Your Path to Healing
Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine
As humans evolve, both as individuals and as part of humanity, Anthroposophic Medicine is continually developing, both through clinical and scientific practice.
For some healthcare professionals it intrigues and stimulates their curiosity and willingness to explore. For others, it becomes their chosen path. Anthroposophic Medical Training offers medical professionals the freedom to choose how much or how little they want to engage.
For those who are willing to make a deeper commitment to integrating Anthroposophic medicine into their practice, PAAM offers a three-year training to achieve Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine.
During your training you will learn how to:
Establish a doctor-patient relationship based on dialogue, in which you perceive the patient as an individuality in his/her particular social environment
Establish a differentiated evaluation of the bodily, vital, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions (also called the human fourfold nature)
Take into account the spiritual dimension of the human being in the treatment plan and where appropriate, possible and desired also discuss this with the patient
Treat the most common diseases encountered in general and specialist practice by means of or including Anthroposophic medications and therapies, and accompany, evaluate and adapt the therapy to the course of the illness
Develop a connection with nature and the cosmos, as well as with the substances at the origin of important Anthroposophic medications
Explain the scientific foundations and research methods of Anthroposophic Medicine and independently search the Anthroposophic-medical literature
And more
Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine: Process and Criteria
The following credentials can earn Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine through the American College of Anthroposophic Medicine (ACAM):
Medical doctors (MD) (U.S. and Canada)
Osteopathic doctors (DO)
Nurse practitioners (NP)
Physician assistants (PA)
The following credentials can earn Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine through the Society for Physicians of Anthroposophic Naturopathy for
Naturopathic doctors (ND) (U.S. and Canada)
Additional ACAM criteria are as follows:
The applicant shall be licensed to practice medicine as an MD or DO, or NP or PA within the United States, or licensed as an MD in Canada.
The applicant shall be of high moral and ethical standards and be in good standing in the general medical and Anthroposophic communities.
The applicant shall be committed to the ongoing development of the knowledge and practice of Anthroposophic medicine.
The International Core Curriculum • 1000 hours, five main areas
1. Contact Time (250 hours): Includes participation in the four-year cycle of the training conferences and the three-year Clinical Mentoring Program.
2. Independent Work (250 hours): To fulfill this requirement each applicant must submit a "learning portfolio", with a list of materials and subjects studied during the course of training.
3. Mentored Practice Hours (250 hours): Three years of participation in the PAAM Clinical Mentoring Program fulfills this requirement. Other equivalent clinical experience (such as work in an Anthroposophic inpatient facility) can also fulfill this requirement with proper documentation.
4. Project Work (150 hours): The project can be a publication or a paper. The topic is related to Anthroposophic Medicine and the trainee's current continuing medical education (CME); One of the three possible projects can be fulfilled through PAAM activities like webinar teaching, such as offering a presentation within the webinar series regularly offered by PAAM.
5. Three Case Studies Preparation (100 hours): The three case studies should show that the applicant is:
• familiar with the fundamentals of Anthroposophic Medicine and can independently make a diagnosis in the sense of Anthroposophic Medicine.
• Can develop a therapy and evaluate the course of the illness.
It is recommended that a list of references also be included with each case study. These three case studies should then be presented as part of the certification application.
Case guidelines and resources
Examination: The certification process finishes with a conversation about the applicant's case studies. This will generally last about sixty minutes and needs to be done with at least two members of ACAM, or other designated physicians. The examination will include discussion of at least one of the three cases that have been prepared.
The Board will review the application, request additional information or clarification as needed, and contact the applicant to schedule a time for discussion of the clinical cases. If certification is not granted, the Board will provide feedback to the applicant, including recommendations for additional study or training.
Clinical Mentoring Program
The Clinical Mentoring Program provides more individualized teaching time and a focus on practical application of Anthroposophic medical therapies in your practice.
The Foundation Year of clinical mentoring consists of a series of ten live, 90-minute online sessions (spaced about every 3-4 weeks, September to May), plus a special, in-person, 2½ day Fall Mentoring Workshop. In these meetings you will be introduced to the philosophical and clinical foundations of Anthroposophic Medicine, while creating a clear pathway for you to bring these insights into your patient care. Topics include:
dynamic observation methods
learning the language of nature
metamorphosis, dynamic morphology and embryology
threefold physiologic patterns
the fourfold nature of the human being
exploring the deeper roots of health and illness
first steps in prescribing Anthroposophic medicines and therapies
meditative practices to support moral strength and practitioner health
integrative practice management tools and sharing of successful practice models
Quarterly group meetings continue during mentoring years two and three, but the majority of sessions are now devoted to paired (one-on-one) discussions with an experienced clinician mentor. The focus for these mentoring meetings is discussing cases from one’s own clinical practice.
Here is a downloadable application for the Clinical Mentoring Program.
Apply for Certification in Anthroposophic Medicine
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American College of Anthroposophic Medicine (ACAM) Certification
For the following credentials:
Medical doctors (MD) (U.S. and Canada)
Osteopathic doctors (DO)
Nurse practitioners (NP)
Physician assistants (PA) -
Society for Physicians of Anthroposophic Naturopathy (SPAN) Certification
For the following credentials:
Naturopathic doctors (ND) (U.S. and Canada)