Self-test: Is the "Medical Basics (Cert.)" course right for me?
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 healthcare 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 run through 3 or 4 stages:
- Medical basics level 1 (for all methods)
- Method-specific training
- Advanced conventional medical basics level 3 (only required for certain methods)
- Method-specific 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, those who already have a training qualification in healthcare based on conventional medicine do not have 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.
Question 1:
Do you need medical basics or such a certificate on the way to your educational goal?
That's great! Then you've come to the right place with this course.
Just because you don't need it doesn't mean that you are on the wrong path with this further training. You may be interested in learning about medical basics for other reasons.
Don't know where you want to go professionally and want to find your calling? Then take a look at ourGuide "Finding your own calling".
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. healthcare specialist EFZ, doctor) does not have 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
Question 2:
Do you belong to the target group for this training and do you have the necessary skills?
Great!
Find out in the next step whether you meet the admission requirements for further training.
If you do not belong to the target group of the Medical Basics Certificate and are still interested in further training, contact the schools of your choice and discuss your concerns and whether the course is suitable for you.
If you don't have the necessary skills, it will probably be difficult to do the course. It is better to look around for other further training courses. You will find numerous other offers on Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
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.
Question 3:
Do you meet the requirements for admission?
Great! Further in the test ...
If you do not have an upper secondary level qualification (EFZ, Matura), please enquire directly with providers of your desired method or with one of the industry associations about your admission options.
If you do not have a federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ) or equivalent basic vocational training, you still have the opportunity to catch up now. You can find out more about catch-up training for adults in ourGuide "The Swiss education system at a glance".
Do you have a foreign qualification? SERI is responsible for checking the equivalence of foreign qualifications. You can find more information here:www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/de/home/bildung/diploma.html.
Content of the 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
Question 4:
Are you interested in these subjects? Would you like to acquire this knowledge and skills?
Great! You can look forward to exciting and instructive hours in which you will broaden your knowledge horizon and skills - aspects that will increase your career and salary opportunities.
If you are only partially interested in the content of this training course, take a look at other training and further education courses.
Perhaps training in the wellness sector would be more interesting for you? You can find suggestions here:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/wellness-info.asp
Obviously, basic medical specialties are not your world. Take a look at other training courses instead. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
Costs and financing of 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 takes the higher specialist examination to become a complementary therapist with a federal diploma or a naturopath with a federal diploma within seven years of starting basic medical training will be reimbursed up to half of the costs of the preparatory courses - including 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).
Question 5:
Are you able to afford the course fee of CHF 3300-6000?
Great!
Note: If you are able to pay the full amount in advance, some schools will give you an additional discount.
You can find information on financial support options from your employer, the federal government, the canton, foundations or loans from the EducaSwiss Foundation in ourGuide "How to finance your further training properly".
Perhaps there is someone in your work or private environment who will support your further education project with a loan. A bank or credit institution may also support you with an education loan. If you later take the federal higher professional examination, you can use the federal contribution to repay part of the loan immediately afterwards.
You can find information on financial support options from your employer, the federal government, the canton, foundations or loans from the EducaSwiss Foundation in ourGuide "How to finance your further training properly".
Information on financial support for temporary workers through "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, can be found here:www.tempservice.ch/de/temptraining/anspruch-pruefen/index.php
Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be found here:https://budgetberatung.ch/
Perhaps there is someone in your work or private environment who will support your further education project with a loan. A bank or credit institution may also support you with an education loan. If you later take the federal higher professional examination, you can use the federal contribution to repay part of the loan immediately afterwards.
You can find information on financial support options from your employer, the federal government, the canton, foundations or loans from the EducaSwiss Foundation in ourGuide "How to finance your further training properly".
Information on financial support for temporary workers through "temptraining", the further training fund of the temporary employment sector, can be found here:www.tempservice.ch/de/temptraining/anspruch-pruefen/index.php
Information and help on budget planning and budget preparation can be found here:https://budgetberatung.ch/
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.
