APPE Rotation Info

Welcome, APPE rotation students!

Here you’ll find everything you need to know to have a successful rotation.

Please read everything carefully!

Getting Started

• Rotation Syllabus
• Homework Guidelines

Projects

• Herb of the Week
• Neighborhood Plants
• Dietary Changes
• Stress Management
• Sleep
• Take Action

Primary Resources

Recommended Resources – Scroll down to the Learning Herbalism heading. This is your best jumping-off point for finding information about herbs & herbalism. From here, you can just pick a site and search within it for what you’re seeking. Use these recommendations as the starting point for your internet research.

Courses

You will all work through the Medicine-Making, Energetics, Phytochemistry, Sleep, and Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety courses during this rotation.

You have a choice about a portion of your assigned coursework – we want to give you the option to learn about the topics that matter most to you! You may select one of the following as your focus course:

• Nutrition
• Digestive
• Cardiovascular
• Respiratory
• Musculoskeletal

Note: You do not need to pay for the courses! We will add the appropriate courses to your student account after the first live session.

For courses with capstone assignments at the end, submit your work as a PDF, and name your file starting with APPE and your name, e.g.: APPE JS Choi Digestive capstone.pdf

Week-by-Week Breakdown

week 1

week 1 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, proceed from the beginning until you complete the chapters on Tea and Tinctures.
  • Experiment with at least 2 methods to make tea, and prepare a simple tincture. (Remember: you don’t have to make large amounts of these remedies! For tinctures, four fluid ounces is plenty to start with.) Include notes on these experiments in your homework submission. If you do not or cannot consume any amount of alcohol (that is, even 1 mL would be too much), you can make an infused vinegar instead – skip ahead to watch that chapter.
• In the Energetics and Holistic Practice course, jump down to the Energetics chapter and work through it, up to the Journal Prompt: Constitutions lesson. (Feel free to go through the earlier chapters as well if you wish, but it isn’t mandatory.)
• Reach or exceed 10% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
• Reach or exceed 20% completion for your chosen focus course (Nutrition, Digestive, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, or Musculoskeletal).

week 1 tasks

• Fill in the intake form we use for our clients, as a way to document your current state of health. It will serve as a baseline for comparison when we near the end of the rotation.
  You are under no obligation to share this information with me. However, if you’d like feedback or suggestions, you are welcome to send me your completed form and I will offer my thoughts.
• Begin your Neighborhood Plants project by exploring your area and taking photos or making notes about the plants you find.
• Begin planning for your other projects by reading through all the project descriptions, linked above.

week 1 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Documentation of your medicine-making experiments.

week 2

week 2 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, continue through the chapters on Infused Vinegars, Infused Wines, Infused Honeys, and Syrups.
  • Experiment with at least 2 of the various methods taught in these chapters. Document your experiments in this week’s submission.
• In the Energetics and Holistic Practice course, continue through the Energetics chapter, from the Tissue States: Hot & Cold lesson to the end. (Feel free to go through the earlier chapters as well if you wish, but it isn’t mandatory.)
• In the Basic Phytochemistry course, proceed from the beginning until you complete the Philosophy of Phytochemistry chapter.
• Reach or exceed 20% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
• Reach or exceed 40% completion for your chosen focus course (Nutrition, Digestive, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, or Musculoskeletal).

week 2 tasks

• Begin keeping a health journal, following these guidelines. Continue with this throughout rotation.
  You are welcome to include this in your submission, but it is not required: this is like the health assessment, something to provide data for comparison when we get to the end of rotation.

week 2 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Documentation of your medicine-making experiments.

week 3

week 3 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, continue through the chapters on Oxymels/Elixirs/Cocktail Bitters, Oil Preparations, & Topical Preparations.
  • Experiment with at least 2 of the various methods taught in these chapters, and document it in this week’s submission.
• In the Energetics and Holistic Practice course, continue onwards until you reach the end of the Herbal Tastes and Actions chapter. (Feel free to go through the later chapters as well if you wish, but it isn’t mandatory.)
• In the Basic Phytochemistry course, continue until you finish the Organoleptics chapter.
• Reach or exceed 30% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
• Reach or exceed 60% completion for your chosen focus course (Nutrition, Digestive, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, or Musculoskeletal).

week 3 tasks

• Begin the Diet Change project. Document your experiences this week, and each week for the remainder of rotation.

week 3 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Documentation of your medicine-making experiments.
• Reflections & comments on your experiences with the Diet Change project this week.

week 4

week 4 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, continue through the rest of the course.
  • Experiment with at least 2 of the various methods taught in these chapters, and document it in this week’s submission.
  • Submit the capstone assignment.
• In the Basic Phytochemistry course, continue until you finish the Characteristics of Constituents chapter.
  • Once you reach this milestone, you can stop working in the Phytochemistry course. Its capstone is not a requirement for this rotation.
• Reach or exceed 50% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
• Reach or exceed 80% completion for your chosen focus course (Nutrition, Digestive, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, or Musculoskeletal).

week 4 tasks

• Continue the Diet Change project, and report on your progress.
• Begin the Stress Management project. Document your experiences this week, and each week for the remainder of rotation.
• Reminder: is your Take Action project in motion yet?

week 4 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Documentation of your medicine-making experiments.
• Reflections & comments on your experiences with the Diet Change & Stress projects this week.

week 5

week 5 coursework

• In the Holistic Help for Better Sleep course, proceed from the beginning until you complete the Difficult Cases chapter.
• Reach or exceed 70% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
• Reach or exceed 100% completion for your chosen focus course (Nutrition, Digestive, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, or Musculoskeletal).
  • Submit the capstone assignment.

week 5 tasks

• Continue the Diet Change & Stress Management projects, and report on your progress.
• Begin the Sleep project. Document your experiences this week, and each week for the remainder of rotation.

week 5 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Reflections & comments on your experiences with the Diet Change, Stress, & Sleep projects this week.

week 6

week 6 coursework

• Complete the remainder of the Holistic Help for Better Sleep course.
  • Submit the capstone assignment.
• Reach 100% completion for the Herb-Drug Interactions & Herb Safety course.
  • Submit the capstone assignment.
• Catch up on other viewing & capstone assignments you’re behind on (if any).

week 6 tasks

• Continue the Diet Change, Stress Management, & Sleep projects.

week 6 written submission

• Herb of the Week monograph.
• Write up your Final Reflection, to include:
  • an overview of your health protocol projects (Diet, Stress, Sleep), and any noticeable changes in your health – refer back to the intake form you completed in week 1
  • completed Neighborhood Plants project
  • report & commentary on your Action project
  • reflections & comments on the rotation as a whole