Monday, July 08, 2013

Upgrading homoepathic education system

Need to upgrade the education system in sync with the changing trends

In every field there is always a need for change based on the contemporary needs, advancements, or changes. Those which transform to cope up with such changes will survive and others get eliminated or neglected. Current homoeopathic education system needs certain changes. It has to be more synchrony with some of the advancements and challenges. This article tries to highlight such changes needed in the homoeopathic education system.

Contemporary thinkers
There is no way for the students to get to know about the contemporary thinkers successful in the field like Jeremy Sherr, Jan Scholten, George Vithoulkas, A. U. Ramakrishnan, Robin Murphy, Rajan Sankaran, Praful Vijayakar, David Little, Luc De Schepper, etc. Each one has an interpretation of homoeopathic concepts and homoeopathic therapeutics. Students should be given an opportunity to the new ideas either good or bad. It will help them to apply them in their practice whenever need to enhance their clinical results. So far they have been in a well of old schools of thought, from which they seldom come during their course period.

Recent researches
There have been recent break-through researchers in homoeopathy. For example, a team from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has demonstrated the presence of nanoparticles of starting materials and their aggregates. Researches by French Nobelist Luc Montagnier, who had co-discovered HIV and won Nobel Prize for that, had described the capacity of some bacterial DNA sequences to induce electromagnetic waves at high aqueous dilutions. Such type of research findings are reported time to time which form the basis for further evolution of the system. Understanding such researches at student level will trigger the better research culture among homoeopaths in future.

Computer training
Computer has become essential part of life. Its application in homoeopathic practice is increasing. A decade ago it was used only for the repertorisation. But now it has become important for case record management, appointment management, communication through email, online consultation. But training on applied utilisation of computers is not part of the current BHMS syllabus. An hour per week training program will enhance the efficiency of the homoeopathic physicians in their practice.

Softwares and applications
There have been many softwares, applications, websites available for faster repertorisation, better patient management systems, to aid clinical research and to enhance overall clinical practice. Though if a student has computer knowledge, unless otherwise he/she has his own interest, there is no way in the curriculum structure to have the knowledge of such softwares and applications. It is for the policy makers and the CCH education committee to include them in the syllabus.

Focus on recent medical advancement
Our curriculum structure gives more stress on past than the present and future. History of medicine and philosophy, history of homoeopathy and philosophy are covered in the BHMS and MD curriculum. Genetic engineering, molecular biology, biotechnology are the allied advancing medical fields in recent times. In our curriculum, though focuses on basic anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, etc., these recent developments are omitted. Curriculum should include the basic understanding on these medical advancements. It can cover mutations due to abuse of antibiotics or cellular metabolism and steroids or even gene expression and homoeopathy.

Managing of emergency conditions
The recent regulation suggests the colleges to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with nearby hospitals to get the exposure in the management of diseases in emergency conditions. This welcome move should be implemented properly. Many colleges do even not have certain basic equipments like nebulizer. Such facilities are to be made in the IPD so that students and interns have experience in using minor management tools.

More surgical cases
Exposure to more surgical cases within the scope of homoeopathy will increase the confidence at student level. Apart from the above mentioned regulation of MoU, at least a part time surgeon should be appointed. He/she may not necessarily practice this, but will be able to discriminate a purely surgical case for surgeons from homoeopathically manageable cases.

BHMS as eligibility for various doctoral programmes
Many BHMS graduates have done and are doing higher studies in different fields like anatomy, microbiology, clinical embryology, etc. But neither BHMS nor MD (Hom) is eligible for many PhD programmes for which many life sciences courses are eligible. If CCH looks into this matter and manages to get this eligibility criteria changed, many homoeopaths would enter into such field of researches. It would be an opportunity for them to explore the homoeopathic research in such allied fields.


The above suggested changes are given by discussing with academicians and education experts. It is for the policy makers and implementing authorities to examine, decide and implement as needed.

Source: Dr. R. Valavan, Need to upgrade the education system in sync with the changing trends, Homoeopathy For All, Vol. 14 No. 06 (162) May 15 2013

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