It’s the start of the Spring 2021 trimester and most of the classes have transitioned back to the face-to-face format. It was nice to see my classmates that I haven’t seen in person in eight months! I’m signed up for two clinic shifts this term, and it has been really nice to start seeing patients again. This week I took part in the patient screening & temperature checks that occur before patients are allowed in the building.

I can tell already this trimester will be a challenging one. One class that will require a lot of my attention is my Herbal Formula class, which means I am progressing into phase two of the Chinese Herbal Medicine journey! The first phase is the three Materia Medica courses, which is where you learn all about the individual herbs. The second phase is the herbal formula courses, and this is when you learn traditional herbal formulas and you learn how to make substitutions and modifications when necessary. These classes are foundational to crafting tailored herbal prescriptions that are uniquely constructed to assist the patient’s individual needs. It’s very interesting, but the amount of information we are responsible for will be challenging.

One thing I have learned on this journey is to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it; I always find it helpful asking some of the upper trimester students who have already taken the class for advice. 2020 was a year filled with twists, turns and lots of sacrifices; I am truly proud of myself and other students who are able to continue this educational journey under such pressure.

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