Question 6:
Can you find the time for lessons and self-study?
If the effort is very easy for you to manage, you may be interested in the time-intensive options. These take less time and you can move on to the next step more quickly.
If you are short of time, look at the details and conditions of the online courses or look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and self-study time per week.
If this is still not enough, you should check whether you can create more freedom for yourself in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you during your training?
If you are short of time, look at the details and conditions of the online courses or look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and self-study time per week.
If this is still not enough, you should check whether you can create more freedom for yourself in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you during your training?
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.
Question 7:
Do you have the confidence to learn the subject matter in basic medical education and pass the exam?
Great!
Here are some general success factors on the way to a new training qualification:
- Regular attendance of lessons
- Actively contribute your questions, don't leave anything half-understood in the room
- Interest in the topic and active participation in class
- Detailed preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, processing of case studies, etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Intensive exam preparation: practise exam situations and gain important exam experience, e.g. in simulation exams
If you are not confident that you can pass the final exam, arrange a personal consultation with the school of your choice. Explain your interest and your concerns and see how your counterpart reacts to which points and what they recommend.
Ask the school of your choice whether there are any support options for you.
Also consider whether you would like other support, for example from learning therapists or coaches, autogenic or mental training.
- Coach:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/coaching-info.html
- Learning therapist:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/lerntherapeut-info.html
- Autogenic training:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/autogenes-training-info.html
- Mental training:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/mentales-training-info.html
- Reduce exam anxiety:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/pruefungsangst-info.html
No, the "Medical basics" course is not right for you. What a pity? - Perhaps not, because there are so many other options for further training. One or the other will certainly suit you much better.
Check which other further training courses are suitable for you. OnEducation-Further-Education.chyou will find a large selection of offers.
Basic medical training is probably not the right further training goal for you.
See which other training courses in the healthcare sector are suitable for you. Perhaps there is an apprenticeship that suits you better: You will find a large selection of offers here:
www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/gesundheitswesen-info.html
If you would like support in choosing the right school for you, try ourGuide "How to choose the right training provider"or with our evaluation tool with numerous evaluations from former participants of various courses:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/Bildungshilfe/Lehrgangsrating.
This is a half-hearted result: a medical basics course does not seem ideal for you.
See which other training courses in the healthcare sector are suitable for you. Perhaps there is an apprenticeship that suits you better: You will find a large selection of offers here:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/gesundheitswesen-info.html
If you would like support in choosing the right school for you, try ourGuide "How to choose the right training provider"or with our evaluation tool with numerous evaluations from former participants of various courses:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/Bildungshilfe/Lehrgangsrating.
The courses on medical basics are not ideal for you - or are they?
If you are unsure, it is best to attend the information events organized by the providers. There you will learn a lot more about further education and can discuss your personal options and questions directly with the specialist representatives present.
Directly to the schools: "Medical basics (cert.)"
If you would like support in choosing the right school for you, try ourGuide "How to choose the right training provider"or with our evaluation tool with numerous evaluations from former participants of various courses:/www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/Bildungshilfe/Lehrgangsrating.
This training seems to suit you well.
It is best to contact the schools that are suitable for you and find out everything you need to know about the specific content, costs and dates.
Directly to the schools: "Medical basics (cert.)"
If you would like support in choosing the right school for you, try ourGuide "How to choose the right training provider"or with our evaluation tool with numerous evaluations from former participants of various courses:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/Bildungshilfe/Lehrgangsrating.
The courses on medical basics seem to be made for you!
It is best to contact the schools that are suitable for you and find out everything you need to know about the specific content, costs and dates.
Directly to the schools: "Medical basics (cert.)"
If you would like support in choosing the right school for you, try ourGuide "How to choose the right training provider"or with our evaluation tool with numerous evaluations from former participants of various courses:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/Bildungshilfe/Lehrgangsrating.