NBHE homeopathic board/digression / NBHE History
Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 6:43 am
NBHE Homeopathic Board? Is it really necesssary?
Dear Dana,
Thank you for sharing where part of the animosity and breakdown
occurred between our organizations. At the NCH conference in San
Francisco I was blown away by the energy shown me when I offered to
work together in unity. I was blind sided because at that time the old
regime was already on the way out and when I came in I was free of old
baggage and emotional issues.
The NBHE had booths for over a decade at the conferences including the
SF conference and at the one in Orlando, Fl two years ago. We opted
not to get a booth this year but to participate anyway. Many of our
members show proof they went to the conferences to claim their CEU's.
First, I desire to tell you that I have personally admired and
respected your work for years as a great motivating force of
homeopathy. I aspire to do a tenth of what you have done. Thank you
for paving the way.
Second, I will publicly apologize to you and others for the actions of
past members. It is my hope that you will take the olive branch being
extended to you and everyone else. We are a new regime with hard
working professionals desiring to further the acceptance of homeopathy
worldwide.
Third, I am afraid you just didn't recognize us at the Joint Alliance
Conference.
The NBHE had a poster presentation put on by Dr. Julie Plezbert, DC,
DNBHE on the effectiveness of Arnica in a clinical trial. She
personally went up to you and introduced herself and asked you to stop
by. You didn't, but we realize you were busy with other tasks.
We also held our annual meeting even though it was not published in
the brochure. We found each other and had an independent meeting with
current and potential future members.
After our lively discussion at our NBHE meeting Saturday night I was
looking for Manfred Mueller to meet with him on Sunday. I did not find
him at the same time I was free to have a meaningful conversation as I
was working every break at your booth. I am very open to meeting with
him. I did network with many other organizations and individuals at
the conference.
We are not duplicating any other organization and we do not feel we
are competing against anyone for membership.
Now is not the time to divide or pit one organization against another
one. I am offering a peace flag and hope to create harmony among all
our groups.
There is too much upheaval and discord on the planet now. Our words
and actions and feelings have a far reaching effect on all life forms
on the planet. Now is the time to come together in strength and
bonding so we can survive the government onslaughts to our rights to
practice. Please let's work together professionally to promote and
educate the world about our valuable modality of healing.
Physicians with the Functional Medicine edge are members of The
National Board of Homeopathic Examiners
History of the NBHE
The NBHE board evolved out of a vision of creating standardized
inter-professional testing for the advancement of the homeopathic
profession. The National Board also acts as a credentialing agency for
homeopathic education for physicians worldwide.
The National Board of Homeopathic Examiners came into existence in the
mid 1980's, during a time when the allopathic and naturopathic
communities were attempting to take for their exclusive possession of
all of the healing arts. Chiropractic was abdicating custody of
alternative medical thought and Acupuncture was still for the most
part an up and coming profession.
In an attempt to gain control, certification boards were put in place
as a means to control who would come into the homeopathic community
and who would be kept out. The American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH)
would only certify Medical Doctors and Osteopaths. (they now recognize
nurse practitioners but not DC's Acupuncturists, Pharmacists, etc. The
naturopaths had their own exclusive certification board who for a
while held a very close relationship with the allopaths. The need for
a group for chiropractors, practitioners and all others desiring to
become certified in homeopathy gave birth to the NBHE.
The NBHE became the FIRST group to open their examination to all
establishing an environment of open fairness.
The International College of Homeopathy grew to become one of the
largest homeopathic teaching programs in the United States and opened
its doors for its students to take the National Board Examination.
That was not the only way to earn the credits to take the board exam.
We recognized other institutions as well. The ICH merged into Quantum
Veritas University Systems. QVIUS is involved with many modalities
under one umbrella.
Per Dr. Floyd: At a time when most of homeopathy was taught from a
Vithoulkas / Allopathic perspective (which we also learned) the NBHE
and ICH was the group that introduced the miasms and the Indian
approach to Homeopathy long before anyone had ever heard of Sankaran.
The NBHE was opened up to lay people in the 1990's, which was one of
the NBHE's biggest challenges. We recognize that some of the most
knowledgeable and effective homeopaths in the world are lay people.
The ICH graduated many lay people. After taking the comprehensive
board exam they were granted the title of Certified Practitioner of
Homeopathic Therapeutics (CPHT). However, some of the lay people just
could not understand that a certification by the NBHE WAS NOT A
LICENSE TO PRACTICE HOMEOPATHY IN THEIR STATES. That has always been
left up to state and federal laws to control and regulate who they
choose to.
