Catherine Smith, Program Director of Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine, and Natalie Cook, Director of Innovation, Industry and Employability, Health and Education, recently attended several events in Europe. The first event was the World Naturopathic Federation (WNF) General Assembly (September 13-15) in Geneva, Switzerland.
This biennial conference travels around the World Health Organization’s global regions, with the final in-person event of 2019 taking place in Melbourne, Australia, at the Fitzroy Campus of Torrence University’s Southern Australian School of Naturopathic Medicine. At the WNF General Assembly, we shared insights on best practices in naturopathic education and research with representatives of naturopathic organizations, premier professional bodies, and educators from around the world.
Following the general meeting, the two attended the 1st Swiss International Naturopathic Research Conference. Lausanne, Switzerland (September 16-17). The theme of the conference was evaluation of individual constitution – from roots to research.Natalie also participated for the second time.n.d. The World Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health will be held in Rome (September 20-23).
WNF general meeting: Australian representative John Wardle, SCU. Catherine Smith (TUA); Natalie Cook (TUA), Toby Ann Pinder (WNF President). Joanna Harnett (Arona); Hope Foley (ARCCIM, UTS); Aime Steel (ARCCIM, UTS); Hannah Boyd (NHAA President).
Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) attended events in both Geneva and Rome to present the next version of the Global Strategy for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, and to discuss the importance of naturopaths, herbalists, nutritionists and Chinese medicine. We reinforced the critical role practitioners play in global health solutions. .
Australia is considered a leader in the quality and standards of education
The WNF General Assembly dedicated a day to education presentations and working groups, with Torrence University Australia contributing to the global education conversation.
WNF General Assembly Working Group: Alioune Diaw (France), Marianna Pontini (Italy), Sylvia Polecello (Italy), Catherine Smith (Australia), Aude Bellet (France), Hope Foley (Australia).
“Australia is highly regarded globally so it’s important that we join the conversation. By attending we strengthen our position as a global education leader and give back to our profession. , discovering where our course needs to grow,” said Catherine.
“Our courses started in 1960, so there is a lot of history in our course offerings. We are keen to keep our course curriculum and learning outcomes contemporary and relevant to the changing needs of health and practice. It’s important,” Catherine said.
“It really validated me. What I saw and heard was that the education and practice of naturopathic doctors in Australia is among the best in the world,” Natalie said. “I have become more invested and optimistic about the future of the Australian profession.”
“We produce some very good clinicians and we know that.” – Natalie Cook, Director of Innovation, Industry and Employment, Health and Education
“Our courses are top class in terms of their engaging, interactive and synchronous capabilities,” says Natalie. “This is a very different proposition to what many other educators in Australia and around the world are talking about.”
Connections were made with schools in Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland, and plans were made for students to collaborate in the future.
“These conversations provide students with smart opportunities to work together on the world stage through collaborative research and class projects, expanding their opportunities to become global citizens,” Katherine said.
Swiss Naturopathic Research Conference September 16: Anne Guimarac and Ludivine chorus of center Andre Henselin.
The Practice Wellbeing Center that sets Torrens University apart
In 2022, our students facilitated 12,258 in-person and telehealth appointments for 8,764 patients at Practice Wellbeing Centers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and 2023 is on track to do the same. If you assign a dollar value to this service, you’re getting closer to a lot more. That’s over $1.2 million, compared to $100 for a typical consultation with a qualified professional.
Services are provided across a wide range of treatments including naturopathy, nutrition, Western herbal medicine, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, myotherapy, counseling, beauty and skin therapy. Students will be fully supervised by qualified and experienced practitioners.
“Our clinic is outstanding. We have dedicated space for our public clients. We have a high standard of clinical competency and are highly established in three Australian states. program,” said Catherine.
“If we’re talking about being an industry university and getting people into the workforce, this is immersive, real-world on-the-job learning in an academic, highly supervised and safe environment,” Natalie said. Ta.
“The number of clients seen at our student clinic is impressive and shows the demand for our services, especially low-cost, community-based services. I feel very fortunate to have a good amount of good health. “
At the Swiss Research Conference, Catherine presented the results of two multicenter research projects on how telemedicine differs from face-to-face consultations in terms of effective assessment of an individual’s physical condition.
“Telemedicine was launched during the pandemic to continue student learning when in-person consultations were not possible.As a result, there has been a dramatic change in the types of services offered in naturopathic medicine. “It’s a reflection of what’s going on in the community,” Catherine said.
Our commitment to telemedicine has changed the way Torrence University clinics and clinical practices operate.
“Students are acquiring dual skills that will directly benefit their future practice,” Catherine said.
Employing traditional therapies and medicine to treat chronic diseases
“We’ve seen the pendulum swing so far toward science that it almost undermines acceptance of some of the more holistic, traditional treatments.”
“I think the pendulum will swing back to embrace naturopathic thinking and care in the areas of chronic disease prevention, preclinical care, and active management,” Katherine said.
“WHO recognizes that most countries use traditional and complementary medicine and that countries need a comprehensive approach to creating choice in health care. , there is growing interest in practices that promote health, prevent disease, and enable people to maintain positive health behaviors.”
Natalie agreed, saying health systems around the world, including Australia’s, are expected to be unable to keep up with demand.
“We are predicting a shortage of nurses, a shortage of general physicians, and all of these things are already happening, so current methods are not sufficient. One WHO representative said, “Medicine is medicine,” and we need everything: complementary, alternative, and integrative.”
“In the early 1900s, we were dying from infectious diseases, but that is no longer the case because science has many advantages. We need to be able to speak to health professionals in a unified and universally accepted language,” said Natalie.
“The reality is that despite COVID-19, at least in the Western world, we have eradicated so many infectious diseases, we are now dying from other causes,” Natalie said.
“The top 10 causes of death are priority health areas quantified by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and most are preventable.
“That’s cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health. That’s the real strength of naturopathic medicine and other complementary medicines. We can address these issues in the preclinical stage before they become red-light emergencies. ,” Natalie said.
The lessons learned from the conference circuit are that complementary medicine has an important role to play alongside biomedicine, especially as the world’s population grows and life expectancy increases, as current health systems cannot and will not keep up. It was said that there was.
“Every health system has value, and our goal is to work on integrated health solutions that provide choice for individuals and improve health outcomes,” Katherine said.
Hero images: Katherine Smith, Dr. Toby Ann Pinder (WNF President), Natalie Cook
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