Spanish language skills are not necessary.
Previous clinical experience is not necessary, this could be an
inspiring and intensive beginning to your clinical training.
Applications, Payments, Refunds
Application
and enrollment is made through the Natural Doctors
International site.
Enroll here:
You may also contact Medical Herbalism in Global Health at:
Phone:
720-279-4824