As far as I concern, the distance programs from Alternative Medical College of Canada (AMCC) and British Institute of Homoeopathy (BIH) are good and well written. They will provide all the reading materials. There will be a tutor assisting you throughout your course. BIH also provides you with audiotapes and videotapes which make their courses more interesting. They also provide you with practical training session upon request.

The courses are good for you if you just wish to apply the knowledge onto your daily life, your family and your friends. If you wish to set up your own health center and be a professional natural health practitioner, then probably you need to attend schools that are offering in-campus courses (either full time or part time or weekend classes). This is because most of the clients would not choose to go to a healthcare practitioners who learned entirely through distance learning program.

If you want to choose a distance learning program, make sure the school can provide you with a good quality program. Sometimes, a Diploma course from a good school can give you much more knowledge rather than a Degree course from a lousy school. Please don\'t go for WRU, AMRI, OIUCM, or any types of such schools, because:

1. Their course materials are not well-prepared and not well-written (expecially the Indian based schools like Indian Board of Alternative Medicines, Indian Council of Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medical Council Calcutta, International University of Alternative Medicines, Institutes of Alternative Medicines and Research, Institute of Health Care and Research, etc..). There are a lot of such schools in India, quality not standardized.. If you wish to spend 6 months full time in India, you will learn a lot of things, you can see many many cases which are rare in the west, especially tropical infestation and malnutrition. But if you want to do entirely through distance learning, then you won\'t learn much, as I mentioned, their course materials are not well-written. Since they also sell degree to International students, this will also affect your professional image as well if you get your degree from these schools.

2. WRU, AMRI - they only provide you with study objectives, but they don\'t provide you lecture notes or any course materials or books. So besides the tuition fees, you need to spend additional money on text books and reference books as well. And they do not really guide you. You can\'t learn much from them. Most of their students are actually degree seekers, but not many knowledge seekers.. They are targeting Asian students as well..

3. OIUCM - You can get your MD in alternative medicine after paying USD 395.. Should not be proud of this title.. In Asia, we know OIUCM is the greatest diploma mill awarding degree in Complementary/Alternative Medicines.

Learn for knowledge, but don\'t learn just because want to get the title..

Good luck to you :)

Regards, Steve