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 Fortnight
• 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, 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.
• 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

• Prepare a tincture by maceration, as demonstrated in the Medicine-Making course. Document your process by taking pictures of:
  • all your tools & ingredients before you start,
  • the prepared herb (chopped, blended, crushed, etc) placed in its maceration jar, and
  • the filled & labeled jar, macerating.
• 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

• Documentation of your tincture-making process.

week 2

week 2 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, continue through the chapters on Infused Vinegars, Infused Wines, Infused Honeys, and Syrups.
• 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 Fortnight monograph #1.

week 3

week 3 coursework

• In the Medicine-Making course, continue through the chapters on Oxymels/Elixirs/Cocktail Bitters, Oil Preparations, & Topical Preparations.
• 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

• Prepare a syrup OR cocktail bitters, as demonstrated in the Medicine-Making course. Document your process by taking pictures of:
  • all your tools & ingredients before you start,
  • each step of the process, and
  • the finished & labeled product.
• Begin the Diet Change project. Document your experiences this week, and each week for the remainder of rotation.

week 3 written submission

• Documentation of your syrup or cocktail bitters making process.
• 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.
  • The capstone assignment for this course is not required for this rotation.
• 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 Fortnight monograph #2.
• Reflections & comments on your experiences with the Diet Change & Stress projects this week.

week 5

week 5 coursework

• 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

• Prepare a salve, as demonstrated in the Medicine-Making course. Document your process by taking pictures of:
  • all your tools & ingredients before you start,
  • each step of the process, and
  • the finished & labeled product.
• 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

• Documentation of your salve-making process.
• Reflections & comments on your experiences with the Diet Change, Stress, & Sleep projects this week.

week 6

week 6 coursework

• 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 Fortnight monograph #3.
• 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