www.nzherals.co.nz
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, February 1, 2004: A student interested in Ayurvedic medicine now has an option of studying the ancient science of India in New Zealand. Wellpark College, a NZQA-registered tertiary institution, offers a three-year diploma course. Dr. Sebastiano De Mel, an ayurvedic practitioner in Auckland, says, “Outside India and Sri Lanka the Wellpark College diploma is the most comprehensive in terms of the hours and subjects covered in the three years. The study is equivalent to five years in a bachelor’s degree in India or Sri Lanka, but in those degrees students don’t get taught much of a Western approach to patients.” During the first year, students broadly study Ayurveda principles and philosophy. In the second year, students learn how to formulate treatment plans for specific diseases. By the third year, students, under the supervision of qualified practitioners, focus entirely on clinical practise by helping people achieve a balance in their lives by changing diet and lifestyle. Jamila Knopp, who completed the program in 2003 says, “It is a difficult course. You have to be committed. There’s lots of Western medical stuff to learn as well, such as anatomy, physiology, pathology. The Ayurvedic side of the course is very challenging because you have to study Sanskrit and know a lot of terminology and herbs.” After graduating from Wellpark College, graduates can join the New Zealand Ayurveda Association, the Australasian Ayurvedic Practitioners Association or the New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners.