Welcome. You have just become part of an effort to establish standards for the practice of veterinary homeopathy. Every accepted medical specialty and every accepted alternative treatment modality has gone through the process that we are just beginning. It is increasingly important that we gain credibility and positive recognition for the profession as a whole. The strength of our commitment to the basic principles of homeopathy will determine both the successes of our practice and of the profession because homeopathy will be judged by our individual success in the treatment of animals. The Certification process is part of your continuing education. It gives you the opportunity, through peer review, to assess your understanding of the principles and to identify areas of misunderstanding. We hope that you will take every advantage of this learning process.
The following steps outline the certification process:
Step 1: The application.
Complete the application and mail it to the office manager (Ms. Kathy Coombs), along with the application fee of $100 and a copy of your Certificate of Completion for all homeopathic courses listed on the application form. If there are problems with the application, Kathy will contact you. You will then be assigned a liaison to use as a mentor.
Step 2: Case Reports
You will submit 4 case reports: two acute cases and two chronic cases. The purpose of the reports is to demonstrate your understanding of the principles of homeopathy and of case management. Follow the instructions we have provided in this packet and on the Intake and Follow-up forms: they are designed to guide you in successfully fulfilling the requirements. Failure to follow instructions is the major cause of unnecessary delays in certification.
We recommend that you submit a single chronic case first, in order to get a feel for the process and so that we can provide feedback that will help you with subsequent case reports. Once that case has been accepted, then submit the other three. To submit cases, you have two options: email your reports in pdf format (faster, more economical and environmentally friendly) to Kathy Combs (kcombs@theavh.org) or mail them to the address below. If you mail them, send 3 copies of each case: Kathy will then forward the cases to each committee member and retain one copy for her records. Remember to use only the last 4 digits of your Social Security number to identify each report (make sure that your name does not appear anywhere on the case).
The address is:
Kathy Combs
PO Box 232282
Leucadia, CA 92023-2282
USA
A Committee member will be assigned to communicate with you throughout the process. Because we meet once a month and all letters must go through the secretary, please allow 4 weeks for a response. If you havenít heard from us, contact Kim and ask for an update. Your Committee member will provide feedback on each case report. Reasons for rejection or instructions for revision will be provided in the letter. If a case is rejected, you will be asked to submit a new one. Case reports will be accepted only if they demonstrate a basic understanding of the principles.
Case report deadlines: You must complete the certification process within 2 years of application. Otherwise, you will be dropped from the process and will have to re-apply, paying another application fee. We ask that you submit at least 1 case report within a year of your application. Because it takes time to review your cases and provide feedback, expect it to take a minimum of 6 to 9 months to complete your case reports: it may take longer. If there are extenuating circumstances, and you need an extension, you must submit your request to the Committee in writing.
Step 3: The Exam
When all four cases have been approved, you will be sent (by mail) a written exam, to be completed within two weeks. The exam is returned to Kathy by registered mail. Kathy will forward the exam to the assigned committee member. A score of 80 is needed to pass the test. If you need to delay the exam, contact Kim to arrange a better time.
Step 4: Certification
Once you have successfully completed the process, you have earned the title,
Certified Veterinary Homeopath (CVH) and can use it after your name. We will send you a certificate of certification ñ please allow 2 months for delivery. We ask you to sign and return a copy of the Standard of Practice, signifying your agreement to practice homeopathy according to the AVH Standards. You can choose to be listed on our website as Certified Homeopath. To maintain your status, you must continue your membership in the AVH and satisfy the continuing education requirements. As long as you adhere to the SOP, the AVH offers you its support if your practice is ever challenged.
(April 2010)