Some disgruntled lay people in Minnesota talked of suing us because
they couldn't get a state license. The NBHE decided in 1999 to close
the door to lay people. We are currently discussing whether to reopen
that door.
I was told by Chuck Wilcher: In 1990 there was discussion of merging
the NBHE with another group. The NBHE was concerned that this group
felt that chiropractors and acupuncturists were second class citizens
who shouldn't be allowed to be certified in homeopathy. They desired
us to give our membership to them and hand over the treasury. A fight
ensued and evidently the wounds on both sides are still festering.
This came down over a decade BEFORE the current board came into
service and was mentioned in passing but not made out to me to be the
issue that it apparently has been.
In 1990 the CCH and NASH came into being and admitted physicians and
lay people. Four years AFTER we had incorporated.
In the 1990's the NBHE accomplished the impossible, implementing a
state recognized postgraduate homeopathic program in a recognized
institution of higher learning that would lead to DNBHE certification.
The homeopathic curriculum is now available in colleges and
universities recognized by the Department of Education. It started
with the chiropractors in Chicago and then approved in subsequent
institutions. Though inactive now at The National College of
Chiropractic (now National University of Health Sciences) it is ready
to be reactivated at any time. It has also been established at New
York Chiropractic College ... degree granting institutions that have
gone through all the rigors of accreditation. The Texas Chiropractic
College was the first to give CME's to chiropractors thus legitimizing
homeopathy as a vital modality for healing in their profession. They
were part of our network.
Acupuncturists were attacked in Florida for practicing homeopathy over
a decade ago. Through a very committed effort homeopathy has been
written into the law in Florida as a valid modality for Acupuncturists
who are considered primary care physicians in that state. Several
acupuncture colleges and institutions are now offering homeopathy
classes there as well.
In Idaho, NBHE members worked with the International Academy of
Medical Acupuncture to incorporate homeopathy into their acupuncture laws.
Chuck Wilcher, DC, ND, Lac, DNBHE is now teaching at a naturopathic
college in Idaho the basics of classical homeopathy as it pertains to
their professional practice. We are encouraging other states and
institutions to do the same.
The NBHE was the first board to use a competency exam including
written and oral case taking to see how the candidate uses their
research books and interview techniques to find the simillimum. The
ND's at this time I am told have no competency just a written exam.
The Arizona Chiropractic Board does do competency exams at this time
and there may be others.
The NBHE administers a comprehensive examination, which certifies the
basic level of proficiency of homeopathic physicians who successfully
pass the exam.
Successful candidates are awarded the title of Diplomate by the
National Board of Homeopathic Examiners and can use the initials DNBHE
after their names.
The NBHE exam is comprehensive,
Part I: Open book examination covering the basic laws of healing,
homeopathic principles, repertorization, philosophy, history,
polycrests, small remedies, keynotes, miasms, materia medica,
prescribing, and case management. There are 240 fill-in, multiple
choice, and matching type questions. It is open book because in real
life we use our books. It is a timed exam so one needs to be really
familiar with their research materials.
Part II: Practical/oral examination in which the examinee is required
to take a case history and determine the appropriate remedy selection,
potency selection and detail the explanation for your choice as well
as the differential diagnosis of remedies. You will need to list any
possible medical co-management available per your profession if needed.
Another advantage of being a member on the Board: Should a legal
problem arise, the NBHE will provide an expert witness to explain the
benefits of homeopathy in a court of law.
We also formed a Speaker's bureau for any media contacts and
organizations, hospitals, clubs, or institutions to learn more about
classical homeopathy. We have the advantage of being able to use the
credentials of members to suit the audience.
We are promoting the classes of many instructors all over the USA.
Many who attend these classes may use the hours to become eligible to
take our board exam or use the hours as CEU credits if already a member.
We are listing on our website a 100 hour basic homeopathic online
class for lay people and physician's alike. Several colleges and
individuals who fall short of our required hours to take the NBHE
board exam are using these classes to get a good solid education and
partial hours to take our boards. We are also listing and promoting
many well known homeopaths and their curriculum.
We are in the process of changing servers and revising the website
however www.TheProver.com a professional online homeopathic journal
THAT IS FREE will be back up and running soon.
If anyone on the list wishes to offer classes as an approved
facilitator or as an individual please email me off list. If you wish
to take our board exam please contact me off list as well.
These are the highlights and not a complete list of everything the
NBHE has been involved with. My reply has been delayed as I was doing
my best to get insights from many members as to what they felt were
our greatest achievements. Some of you are on this list. I am sorry I
didn't get to all of you. I was busy working as well.
An Aside from the NBHE topic:
I would like to add that I came into the NBHE as a lay person with the
designation of CPHT. I was in a class at the ICH composed of MD's
Chiropractors, Dentists, Acupuncturists and a (vet for a very short
time.) I quickly realized that I did not have a great enough
understanding of what was the disease and what was the patient's
reaction to the disease. I desired to treat the red itchy rash not the
reaction to the rash: Be quiet in bed, be weepy clinging, go outside
to play, etc. At the same time as Florida does every decade they were
coming after anyone practicing alternative medicine and complementary
medicine modalities without a license. I chose to go to medical school
for two reasons: to not be hassled about homeopathy and also I desired
the medical background to help my practice. As a result I was awarded
the title of DNBHE after I earned my medical degree.
It is at a vicious peak again this decade as the Naturopaths are
attempting to reinstate their modality in Florida and make it unlawful
for all other unlicensed practitioners to do alternative health. Let
them be king of the roost. Just like MD's, DO's and Dentists who can
call themselves acupuncturists with 0 hours of training the ND's wrote
into their proposed bill the entire acupuncture practice act with 0
hours of training. (Chiropractors only need 100 hours Acupuncturists
over 3,000 hours.) So now the infighting among the acupuncturists to
also protect the public and their turf. On top of it the massage
therapist have ruled that unless you have a massage license one can't
do Reiki or several other modalities in Florida unless your medical
license has it in the practice act (which Acupuncturists do.) Why
can't we all just get along and play nice, I ask?)
Homeopathy is unregulated in Florida even though it is part of the
acupuncturists practice act. We didn't go around telling anyone else
not to use homeopathy.
I hope this answers many questions for you. I would be glad to discuss
everything with any of you.
Sincerely,
Solara Attatharya, DOM, AP, DNBHE
NBHE Secretary
www.NBHE.org
www.TheProver.com
Sunny@isp.com
Dear Dana,
Thank you for sharing where part of the animosity and breakdown
occurred between our organizations. At the NCH conference in San
Francisco I was blown away by the energy shown me when I offered to
work together in unity. I was blind sided because at that time the old
regime was already on the way out and when I came in I was free of old
baggage and emotional issues.
The NBHE had booths for over a decade at the conferences including the
SF conference and at the one in Orlando, Fl two years ago. We opted
not to get a booth this year but to participate anyway. Many of our
members show proof they went to the conferences to claim their CEU's.
First, I desire to tell you that I have personally admired and
respected your work for years as a great motivating force of
homeopathy. I aspire to do a tenth of what you have done. Thank you
for paving the way.
Second, I will publicly apologize to you and others for the actions of
past members. It is my hope that you will take the olive branch being
extended to you and everyone else. We are a new regime with hard
working professionals desiring to further the acceptance of homeopathy
worldwide.
Third, I am afraid you just didn't recognize us at the Joint Alliance
Conference.
The NBHE had a poster presentation put on by Dr. Julie Plezbert, DC,
DNBHE on the effectiveness of Arnica in a clinical trial. She
personally went up to you and introduced herself and asked you to stop
by. You didn't, but we realize you were busy with other tasks.
We also held our annual meeting even though it was not published in
the brochure. We found each other and had an independent meeting with
current and potential future members.
After our lively discussion at our NBHE meeting Saturday night I was
looking for Manfred Mueller to meet with him on Sunday. I did not find
him at the same time I was free to have a meaningful conversation as I
was working every break at your booth. I am very open to meeting with
him. I did network with many other organizations and individuals at
the conference.
We are not duplicating any other organization and we do not feel we
are competing against anyone for membership.
Now is not the time to divide or pit one organization against another
one. I am offering a peace flag and hope to create harmony among all
our groups.
There is too much upheaval and discord on the planet now. Our words
and actions and feelings have a far reaching effect on all life forms
on the planet. Now is the time to come together in strength and
bonding so we can survive the government onslaughts to our rights to
practice. Please let's work together professionally to promote and
educate the world about our valuable modality of healing.
