Medical basics: For which activities do I need this course?

If you want to work in the healthcare sector, you need to have an adequate knowledge of the anatomy of the human body, its physiology, psychology, diseases, etc. etc. This knowledge is taught as part of the training for professions in conventional medicine, from Federal VET Diploma health specialists to university medical studies and graduation as a doctor.

There are numerous training courses in the field of alternative medicine and complementary therapy. The form, content and approach of these training courses depend on the desired activity or therapy method, the training providers and personal goals.

Two registration bodies have defined the training standards in experiential medicine and complementary therapy since 1991 and 1999 respectively: the Empirical Medicine Register EMR and the ASCA Foundation (further information atwww.artecura.ch/leistungstraeger1.html; see also theTrunc Commun Complementary therapy). They are the authoritative institutions for recognizing the relevant training courses. Their recognition guarantees quality and, in the case of some methods, allows health insurance companies to contribute to the treatment costs.

The educational pathways that can lead to recognition by the ASCA and EMR take place over 3 or 4 stages:

1. Medical basics level 1 (for all methods)
2. Method-specific training
3. Advanced conventional medical basics level 3 (only required for certain methods)
4. Method-specific continuing education, further training

This means that anyone wishing to work as a breath therapist, Gestalt therapist, Shiatsu therapist or with Alexander Technique, hypnosis, etc., for example, must start with basic medical training. (More information and a list of all recognized methods can be found athttps://asca.ch/de/startseite/). However, if you already have a conventional medical qualification in healthcare, you do not need to attend the basic medical course again.

Most providers of alternative medicine or complementary therapy training courses therefore also offer basic medical courses; some of these can be attended individually, others are integrated into a training course.

Who is the certificate course suitable for?

Target group:

• Alternative medicine practitioners and complementary therapists who must provide proof of their knowledge of basic medical principles for health insurance approval
• People who are new to the field of alternative medicine or complementary therapies, would like to acquire basic knowledge of conventional medicine and work with a health insurance license
• People from the wellness, fitness, health and body care sector who would like to acquire a sound and recognized basis in basic knowledge of conventional medicine

Anyone who has completed vocational training in conventional medicine (e.g. health professional Federal VET Diploma, doctor) does not need to attend the medical basics course again.

Personal skills and characteristics:

To successfully complete this course, you need:

• Interest in the structure and functioning of the human body from the cell to the organs
• Willingness to acquire a lot of factual knowledge (memorization)
• No fear of contact
• Interest in the holistic view and support of people

Requirements for admission to courses on medical basics (cert.)

• No previous knowledge of conventional medicine is required.
• Some schools require a completed basic education or high school diploma for admission to the course.

Content of continuing education, further training and skills taught

Learning material:

• Anatomy / Physiology
• Pathology / Theory of disease
• Medical history and diagnostics
• First aid / emergency measures
• Conversation / Psychology
• Psychosomatics / Psychopathology
• Hygiene

Skills taught:

Those who successfully complete the medical basics course will be able to recognize and explain conventional medical correlations and apply them in practice. In detail, this includes

• understand physical, psychosomatic and systemic disorders and apply this understanding in everyday therapeutic practice
• to conduct a specialist anamnesis and diagnosis for new clients and draw up a suitable treatment plan
• use examination methods from their own specialist area safely
• act in a considered manner in critical emergency situations and deploy emergency organizations in a targeted manner

Costs and financing of continuing education, further training

The course fees for the "Medical Basics" training depend on the school and the scope and form of the training:

• The basic medical training, which corresponds to ASCA level 1 and comprises at least 150 hours of instruction, costs around CHF 3300-4600* (in some cases costs of up to CHF 6000 are incurred if paid in installments).
• The costs for courses in advanced basic medical education, which correspond to ASCA level 3 and comprise at least 300 hours of instruction, are around CHF 8000-10,000*.

Some schools charge additional costs for enrollment, teaching materials or other costs (in the order of CHF 100 or more).

*Anyone who passes the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for complementary therapists with a federal diploma or naturopaths with a federal diploma within seven years of starting their basic medical training will be reimbursed up to half of the costs of the preparatory courses - including the basic medical training - by the federal government on application (conditions and details on:www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/de/home/bildung/bwb/hbb/bundesbeitraege.html).

Medical basics (cert.): Duration, form of teaching, teaching times and amount of self-study time

Medical basics are offered as classroom courses and as online courses and in mixed forms (blended learning).

The range of courses on offer is diverse and the schedules vary. Face-to-face courses are often offered in the form of a full day or two half-days per week and, at this intensity, last between six months and a full year for level 1, and at least a year for level 3, more likely one and a half to two years. The timing of online courses is flexible.

The number of lessons included in a conventional medical basics course is determined by the schools themselves; they often set the scope higher, especially if their teaching units do not last 60 minutes. Some schools also offer more comprehensive training courses over four or more semesters under the name "Medical Basics", which meet the ASCA/EMR requirements for both levels (1 and 3 added together).

To be recognized by the ASCA and EMR, courses with the following minimum scope must be attended:

• for medical basics level 1: 150 lessons (60 min. each; for lessons of 45 min. each at least 200 lessons)
• for medical basics level 3: 300 lessons (60 min. each; for lessons of 45 min. each at least 400 lessons)

If you are interested in basic medical principles and have a specific therapy goal in mind, you should definitely visit theList of ASCA methodscheck how comprehensive the training for the ability to work with the desired methods must be.

The amount of time required for revision and individual learning depends on personal learning style and prior knowledge and should be planned at around one day per week - i.e. the same amount of learning time as class time.

Degree and diploma

The courses in basic medical knowledge have a modular structure. At most schools, each module is completed with an internal learning objective assessment, i.e. a module examination.

The final examination consists of a written and an oral theoretical examination. Upon successful completion, a diploma or certificate and a course confirmation are issued.

ASCA-accredited schools issue certificates that meet ASCA and EMR requirements.