Physicians with the Functional Medicine edge are members of The
National Board of Homeopathic Examiners
History of the NBHE
The NBHE board evolved out of a vision of creating standardized
inter-professional testing for the advancement of the homeopathic
profession. The National Board also acts as a credentialing agency for
homeopathic education for physicians worldwide.
The National Board of Homeopathic Examiners came into existence in the
mid 1980's, during a time when the allopathic and naturopathic
communities were attempting to take for their exclusive possession of
all of the healing arts. Chiropractic was abdicating custody of
alternative medical thought and Acupuncture was still for the most
part an up and coming profession.
In an attempt to gain control, certification boards were put in place
as a means to control who would come into the homeopathic community
and who would be kept out. The American Institute of Homeopathy (AIH)
would only certify Medical Doctors and Osteopaths. (they now recognize
nurse practitioners but not DC's Acupuncturists, Pharmacists, etc. The
naturopaths had their own exclusive certification board who for a
while held a very close relationship with the allopaths. The need for
a group for chiropractors, practitioners and all others desiring to
become certified in homeopathy gave birth to the NBHE.
The NBHE became the FIRST group to open their examination to all
establishing an environment of open fairness.
The International College of Homeopathy grew to become one of the
largest homeopathic teaching programs in the United States and opened
its doors for its students to take the National Board Examination.
That was not the only way to earn the credits to take the board exam.
We recognized other institutions as well. The ICH merged into Quantum
Veritas University Systems. QVIUS is involved with many modalities
under one umbrella.
Per Dr. Floyd: At a time when most of homeopathy was taught from a
Vithoulkas / Allopathic perspective (which we also learned) the NBHE
and ICH was the group that introduced the miasms and the Indian
approach to Homeopathy long before anyone had ever heard of Sankaran.
The NBHE was opened up to lay people in the 1990's, which was one of
the NBHE's biggest challenges. We recognize that some of the most
knowledgeable and effective homeopaths in the world are lay people.
The ICH graduated many lay people. After taking the comprehensive
board exam they were granted the title of Certified Practitioner of
Homeopathic Therapeutics (CPHT). However, some of the lay people just
could not understand that a certification by the NBHE WAS NOT A
LICENSE TO PRACTICE HOMEOPATHY IN THEIR STATES. That has always been
left up to state and federal laws to control and regulate who they
choose to.
Some disgruntled lay people in Minnesota talked of suing us because
they couldn't get a state license. The NBHE decided in 1999 to close
the door to lay people. We are currently discussing whether to reopen
that door.
I was told by Chuck Wilcher: In 1990 there was discussion of merging
the NBHE with another group. The NBHE was concerned that this group
felt that chiropractors and acupuncturists were second class citizens
who shouldn't be allowed to be certified in homeopathy. They desired
us to give our membership to them and hand over the treasury. A fight
ensued and evidently the wounds on both sides are still festering.
This came down over a decade BEFORE the current board came into
service and was mentioned in passing but not made out to me to be the
issue that it apparently has been.
In 1990 the CCH and NASH came into being and admitted physicians and
lay people. Four years AFTER we had incorporated.
In the 1990's the NBHE accomplished the impossible, implementing a
state recognized postgraduate homeopathic program in a recognized
institution of higher learning that would lead to DNBHE certification.
The homeopathic curriculum is now available in colleges and
universities recognized by the Department of Education. It started
with the chiropractors in Chicago and then approved in subsequent
institutions. Though inactive now at The National College of
Chiropractic (now National University of Health Sciences) it is ready
to be reactivated at any time. It has also been established at New
York Chiropractic College ... degree granting institutions that have
gone through all the rigors of accreditation. The Texas Chiropractic
College was the first to give CME's to chiropractors thus legitimizing
homeopathy as a vital modality for healing in their profession. They
were part of our network.
Acupuncturists were attacked in Florida for practicing homeopathy over
a decade ago. Through a very committed effort homeopathy has been
written into the law in Florida as a valid modality for Acupuncturists
who are considered primary care physicians in that state. Several
acupuncture colleges and institutions are now offering homeopathy
classes there as well.
In Idaho, NBHE members worked with the International Academy of
Medical Acupuncture to incorporate homeopathy into their acupuncture laws.
Chuck Wilcher, DC, ND, Lac, DNBHE is now teaching at a naturopathic
college in Idaho the basics of classical homeopathy as it pertains to
their professional practice. We are encouraging other states and
institutions to do the same.
The NBHE was the first board to use a competency exam including
written and oral case taking to see how the candidate uses their
research books and interview techniques to find the simillimum. The
ND's at this time I am told have no competency just a written exam.
The Arizona Chiropractic Board does do competency exams at this time
and there may be others.
The NBHE administers a comprehensive examination, which certifies the
basic level of proficiency of homeopathic physicians who successfully
pass the exam.
Successful candidates are awarded the title of Diplomate by the
National Board of Homeopathic Examiners and can use the initials DNBHE
after their names.
The NBHE exam is comprehensive,
Part I: Open book examination covering the basic laws of healing,
homeopathic principles, repertorization, philosophy, history,
polycrests, small remedies, keynotes, miasms, materia medica,
prescribing, and case management. There are 240 fill-in, multiple
choice, and matching type questions. It is open book because in real
life we use our books. It is a timed exam so one needs to be really
familiar with their research materials.
Part II: Practical/oral examination in which the examinee is required
to take a case history and determine the appropriate remedy selection,
potency selection and detail the explanation for your choice as well
as the differential diagnosis of remedies. You will need to list any
possible medical co-management available per your profession if needed.
Another advantage of being a member on the Board: Should a legal
problem arise, the NBHE will provide an expert witness to explain the
benefits of homeopathy in a court of law.
We also formed a Speaker's bureau for any media contacts and
organizations, hospitals, clubs, or institutions to learn more about
classical homeopathy. We have the advantage of being able to use the
credentials of members to suit the audience.
We are promoting the classes of many instructors all over the USA.
Many who attend these classes may use the hours to become eligible to
take our board exam or use the hours as CEU credits if already a member.
We are listing on our website a 100 hour basic homeopathic online
class for lay people and physician's alike. Several colleges and
individuals who fall short of our required hours to take the NBHE
board exam are using these classes to get a good solid education and
partial hours to take our boards. We are also listing and promoting
many well known homeopaths and their curriculum.
We are in the process of changing servers and revising the website
however www.TheProver.com a professional online homeopathic journal
THAT IS FREE will be back up and running soon.
If anyone on the list wishes to offer classes as an approved
facilitator or as an individual please email me off list. If you wish
to take our board exam please contact me off list as well.
These are the highlights and not a complete list of everything the
NBHE has been involved with. My reply has been delayed as I was doing
my best to get insights from many members as to what they felt were
our greatest achievements. Some of you are on this list. I am sorry I
didn't get to all of you. I was busy working as well.
An Aside from the NBHE topic:
I would like to add that I came into the NBHE as a lay person with the
designation of CPHT. I was in a class at the ICH composed of MD's
Chiropractors, Dentists, Acupuncturists and a (vet for a very short
time.) I quickly realized that I did not have a great enough
understanding of what was the disease and what was the patient's
reaction to the disease. I desired to treat the red itchy rash not the
reaction to the rash: Be quiet in bed, be weepy clinging, go outside
to play, etc. At the same time as Florida does every decade they were
coming after anyone practicing alternative medicine and complementary
medicine modalities without a license. I chose to go to medical school
for two reasons: to not be hassled about homeopathy and also I desired
the medical background to help my practice. As a result I was awarded
the title of DNBHE after I earned my medical degree.
It is at a vicious peak again this decade as the Naturopaths are
attempting to reinstate their modality in Florida and make it unlawful
for all other unlicensed practitioners to do alternative health. Let
them be king of the roost. Just like MD's, DO's and Dentists who can
call themselves acupuncturists with 0 hours of training the ND's wrote
into their proposed bill the entire acupuncture practice act with 0
hours of training. (Chiropractors only need 100 hours Acupuncturists
over 3,000 hours.) So now the infighting among the acupuncturists to
also protect the public and their turf. On top of it the massage
therapist have ruled that unless you have a massage license one can't
do Reiki or several other modalities in Florida unless your medical
license has it in the practice act (which Acupuncturists do.) Why
can't we all just get along and play nice, I ask?)
Homeopathy is unregulated in Florida even though it is part of the
acupuncturists practice act. We didn't go around telling anyone else
not to use homeopathy.
I hope this answers many questions for you. I would be glad to discuss
everything with any of you.
Sincerely,
Solara Attatharya, DOM, AP, DNBHE
NBHE Secretary
www.NBHE.org
www.TheProver.com
Sunny@isp.com